February 20, 2017

Anti-Semitism: One Jew's perspective about recent events (long read)

Given the press conferences from the "president", and the odious Holocaust remembrance statement from the White House, I figured I would strike while the iron was hot, meaning people actually seem to care about this topic. So, what is anti-Semitism? Well, the best way to start is to provide the dictionary definition, so, here it is:

hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group (Merriam-Webster)

Seems pretty straightforward, but unfortunately, it is not. It goes way beyond just calling Jews names like kike, Heeb, or yid. It is much more than spray-painting a swastika on a synagogue. I am hoping to shine a light on what this bigotry really is. There are those who refer to it as "the oldest hatred"; personally, I think that title goes to misogyny, but that is for another thread. Anti-Semitism has a long history, though. It has spread throughout the world in various forms and there are very common themes. In my opinion, one of the most odious of anti-Semitic stereotypes is Jews are a devious people who spread lies, disease, fear, and misinformation in order to better our own lives. This particular stereotype has taken on many forms over the millennia. We were accused of spreading the Black Plague. We were/are accused of starting and maintaining the slave trade. We are accused for destabilizing a host of countries (Germany, Russia, England, Spain, Greece, Japan, and, yes, even the US). We are accused of inciting racial tensions by "manipulating" the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. We are/have been accused of poisoning wells, food, and livestock. The list goes on and on. Just with just one stereotype, it is easy to see how it is morphed into a variety of hatreds.

DU'er, TygrBright wrote a piece entitled: Hate Jews, Love Israel: The Logic of American Anti-Semitism and as I explained in a comment, it would have been more aptly named, "Right-Wing American Anti-Semitism." However, some very good points were made:


This is an excellent breakdown of the right-wing's anti-Semitism. The entire piece is well worth a read, so do so, please. This piece is more about motivations, as opposed to actual examples, but they abound throughout the web, and I am sure most are familiar with a least a few examples from the above descriptions.

But, it is only part of the problem. While no where near as epic as right-wing anti-Semitism, there is anti-Semitism on the left. It, too, must be addressed, not ignored, and it must also be eradicated. A few weeks ago, a British MP claimed anti-Semitism was the fault of the Jews. This type of "blaming the victim" for their own attacks is commonly seen in the "what was she wearing" type of defense we get from those who try to blame the victim of rape for the actual rape. While it happens to all groups, the Jews seem to get the lion's share of the blame when it comes to anti-Semitism; as if somehow we brought it upon ourselves, thus one can see why scores of countries have routinely purged Jews from their borders over the past 2 millennia. And this belief leads directly to another stereotype which is shared by the right and the left, Jews are not loyal citizens. Long after Israel ceased to exist and long before it existed again, Jews have routinely been accused of having loyalties which were not to their leaders, crown, or country. The most obvious was during the lead up to the Second World War, when Jews of Germany were accused of bolshevism and supporting Russia, while Jews in Bolshevist Russia were accused of capitalism and supporting the US, and Jews of the United States were accused of supporting socialism and bringing down the US government.

This constant "Jews are not loyal" to their country is even more pronounced now that Israel exists. Any Jew who doesn't sufficiently or "properly" criticize Israel is considered suspect. The left delights in labeling Jewish legislators Mr. So-and-so (D-Tel Aviv) in order to indicate the lawmaker isn't really loyal to the US, but to Israel. Jews who aren't "on board" with things deemed "the correct answer" are automatically considered treasonous and not loyal to the US. The irony is the left is the group usually considered to be anti American and not loyal to the United States by the right and often complain, bitterly, about it. The right, especially the far-right, are notorious for publishing lists of Jews who are in the government (sometimes they aren't even Jews) in an effort to demonstrate two things, that Jews aren't loyal to the US and their is a not-so-secret Jewish cabal to control the US. Both sides, usually the fringes, share the idea that most, if not all, wars are fought for Israel or at her behest, and therefore, the Jews in power, a larger number compared to our very small overall percentage, is the proof Jews are not loyal to this country and control it through their ranks and the "Jew(ish) Lobby" (AIPAC).

