Sydney, Australia: Anti-Semitic Incidents Double

[Phx_Dem]

Jews suffered a record 650 anti-Semitic incidents in the 12 months to October, almost twice the average of the past 18 years.

The 2007-08 tally was two per cent above that of the period ending September 30 last year.

These unsettling figures were revealed to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) annual conference in Sydney by researcher Jeremy Jones, who submitted his annual report on anti-Semitism in Australia.

Jones, who is director of community affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, said he was particularly concerned about anti-Jewish propaganda from extremist organisations, much of it published in fringe publications and on the internet.

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/26710/Sydney,+Australia:+Anti-Semitic+Incidents+Double.html

[cali]

1. what does this have to with I/P?

[Behind the Aegis]

2. Though I would have likely placed this in GD or the Jewish forum...

...it is possible it is in this forum because some anti-Semitic acts are directly tied to the I/P situation, though this article doesn't say any such thing, but knowing this topic like I do, I often see that component in reports like this.

[Phx_Dem]

3. Not much

but if I post something like this in GD it gets buried due to the volume of OPs and a lot of posters can't post in the DU groups. I just figured that most people that are interested in this topic also check the IP forum.

[Vegasaurus]

4. There is plenty of evidence that anti-Semites hide behind criticism of Israel

"A survey last year by the Anti-Defamation League of five European countries found that half of those questioned believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than the countries in which they live. That was what the Nazis believed.

And almost half of Europeans surveyed also said Jews "probably" have too much control of international finance. That was another Nazi view.

Almost half also believe that Jews control U.S. Middle East policy. The Nazis would have agreed.

The editor of Der Sturmer, Julius Streicher wrote in 1944: "The Jews have made America what it is today: a nation…forced into helping the Jews achieve world domination!"

Manfred Gerstenfeld, a leading Holocaust expert, says the constant demonization of Israel by the European media and the European left has helped create what he calls a "new anti-Semitism" against the "collective Jew"; that is, Israel and Zionism.

"All studies show that Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism almost entirely overlap," he said. "Now, of course, it is very bad to say you are against the Jews after the Holocaust, so you have a found an escape clause to be against the Jews without saying you are against the Jews. And you say I am against Israel, applying standards to Israel that you do not apply to any other nation."

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/333648.aspx

[shaayecanaan]

6. Perhaps...

but there are many Islamophobes who hide behind support for Israel - Chuck Hagee comes to mind.

Chuck Hagee also strikes me as somebody who engages in anti-Catholic bigotry under the rubric of supposedly combatting anti-Semitism.

[azurnoir]

8. quite interesting for the

Christian Broadcasting Network to publish this considering that they also support the "Rapture" belief and what according to this belief be the fate of Jews and anyone else for that matter who doesn't accept Jesus as their savior in that event?

[Vegasaurus]

9. Do you deny the facts in the article? nt

[azurnoir]

10. Did I say that?

No it the real concern or respect for Judaism and any other non-Christian religon including Buddhism Hinduism, Islam, Shinto (albeit that is not exactly a religion)of CBN that I doubt. As far as Australia goes yes I will believe you.

[Vegasaurus]

11. I don't know much about the Christian Broadcasting Network

but I would agree that the Christian fundamentalists are no friends to people of other religions.

In terms of the contents of the article, and how anti-semites just shroud their hatred in the more palatable "anti-Zionist", I think that is rampant all over Europe and now in other countries too.

[LeftishBrit]

17. I've seen 'Zionists' used to mean basically 'jooooos', even in contexts that don't feature Israel

I first came across it in an article by a Russian mathematician c.1980 that attacked an American Jewish mathematician as 'a mediocre scientist but an aggressive Zionist'.

I think there may be some influences here from old Soviet propaganda.

Worldwide, the 'more loyal to Israel' accusations seem to be direct descendants of the old accusations that Jews stick together and are not true citizens of their country, or are 'rootless cosmopolitans' loyal to no country.

I did come across a post on DU a few weeks ago, which didn't even bother to use the euphemism 'Zionists' but attacked 'HEBREWS' (capitals in original). It was fortunately deleted.

[Vegasaurus]

19. I thnk the "more loyal to Israel"

goes back to the idea that Jews control foreign policy because it is predicated on Israel.

So anti-semites can claim that they are opposed to Israeli policy, but what they are really opposed to is Jews.

[LeftishBrit]

18. 'Christian Broadcasting Network'?

I wouldn't put much faith in a network called that.

This particular item of news has been reported in many places, however.

[Tarc]

12. The "New Antisemitism" is a pile of crap

Yet another sad myth invented by those who seeks to stave off any and all legitimate criticism of Israeli policies.

[Vegasaurus]

13. It isn't a pile of crap when you are a person who is a victim of it

and it is absolutely true that the new anti-semitism is wrapped up in a neat "anti-Zionist" cloak.

Makes it somehow easier for some people to preach their hate that way.

[Tarc]

14. "I'm a victim" suits you well.

:eyes:

[shira]

15. so riddle us this one....

when the Pat Buchanons, David Dukes, and other hardline RW'ers claim they're not antisemitic but only critical of Israel, you buy that crap?

[Tarc]

20. Your freshman attempt at a logical argument fail miserably.

"I support Position X."
"Person A supports Position X."
"Person A also supports Position Y, which is a bad thing"
"Therefore, Position X is bad because Person A supports it."

Just because I may agree on a single position with a noted racist like Duke or Buchanan does not invalidate the position itself.

[shira]

21. but Duke and Buchanon claim they're not antisemites

they say they're concerned over human rights.....this is their motivation when attacking Israel....they don't hate jews.....they're just antizionists...why not believe them, right?

You may be person A supporting position X. But Duke and Buchanon say that don't support position Y, which is a bad thing....only position X.

[LeftishBrit]

16. Antisemitism is hardly a myth

I don't much like the expression 'the new antisemitism' because there is little new about it. It's the old antisemitism, that hasn't changed much.

There are certainly people who use accusations of antisemitism to stave off any criticism of Israel's policies. But there are also people who do use 'Israel' and 'Zionists' as a code for 'Jews'; use real and imagined misdeeds of Israel as an excuse for blaming Jews worldwide; and accuse Israel/Zionists/Jews of controlling other countries or the entire world.

My general guideline in these matters is: criticizing Israel is not usually antisemitic; BUT blaming Israel for the actions and failings of other countries, especially much bigger and more powerful countries such as the USA, IS usually antisemitic, or at least xenophobic.

[delad]

5. question:

Are posters allowed to post articles on islamaphobia in this forum too? Personally, I'd prefer if it was kept specifically to i/p related articles

[shaayecanaan]

7. I would think so...

Islamophobia is a significant problem in Australia as well - the Cronulla race riots were regarded as a significant reflection of this.

I have no objection to that. It may well lead to more productive discussion. I think that both anti-semitism and islamophobia feed into the I/P issue in significant ways.