One of the obvious things about the current political moment is that western anti-Semitic anti-Zionism and BDS primarily come out of the progressive-left. There is nothing the least bit controversial about acknowledging this obvious fact.Democrats, as a group, are considerably less supportive of Israel than are Republicans... and I say this despite the fact that I am very much not a Republican. I do not have much against Republicans, I suppose, I simply do not happen to be one and I very much question their domestic policies.
In truth, I have been a life-long Democrat until I was pushed out of the party by progressive-left Democratic anti-Zionists.
But that does not change the fact that the progressive-left in the United States, and the grassroots-netroots of the Democratic Party, has betrayed its Jewish constituency through the acceptance of anti-Semitic anti-Zionism as part of the larger movement.
What amazes me is the inability of intelligent progressive-left Jews to acknowledge the obvious.
There is a well-meaning and intelligent young man, here in northern California, who goes under the moniker of "fizziks." Fizziks, if I am not mistaken, is a student of physics at one of the prominent northern California universities, perhaps UCAL Berkeley.
He is also a good-hearted liberal and Democrat who simply cannot bring himself to face the very clear fact that his own political movement has betrayed not only himself, but the Jewish people more generally; and not just the Jews, but women, Gay people, and all non-Muslims throughout the Middle East.
The progressive-left, and the grassroots / netroots of the Democratic Party, have failed to meaningfully acknowledge the rise of political Islam.
The progressive-left, and the grassroots / netroots of the Democratic Party, whip up hatred toward Jews who live where neither Barack Obama, nor Mahmoud Abbas, want them to live.
The progressive-left, and the grassroots / netroots of the Democratic Party, erase Jewish history through failing to acknowledge that Judea and Samaria are historically Jewish land.
Fizziks is a commenter at John Haber's Divest This! blog.
In a recent exchange between himself and a commenter who goes under the name charles Bane, Jr. we read this:
charles Bane, Jr.
April 4, 2014 at 3:33 pm #
Also, it must be faced squarely— and I have never seen it done so in any media outlet— that BDS is fast becoming a part of “progressive” orthodoxy. No prominent Democrats condemn it, which is like permitting a healthy patient to be injected with cancer.To which fizziks replied:
fizziks
April 6, 2014 at 3:42 pm #
That’s BS. Almost every prominent Democrat condemns BDS. Who do you think controls the Maryland and New York State legislatures, who have passed or are about to pass the most vociferous anti-BDS measures?It boggles the mind that at this late date intelligent Jewish Democrats can still not bring themselves to recognize that the primary challenge facing the Jewish people today is anti-Zionism and that anti-Zionism in the west is primarily expressed through the progressive-left movement and the grassroots / netroots of the Democratic Party.
For reasons of their own, far too many progressive-left Jewish Israel supporters simply cannot bring themselves to face what is before their very eyes. Why this is the case we can debate, but that it is the case is simply beyond question.
Jewish progressives like "fizziks" are seeking to deny that which is undeniable. Almost all the significant organizations and venues and magazines and blogs, in the west, that are associated with anti-Zionism and hatred toward the Jewish state of Israel are also associated with the progressive left. This includes, among many other places, Daily Kos and the Huffington Post and the UK Guardian and the Obama Administration and minor, insignificant organizations like the European Union.
Both the Obama Administration and the European Union are whipping up hatred for the tiny Jewish State of Israel. Obama did it through blaming the Jews of the Middle East for majoritarian Arab hatred toward us and the EU does likewise and both are essentially left-wing organizations.
Fizziks, like many Jewish Democrats and "progressives," for ideological reasons simply cannot bring himself to acknowledge the obvious.
It is not just sad and wrong-headed, but dangerous to the well-being of the Jewish people.
Needless to say, of course, fizziks is not alone.
The primary challenge facing the Jewish people today is antisemitism, not anti-Zionism, though the latter is often used as a mask for the former.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible to agree with each position. Democrats are generally against BDS, at least in public. yet there are illiberals in the Democratic tent, unabashed and disproportionate among the "intelligentsia" and "activists," that have a significant voice and platform, and are anti-Israel and anti-Jewish.
It's unfortunate that some Democrats are so wedded to an ideology premised on social justice that they will look past illiberalism allegedly practiced in its cause.
If one needs to deny the interrelation between progressive Democratic ideology and BDS, not to mention anti-Zionism, then it becomes possible to act as if any claim to the contrary is not worth consideration.
I am interested what the subject of this post thinks of someone like Daniel Mael.
I would argue that defeating BDS, and other Jew-hating delegitimization efforts, necessitates forming an alliance with all interested parties, and that liberals like you and me, and even Democrats like myself, must be included in the big tent of same.
ReplyDeleteI think you're aiming a little out of line here, Mike, if you'll forgive me for saying so.
Jay,
DeleteI am not entirely sure that I understand your criticism.
All I am saying is that it is long clear that the primary source of anti-Semitic anti-Zionism in the west today is the progressive-left and that devoted partisans, like fizziks, often refuse to acknowledge that which is directly before their noses.
So, it is unclear to me where our disagreement lies.
Let me know what you think, mister.
I just think this is a lot of unnecessary focus, and energy spent upon, somebody who is, without question, pro-Israel.
DeleteUnless a person is actively excusing or enabling antisemitic anti-Zionists, which this person certainly does not, I don't really ultimately see the importance of their not publicly acknowledging that which you and I both agree upon.
Well, the problem is that it is not merely the one guy.
DeleteThe Ostrich Syndrome, or whatever one might want to call it, is exceedingly common on the Jewish left. In fact, you are one of the few that I know personally who doesn't seem to suffer from it.
Well, I suppose some would disagree. After all, I was recently called 'an obnoxious pile of leftist filth' at EoZ, just a week or so after being called 'right-wing Neo-Con scum' in a Facebook 'discussion' with a Putin-worshipping friend of a friend. ;)
DeleteBut thanks, Mike. I do think it's something worth acknowledging, but I don't see it as a very important thing as long as one is ultimately pro-Israel.
You were called what at EOZ?
DeleteThe funny thing is that my criticisms of the left are basically from the left of the left, in the sense that I advocate for universal human rights, including universal human rights for Muslims and those under Islamic rule.
But here is the central dilemma:
How does a civilized people - any civilized people - give perfect universal human rights to a people who often teach their children to kill Jews and who subjugated those Jews for 1,300 hundred years under a system of submission by a dominating foreign power?
If anyone can answer that question they get a cookie.
I was called an obnoxious pile of leftist filth.
DeleteScroll a bit up to see the thread. Disqus makes linking funky, but click on the post itself to see the entire entry.
I was also called 'princess' there, in an apparent insult, even though to most sensible and tolerant people these days, gay slurs stop being funny around the third grade, regardless of whether or not they're aimed at somebody who isn't even gay.
As for your question, it's precisely because we are civilized.
Now where's my cookie? I like oatmeal raisin... ;)