Scads of examples exist about anti-Semitism. Using "Jew" to mean "Jewish" is one example.

• Behind the Aegis is a Jew. Behind the Aegis is Jewish. Both are correct and neither is offensive.
  
• Behind the Aegis is a Jew poster at DU. Behind the Aegis is a Jewish poster at DU. The latter is correct, while the former is a slur.

There are phrases one should avoid with the target of scorn or objection is Jewish, such as "I guess he got his 30 pieces of silver", which is a reference to Judas, and has a long history of implying Jews will sell out anyone for the right price. "She got her pound of flesh.", while this phrase seems to be an innocuous insult about exacting revenge, in truth it from the Shakespeare play, "The Merchant of Venice" and it is how the Jew, Shylock, was accused of wanting the flesh as payback. While not literal, it harkens back to the idea of Jews' love of so deep anything will be accepted as payment, and it touches on the ancient myth of the Blood libel. While I am talking about good ol' Bill, calling a Jew, 'shylock", is a big no-no. "Shyster" is OK, but the other is not, and again for historical reasons going back to the aforementioned play. All of these tie into the anti-Semitic theme about the love Jews have for money, to the point of willingness to betray and even take body parts as payment. Jews are portrayed as cheap and stingy. We hear it in the phrase "He Jewed me.", meaning the person was cheated. Of course, one can also demonstrate the Jews' craftiness with getting a good deal unfairly, but claiming, "Go to this auto dealer, you can Jew them on the price."

The Jewish "affair" with money harkens back to the pre-Middle Ages, when usury laws were "illegal", that is to say, it was illegal for Christians, but the Church wanted it's money, so it had the Jews handle the money; and a stereotype was born. One of the more egregious remarks came from the current "president" not along ago, when he said:

“Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.”

So when the "leader" of the free world says shit like this, there is a problem. Is it because he is afraid of his supporters as opined in this article posted at DU, Trump too afraid of his own base to denounce antisemitism posted by McCamy Taylor? Or is it he, like so many, doesn't really understand anti-Semitism, as recent searches increased after this two day ignore-fest of anti-Semitism completed, as shown in an article titled: Anti-Semitism searches surge after Trump press conference? But then again, given the past few interviews where he has refused to answer about the rise in anti-Semitism (one occasion bragging about his election win and his "some of his best friends are..." defense by invoking his daughter, the other where he actually told a Jew to shut up and sit down), it really begs the question: Does he really care about anti-Semitism? We know some of his supporters are loving it (Anti-Semites thrilled that Trump refused to denounce Anti-Semitism at presser posted by DetlefK). This, in my opinion leads to a larger question of, "Does anyone care?" That question is asked in an article I posted the other day: Is anti-Semitism on the rise? Does anyone care?.

Like any form of bigotry, anti-Semitism can be murky sometimes and there are quite a few myths (Five myths about anti-Semitism). It can depend on circumstance. It can depend on the speaker or audience. However, sometimes, it is in-your-face-straight-up bigotry!

• Do not accuse Jews of being more loyal to another country, including Israel, when your only proof is the person is a Jew! BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not accuse the "Jew(ish) Lobby" of getting us into war or controlling Congress. BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not accuse Jews of controlling the media. BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not accuse Jews of being responsible for anti-Semitism enacted against us! BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not excuse or otherwise downplay anti-Semitism by bringing up the sins of Israel! BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not claim anti-Semitism is not a "real" bigotry like racism, sexism, or homophobia! BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not "redefine" anti-Semitism to include others who aren't Jews, or to purposely water it down in order to exclude Jews. BIGOTRY!
  
• Do not call a Jewish person a "kapo". This is even dicey in the Jewish community, but if you aren't Jewish, do not compare a Jew to a Nazi sellout, or worse, a Nazi. BIGOTRY!

