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In Reply to: Re: I'm surprised posted by Joseph on August 01, 2003 at 08:27:32:
Your statement seems to pre-suppose that if someone is politically opposed to the political state of Israel, that they are anti-semitic. Of course, that is what many of the supporters of the State of Israel try to promote in an attempt to shut down criticism of Israel and create a 'chilling' effect on any debate surrounding Mid-east politics.But it is a false assumption.
To be anti-semitic is to be biased or predjudiced against any Jew, religious or ethnic. However, it is quite possible to be opposed to the State of Israel and Zionism in general and not be anti-semitic. Millions of Jews, including many deeply religious ones in the US, are openly opposed to the State of Israel. Are they anti-semitic?
I am opposed to many of the policies of the State of Israel, and I support the call for a Palestinian homeland and state. I think Israeli state-sponsored terrorism has done an incredible amount of harm in the region. I beleive that Zionism is a racist, apartheid doctrine, and that if it were in effect anywhere else, there would be an uproar.
But I am not anti-semitic.
I agree that Berg was a racist, and that he was anti-semitic. No doubt about it. Just read the MOP under Jews if there are any doubts. He sometimes tried to say that when he said 'Jews,' he meant Israel, but that does not fly. He went on and on about the Jews in the most vitriolic manner. Same for the blacks. He was a racist, pure and simple, and he actively promoted his racist views as being of God.
I think that in the midst of all the slop he got a few things right about political realities in the mid-east, but only a few. And they do not justify his horrible racist views and whacked out conspiracy theories about the holocaust.
I think that if there is going to be a discussion about anti-semitism, it is good to define the terms. Otherwise, people are afraid to speak up, as they fear being tarred as anti-semitic if they voice the least bit of criticism of the political state of Israel. And in my opinion, that is terribly wrong.
