Antisemitism is a good thing

Friday, 03 November 2006

[Noam Chomsky's comment: There's nothing new about this. About 30 years ago the distinguished Israeli statesman Abba Eban explained to an American Jewish audience that their task is to show that any form of anti-Zionism -- meaning criticism of Israel -- is either anti-Semitism, or Jewish self-hatred. That covers 100% of critical comment. The best reaction to all of this is to ignore it.]

'Antisemitism' is no longer what it used to be. Being a dissident activist running an anti-Zionist blog and online encyclopedia, I am used to wholesale accusations of Antisemitism. That comes with the territory. The recent Israel Lobby debate in the US, stirred up by the Walt/Mearsheimer study, made large portions of the public aware of the fact, that an 'Antisemite' in today's use of the term in the media and public debate is no longer someone who hates Jews, but - the otherway round - someone the Jews hate.

Anybody criticising how the IDF is treating Palestinians, the rampant use of torture and extra-judicial killings, the bulldozing of Palestinian homes and orchards, the daily harassment by Jewish settlers of Palestinian kids on the way to school and farmers on their way to their fields, the use of army check points and illegal 'security walls' making life in the occupied territories virtually impossible, the conversion of Gaza - one of the world's most populated areas - into a giant concentration camp without food, water, electricity and medical supplies, the killing of hundreds of Palestinians - most of them children and teenagers - each year, the killing of over 1000 civilians and dropping of over a million cluster bombs onto civilian areas in the recent Lebanon assault, is an Antisemite.

Anybody criticising that AIPAC makes sure that any US rep or senator who dares to vote against a bill that provides Apartheid Israel - each and every year - with 6-8 billion dollars of US tax payers' money will be without a job at the next election, is an Antisemite.

Anybody criticising Israel's role in the false-flag September 11 attacks or in America's decision to invade Iraq - and most likely soon Iran - is an Antisemite.

Even someone just reporting on those important matters without blindly parroting the Lobby's views, is an Antisemite.

In other words, being Antisemitic is a good thing. We should all wear this label with pride. In fact, we should all wear badges saying 'I'm an Antisemite - All decent people are.'

I am well aware that by writing these lines I give more ammunition to my enemies and possibly shock those readers, who haven't fully overcome 60 years of collective brainwashing. Organised Jewry has effectively redefined the term 'anti-Semitic' in an effort to dismiss all criticism of Israel as being motivated by racial hatred. What I'm trying to achieve is help fellow activists overcome their deadly fear of this libel. I want them to be confident and turn around - when confronted with this kind of accusation - and say something along the lines of 'You make it sound like being an Antisemite was a bad thing.' It's about redirecting one of the Zionists' most powerful weapons against themselves. Does that make sense?