To show people just how real anti-Semitism is, one only needs to read FBI stats for the past several years, and it is easy to see, that Jews always top the list for anti-Religious crimes...ALWAYS! Even recently, Jews toped the list with this report from ThinkProgress, Hate incidents since Trump was elected. We are only about 2.3% of the US population, yet we make up an incredible amount of the victims of hate crimes, especially per capita. Anti-Semitism is real. Anti-Semitism is not going away. Anti-Semitism is a bigotry with no political boundaries. Anti-Semitism should always be reviled and confronted.

As a final note, if you are not Jewish, do not "'splain'" to us about anti-Semitism and tell us we don't understand it or know what we are talking about. No minority likes to be talked down to someone who is a privileged majority, and that includes Jews. It is always possible for people to be mistaken. It is always possible for Jews to be oversensitive to anti-Semitism, real or imagined. It is OK to disagree with Jews. It is OK to disagree with Jews about the anti-Semitism (or not) of a situation. However, how one does it makes all the difference. If you want to stop all forms of bigotry, be willing to stop anti-Semitism when you see it, too.

February 19, 2017

Is anti-Semitism on the rise? Does anyone care?

It’s been a bad 2017 for Jews. During the month of January, 48 bomb threats were called in to Jewish community centers across the country. Also last month, a neo-Nazi made national news by promising to hold a march in Whitefish, Mont., to intimidate the town’s small Jewish population.

It was thus unsurprising that two reporters were moved to ask President Donald Trump at Thursday’s news conference about a rise in anti-Semitism — and that many of us were aghast at Trump’s rude dismissal of the first reporter, an Orthodox Jew, and Trump’s unwillingness to take the question seriously.


But here’s the thing: As bad as 2017 has been for anti-Semitic incidents, 2016 wasn’t great, either. Nor was 2015, when the Anti-Defamation League reported 90 anti-Semitic incidents on campuses, twice as many as the year before — a slow drip that has continued into this school year.

A journalist could stay very busy writing about anti-Semitic graffiti in higher ed — and not at right-wing Christian schools, but at ostensibly liberal ones. Last August, students at Swarthmore College, the progressive Quaker college outside Philadelphia, found two swastikas painted on a stall in a bathroom of the main library. A week later, they found another swastika on a tree in the school’s woods. There have been reports of anti-Semitic incidents at Oberlin College, the University of California at Los Angeles, Brown University and Northwestern University.


You may not have heard about any of this or, for that matter, about the multiple cases of anti-Muslim vandalism on campuses last year. Indeed, given how frequently students come across hateful graffiti, to merit widespread media attention the provocations have to be particularly crass, or committed by fraternities or soccer teams.

more...
[hr]
Excellent fucking question, especially given the "president's" recent lack of remarks.

February 16, 2017

PewDiePie Apologizes for Anti-Semitic Jokes, But Attacks Media for Taking Them Out of Context

Source: Variety

PewDiePie, the internet star who was dropped by Maker Studios and YouTube this past week over pranks he staged involving anti-Semitic rhetoric, posted a video Thursday responding to the controversy.

The vlogger, whose real name is Felix Kjellberg, apologized for the videos, one of which detailed a stunt in which he paid two Indian men to hold up a sign that said, “Death to All Jews.” Kjellberg also reiterated that he was pointing out how crazy it was that it’s possible to pay random people $5 to get them to say outrageous comments, and that he absolutely doesn’t support hate groups.

“I’m sorry for the words that I used, as I know they offended people,” he said. “And I admit the joke itself went too far.”

But he also attacked the media, including Variety as well as the Wall Street Journal, which originally reported that Disney’s Maker had cut its ties to him. He claimed the newspaper and other news organizations have taken his “jokes” out of context to inaccurately portray him “as a Nazi.”

