It is encouraging that the British media for the most part finally seem to be taking the anti-Semitism issue seriously, but there is an air of hypocrisy amidst all the outrage and righteous indignation.
Most anti-Semitism nowadays is expressed through a hatred of Israel, and much of that anti-Zionism stems from the media’s coverage of Israel. Their often overt hostility to Israel, bias, exaggeration of any Israeli misconduct as representative of the country, ignoring context of events, absolving Palestinians of blame, ignoring Palestinians’ anti-Semitic goals, falsely portraying Israel as deliberately killing innocents, and misrepresenting or ignoring the country’s background and history, all fuel the hatred.
People argue again and again that they have no problem with Jews in general, just with Israeli Jews and Israel’s existence, and so they can’t be anti-Semitic. To them, ‘good’ Jews condemn Israel and ‘bad’ Jews support it. We find then that the main problem when people try to distance – and defend – anti-Zionism from anti-Semitism, is that they actually seem to have no knowledge of what either of them are. Many of those who have been accused of anti-Semitism don’t even know – or care – how they’re being anti-Semitic.
There is much discussion in the UK about tackling the problem, particularly in its Labor party. What’s really needed is to go back to basics. To start with, they can learn about the Jewish people, and about Judaism. They can learn about Israel and Zionism, about the thousands of years old Jewish connection to our homeland. Then they can learn about anti-Semitism, then and now. About the Holocaust, and the anti-Semitic rhetoric that led to it. Then about how and why Israel became a state, and saved the Jewish people. Then they can take a look at the anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism that is pervasive throughout the world now in 2016, with Jews once again questioning their future in Europe, and the Middle East already long ‘cleansed’ of nearly all its Jews, except for the Jewish state.
After they have learnt all of that, then they can make an informed decision on whether they are anti-Semites or not, and not try to dismiss it as ‘just’ anti-Zionism. Do they hate Israel not for what they claim it does, but just for what it IS: the Jewish homeland?
On Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, we remember the 6 million Jews who were murdered, and pledge that the phrase “Never Again” does not ring hollow. We all have a responsibility to do everything possible to expose and fight anti-Semitism and the demonization and delegitimization of Israel in the media and elsewhere, and to educate others on the truth about Jews, Zionism, and the Jewish homeland Israel.
