By: Eugene Greenstein
When anti-Semitism is the topic of conversation in Jewish circles it typically focuses on the Nazis, skin heads and others of the far right while ignoring the growing and now dominate anti-Semitism of the left. The coverage in the Jewish News of the Charlottesville incident shows that in spades. Other than the second half of the article by Allan Dershowitz in the August 31st Jewish News, one would never know that there was a threat to the Jewish community from other than the KKK and the Nazis. Nowhere does the Jewish community ask why the Charlottesville police did not provide security for the town synagogue or ask why the police stood down and let the Antifa Anarchists attack the despised Nazis with spray can flame throwers and baseball bats.
Dershowitz noted that “Antifa and its radical allies pose real danger to the future of our nation, because of their increasing influence on university campuses, (and) our future leaders… The recent events …have made them heroes among some mainstream liberals, who are willing to excuse their anti-liberal bigotry because they supposedly are on the barricades against fascism.” In his recent Atlantic article on Antifa, Peter Bienart , a Jewish leftist , said “Many of its activists oppose the very notion of a centralized state. But in the name of protecting the vulnerable, anti-fascists have granted themselves the authority to decide which Americans may publicly assemble and which may not…(using violence and intimidation). Unlike the politicians they revile, the men and women of Antifa cannot be voted out of office.” In reality, as we saw three weeks ago in Berkeley, Antifa dressed in black with masks behave the same as fascist Nazi Brown Shirts and as in Germany the police stood down.
Today, anti-Semitism from the right is small compared to the anti-Semitism coming from the left and from political Islam. One of the leading authorities on anti-Semitism, Dr. Charles Asher Small in his 2017 State of Antisemitism Address – “New Trends in the USA and Around the World” points out the threats from the Left and political Islam are more significant than from the right. Professor Dershowitz in recent articles has made the same observation. A new study, Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe, 2005-2015 — written by Johannes Due Enstad of the Oslo-based Center for Studies of the Holocaust concludes that European Anti-Semitism is now dominated by the political left, not the right, and that political Islam is a major cause of the uptick.
Growing left wing anti-Semitism should not be a surprise. Professor Kenneth Waltzer, retired Director of Jewish Studies at Michigan State, in his late 2009 paper “The Contemporary Anti-Semite and The Radical Anti-Zionist” pointed out the rising anti-Semitism on campus and in society is masquerading as antizionism from the political left.
One of the Women’s March key organizers, Linda Sarsour, is for BDS and the application of Sharia law. Sharia law calls for the death of gays, women being valued at half compared to a man, non-believers being given the choice of convert or death, etc. Sarsour, in an interview with The Nation said ”.. It just doesn’t make any sense for someone to say, ‘Is there room for people who support the state of Israel and do not criticize it in the movement?’ There can’t be in feminism. You either stand up for the rights of all women, including Palestinians, or none.” She has nothing to say about how women are treated as second class citizens in the Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia. Also, Black Lives Matter sees fit in its platform to call out Israel for abuse of Palestinians while ignoring black slavery in the Muslim world.
In the recent Chicago Gay Pride parade a Jewish Gay group was not allowed to participate as it had a Star of David on its flag. The Gays are in solidarity with the Palestinians however Palestinian society will murder Gays for being gay while Israel has an annual Gay parade.
Outside of Dershowitz no other notable Liberal has of late stood up and spoken out against the violence from Antifa and the hypocritical use of intersectionality by Gays, BLM, the feminist movement, etc. to promote anti-Zionism/anti-Semitism. When will the Jewish community realize that they can’t be blind to the anti-Semitism of the Left and political Islam? When will we as Jews and our leadership stand up to all fascists regardless of whether from the left or the right as they all hate us?
Yep. Eugene. Well said.
And I feel for you buddy. The Left does not like it when anyone wanders off the plantation.
Stay safe and avoid those fascists.