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/pewdiepie-apologizes-for-anti-semitic-%E2%80%98jokes%E2%80%99-but-attacks-media-for-taking-them-out-of-context/ar-AAn1h7s?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

---

He's the victim, yo!

What an asshole!

February 16, 2017

Trump asks black reporter to "set up the meeting" with Congressional Black Caucus

Source: CBS News

President Trump’s freewheeling press White House press conference Thursday -- in which he announced his new labor secretary pick -- also included an awkward exchange on race, after a reporter asked him about his policies to improve inner cities.

“You go to some of the inner city places and it’s so sad when you look at the crime,” the president said. He went on to describe how people “lock themselves into apartments petrified to even leave in the middle of the day” in urban areas for fear of crime in the cities.

Journalist April Ryan, who serves as the White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, followed up: “When you say the inner cities, are you going to include the CBC, Mr. President, in your conversations with your urban agenda?”

When Mr. Trump seemed unfamiliar with the “CBC” acronym, Ryan, who is black, clarified: “Are you going to include the Congressional Black Caucus -- “

The president interrupted: “Well I would. I’d tell you what -- do you want to set up the meeting?

“Do you want to set up the meeting?” the president pressed again. “Are they friends of yours?”

https://twitter.com/OfficialCBC/status/832316384260526081

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-asks-black-reporter-to-set-up-the-meeting-with-congressional-black-caucus/ar-AAn1wbE?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp

---

What an asshole! WHY?!? WHY?! WHY is this man-child our president?!

February 14, 2017

Large swastika painted on car in Jewish neighborhood in Florida

A large swastika was spray painted on the side of a car in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Boca Raton, Florida.

The incident occurred early Sunday morning, according to local report. The white swastika took up the entire driver’s-side door of the black Ford Mustang.

--snip--

Many Holocaust survivors live in the neighborhood, residents told local media.

--snip--

The swastika comes on the heels of several bomb threats on Jewish community centers in South Florida, part of a wave of bomb threats on such centers across the country.

more...

[hr]

Seeing this, is why this makes more and more sense:

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/830056399879229442/photo/1

MORE:
https://thinkprogress.org/thinkprogress-has-been-tracking-hate-since-trumps-election-here-s-what-we-found-e0288ed69869#.6ldq0xlg7

to kpete for the information in a very quiet thread.

February 14, 2017

Russian Jews horrified by MP's 'shameful' slur

Saint Petersburg (AFP) - A pro-Kremlin lawmaker came under fire Monday after saying the ancestors of local Jewish opposition figures in Saint-Petersburg "boiled Christians in cauldrons", sparking indignation from Russia's Jewish community.

Vitaly Milonov, a Duma deputy known for his anti-gay initiatives, lashed out at the weekend at two local lawmakers leading a protest against handing over St. Isaac's basilica, a top landmark in Russia's second largest city, to the Russian Orthodox Church.

"Christians survived despite the fact that the ancestors of Boris Vishnevsky and Maksim Reznik boiled us in cauldrons and fed us to animals," ultra-conservative Milonov said at a rally Sunday to support the controversial handover.

The statement triggered a storm of criticism, with another local lawmaker Alexei Kovalev petitioning for a criminal probe into possible incitement of hatred while prominent Jewish figures said it was shameful and could spark religious tensions.

more...

[hr]

Funny how so many anti-Semites are also homophobes.

February 11, 2017

This Week in Anti-Semitism: Duma Defamation and Heartless Valentines

The Forward plans to regularly monitor the surge of anti-Semitism in many parts of the country and the world. The mission of this column is not to unduly alarm, but rather to raise awareness of a disturbing trend that, from some vantage points, can prove difficult to spot.

1) Republicans Keep On Omitting Jews from the Holocaust.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7th Republicans blocked a resolution declaring that Jews were the primary victims of the Holocaust. The resolution, which House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley introduced, was a clear attempt to either pin down Republicans (or to give space to the GOP to rectify their position) on the controversial statement made by Trump’s White House on Holocaust Memorial Day, which pointedly failed to mention Jews at all. Crowley’s resolution called for the House to confirm “the indisputable fact that the Nazi regime targeted the Jewish people in its perpetration of the Holocaust” and to condemn Holocaust denial. On Wednesday, the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect responded by calling out both the initial White House statement and the refusal of House Republicans to condemn it as acts of anti-Semitism.

2) Pope Francis strongly condemned anti-Semitism.


During a meeting with a delegation from the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) on Feb 9th, Pope Francis announced a deep and unwavering condemnation of anti-Semitism. “Sadly, anti-Semitism, which I again denounce in all its forms as completely contrary to Christian principles and every vision worthy of the human person, is still widespread today,” the Pope said. “The Church feels particularly obliged to do all that is possible with our Jewish friends to repel anti-Semitic tendencies.” This meeting and announcement took place on the 50th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate, an important declaration on Catholic-Jewish relations that was announced in 1965.

[hr]
TAKE NOTE!

Also read the part about the Duma!

February 11, 2017

This Week in Anti-Semitism: Duma Defamation and Heartless Valentines

THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP

The Forward plans to regularly monitor the surge of anti-Semitism in many parts of the country and the world. The mission of this column is not to unduly alarm, but rather to raise awareness of a disturbing trend that, from some vantage points, can prove difficult to spot.

1) Republicans Keep On Omitting Jews from the Holocaust.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7th Republicans blocked a resolution declaring that Jews were the primary victims of the Holocaust. The resolution, which House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley introduced, was a clear attempt to either pin down Republicans (or to give space to the GOP to rectify their position) on the controversial statement made by Trump’s White House on Holocaust Memorial Day, which pointedly failed to mention Jews at all. Crowley’s resolution called for the House to confirm “the indisputable fact that the Nazi regime targeted the Jewish people in its perpetration of the Holocaust” and to condemn Holocaust denial. On Wednesday, the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect responded by calling out both the initial White House statement and the refusal of House Republicans to condemn it as acts of anti-Semitism.

2) Pope Francis strongly condemned anti-Semitism.


During a meeting with a delegation from the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) on Feb 9th, Pope Francis announced a deep and unwavering condemnation of anti-Semitism. “Sadly, anti-Semitism, which I again denounce in all its forms as completely contrary to Christian principles and every vision worthy of the human person, is still widespread today,” the Pope said. “The Church feels particularly obliged to do all that is possible with our Jewish friends to repel anti-Semitic tendencies.” This meeting and announcement took place on the 50th anniversary of the Nostra Aetate, an important declaration on Catholic-Jewish relations that was announced in 1965.

February 8, 2017

When We Rise: The Epic Mini-Series Premieres February 27 on ABC!

When We Rise" was written and created by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. This mini-series event chronicles the real-life personal and political struggles, set-backs and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBT men and women who helped pioneer one of the last legs of the U.S. Civil Rights movement, from its turbulent infancy in the 20th century to the once unfathomable successes of today. Starring in the mini-series are Guy Pearce ("Memento," "L.A. Confidential&quot as LGBT activist Cleve Jones, Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds," "Angels in America&quot as women's rights leader Roma Guy, Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers and Sisters," "Six Feet Under&quot as her wife, social justice activist Diane, Michael K. Williams ("Boardwalk Empire,""The Wire&quot as African-American community organizer Ken Jones and Ivory Aquino as transgender-activist Cecilia Chung. Get your first look here and see the full air schedule below!

more...

When We Rise

[hr]

ABC Shifts ‘When We Rise’ Airdate to Accommodate Trump Congressional Address

Dustin Lance Black’s eight-hour paean to the LGBT civil rights movement, “When We Rise,” was initially supposed to air over four straight nights, from Monday, Feb. 27, through Thursday, Mar. 2. Thanks to a recently scheduled Congressional address by newly-minted President Donald Trump, ABC has had to modify those plans. It will take a break on Tuesday, Feb. 28, to air said address, thereby pushing the next three installments of “When We Rise” by a day.

There’s an element of irony to the move, given that the airtime will be devoted to Trump addressing members of Congress who are mulling the reintroduction of a bill that would curb the ability of the federal government to penalize discrimination against LGBTQ or unmarried citizens, categorizing such discrimination as free speech protected by the First Amendment. Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has already voiced his support of this bill.

more...

[hr]

Set those DVRs!

February 8, 2017

Washington Post: Five myths about anti-Semitism

For a phenomenon often dubbed “the world’s oldest hatred,” anti-Semitism is not well understood. From top Iranian officials who blame the Talmud for the international drug trade to British political activists who claim that the Mossad is stealing their shoes, anti-Jewish bigotry can be bewildering and bizarre. But given the prejudice’s longevity, virulence and recent resurgence in Europe and America — witness the waves of bomb threats against dozens of Jewish centers nationwide in the past month and the controversy over the Trump administration’s repeated refusal to include Jews in its Holocaust memorial statement — it’s well worth debunking common misconceptions that impede our ability to fight it.

Myth No. 1

Anti-Semitism largely subsided after the Holocaust.

In my time reporting on anti-Semitism, I’ve often encountered a certain well-meaning skepticism: Didn’t the Holocaust, with its shocking horrors, finally compel society to stamp out anti-Jewish bigotry? Sophisticated people don’t write this idea down, but it’s one I hear constantly in my reporting.

This is profoundly, depressingly wrong. According to the FBI, Jews in the United States are annually subject to the most hate crimes of any religious group, despite constituting only 2 percent of the American population. The picture is considerably darker in Europe, where Jews were the target of 51 percent of racist attacks in France in 2014, even as they made up less than 1 percent of that country’s population. In recent years, synagogues and Jewish schools and museums have been subject to terrorist attacks in France, Denmark and Belgium. A 2013 E.U. survey found that nearly 40 percent of European Jews fear to publicly identify as Jewish, including 60 percent of Swedish Jews. Non-Western examples abound as well. Populations of Jews in Arab lands, which once numbered nearly 1 million, have been reduced to only a few thousand, having been persecuted to the point of expulsion or flight in the past century.

--snip--

Myth No. 2

Anti-Semitism comes predominantly from the right.

This past election season, the ascendant alt-right, a band of reactionary white nationalists with a penchant for harassing Jewish journalists, filled Twitter with neo-Nazi memes, Photoshopped reporters into gas chambers and concentration camps, and chanted anti-Semitic slogans at political rallies. (My critical reporting on Trump made me the second-most-harassed Jewish journalist on Twitter, according to an Anti-Defamation League study.) One could be forgiven for assuming that such bigotry flows from one primary political source.


But anti-Semitic outbursts were taking place on the left at the same time. At liberal Oberlin College, a writing instructor named Joy Karega shared Facebook memes about Jewish control of the global economy and media, alongside posts asserting Israeli responsibility for the Islamic State and 9/11. Yet when school officials and others criticized her conduct, the student council dismissed it as a “witch-hunt.” In New York, despite a local outcry, the hip leftist hub Brooklyn Commons hosted Christopher Bollyn, a conspiracy theorist who argued that “Zionist Jews” were behind 9/11. During the Democratic primaries, Jewish candidate Bernie Sanders was confronted by a questioner who declared that “the Zionist Jews .?.?. run the Federal Reserve, they run Wall Street, they run every campaign.” Surveying this scene, TBS comedian Samantha Bee aired footage of an anti-Semite ranting at a Trump rally, then cracked, “To find anti-Semitism that rabid, you’d have to go to, well, any left-leaning American college campus.”

more...

Read a bit more about the above two myths and the other three myths are: Criticism of Israel is generally anti-Semitic.; Criticism of Israel cannot be anti-Semitic.; and, Anti-Semitism mostly threatens Jews.