If you are critical of Israel's current attacks on Lebanon why does it make you an Anti-Semite and terrorist

Question

First of all I must stress that Israel and Judaism are not synonomous!! You can be critical of Israel without being critical of Judaism or Jewish people...

But I find it very hurtful that people should accuse me of that just because I think Israel is WRONG to attack Lebanon...

I have always tried to support Israel and not condemn it because I know the situartion in the Middle East is very complex and not one sided...I have always supported Israels' right to exist and have been against all boycots....
I even argue in favour of Israel many times..and that is hard because I am a Muslim..but I try to see all sides...

But why when I point out the stupidity and unfairness of plunging Lebanon into war again I get accused of being a terrorist and an anti -semite??? when I am not.....?

Answer 1

I don't think you are anti semetic or a terrorist just naive and un aware. Hezbollah has been allowed to arm it's self with rockets that it uses to attack Israel when it was not provked . They attcked into Israel first and used the excuse that they were doing it to support Hamas under attack in Gaza after Hamas kidnapped that 19 yr old Israeli soldier and then taunting Israel about it. Hezbollah committed an unprovked attack on an Israeli outpost on the border, but well into Israel capturing at least 2 Israeli soldiers and retreating in Lebanon. THe Israelis pursuid and one of their tanks hit a mine laid by Hezbollah in the road and 4 Israelis were killed. This is what started the current round of fighting the first in 6yrs since Israel withdrew from Lebanon and then negotiated a peace deal with Lebanon. Oh and understand that this support for Hamas is just an excuse to harm Israel as Hezbollah is a SHiite Muslim group and Hamas is Sunni Muslim. They are the same groups tearing each other apart in Iraq. Hezbollah is supported by Iran and Syria and Hamas by Saudi Arabia and Egypt and other muslim countries not in the middle East. If your home was attacked by neighbors that said you had no right to exist would you sit idly by and let them. I don't know but I do know Israel has a right to defend it's self. Isolating Hezbollah from support from Syrian and Iranian help unfortunately means destroying bridges and the runways of the airport that can be used to bring supplies and troops and be used to further escolate the fighting. I hope this helps you inderstand how things are and no you are not a bad person at least I don't think so and I agree war is not always the answer but Hezbollah as picked a fight after regrouping and supplying themselves for 6 yrs for just this type of ploy. Don't let the name callers bother you I get it too sometimes.

Answer 2

Some beautiful, well-thought, friendly answers you got here :(

"You sound like you are a bit mixed up"
"I think you answered your own question, terrorist a$$hole"
"If you can't change it, or do something about it, you should just be quiet"

It's sad that these people will never know what really the difference is between you and them. They accuse you of hate, while they are the only people that actually spread hatred. Sadly enough they will never see it that way.


To answer your question:

I can be critical of the politics of Israel without being critical of Judaism.
I can be critical on the politics of Iran without being critical of Islam.
I can be critical on the politics of the USA without being critical of Christianity.

Israel is a country that always complains how they are oppressed, and uses that as an excuse to become the oppresser.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a scary human being, who denies the holocaust.
George W. Bush is a scary human being, who is nothing more than a terrorist.

You are right that that the situation in the Middle-East is very complex and not one-sided. And again i am amazed by your open-mind.

I can almost agree with Muslims that start to hate Israel for all its actions. I can also understand how hard it is for you to remain to see all sides.

I'm glad that we both know that hate is a useless feeling.

Answer 3

to intelligensio


as a Jew (yes I am Jewish) I think the person asking this question has a legitimate point. A person can be critical of the state of Israel and not be an Anti-Semite. She is right to say that the Middle East is VERY complex and not one sided. That is why I can agree to disagree with Muslims when they say that Israel is being to harsh with Hezbollah and is harming innocent civil ans in the process. I only have a problem when the next line is push all the Jews into the sea, that is Anti-Semitic.

you intelligensio by generalizing and entire group of people and saying what you have is classified as racism because you have made a generaliation of a group of people.

you intelligensio are an Anti-Semite the person asking this question is not.

Answer 4

"First of all I must stress that Israel and Judaism are not synonomous!! You can be critical of Israel without being critical of Judaism or Jewish people"--Absolutely correct.
Those who keep posting hatred remarks are like parrots who repeat without understanding a word.Infact..even worse for I once saw a parrot on TV who chooses its words perfectly well and doesn't just repeat blindly.
Not a long time ago ,Israeli army killed 2 Egyptian soldiers at the border.(Claiming it was an error).The next day Olmert says he will investigate into the causes of such action and nothing is heard since then.Did Egypt respond the same way Israel does..if it did,wouldn't all the people saying Israel's actions were justified would have said Egypt's over reacting? and would Bush have said "Every nation has the right to defend itself" when what he is actually doing is calling for war instead of calming things down.

Answer 5

I am writing this with the acknowledgment that I have not read what you have written before so I can't judge on the issue one way or another.

However, you must realize that a lot of critism that is leveled at Israel is, in fact, thinly disguised (if at all) anti semitism. If it is, in fact, anti semetic, I think it is quite fair for people to call it as such.

That being the case, it is important to be able to distinguish between real constructive critisism and the anti semtic kind.

I think the following essay by Natan Sharansky is helpful.

http://www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-sharansky-f04.htm

As to Lebanon, what instead do you propose what Israel should do about Hezbollah if it is wrong for Israel to target them in the manner they are doing now? Also, from what I have read, Hezbollah is a problem for Lebanon itself. They have effectively set up a mini state in south Lebanon ands are accountable to no Lebanese authority other than themselves.

Answer 6

It doesn't make you either a terrorist or an anti-semite. Besides all the peoples of that region are semites both the arabs and the jews. You must continue and ignore those that know not what they speak! You are completely correct when you are critical of israels current actions involving Lebanon! The world knows that israel is indescriminately killing civilians in Lebanon. And it has to stop immediately! Israel has to pay for their criminal activities!

Answer 7

A MOST excellent question!! I know that I am often afraid to discuss Israels policies because of fear of being called anti-semitic. Israels policies are Zionist, which is NOT the same as Jewish. The Zionists went into a country where people had been living for centuries, took their homes & villages & towns, and threw many of them into 'resettlement camps'. While it is true that the Jews have been made to suffer mightily (and wrongly) over the centuries, that is no excuse for the ISRAELIS to oppress others. The Jews & Muslims lived in peace in Palestine, until the Zionists came in & took over the whole country.

And although I was raised Protestant, one of my grandparents was Jewish, and I lost relatives in the Holocaust, so I could never realistically be called 'anti-semetic', although I AM somewhat anti-Israel.

Answer 8

It seems that some people are just against Muslims no matter how unfair it is. Israel has done many many unfair things and it is ok, but anther country does the same thing and they are terrorist and wrong. And that seems to be the reason why you are considered that as if you speak against the innocent little Israel then your a terrorist.

Answer 9

Dont worry about it the jews will always hate you bcs you are a muslim especially the immigrant jews
Anything that Jews dont agree with is labelled anti semite its a way of shutting people up quickly
Maybe one day an Israeli or a Jew may see you for what you are ...a human being in the meantime i wouldnt hold your breath but if they do give me a shout i d e like to meet a jew or israeli that can tolerate a muslim and understand if someone doesnt like some things that they do

Answer 10

I think it is about having substantial evidence to prove your point. I think that well meaning people can educate themselves on things like this and come to differing opinions.

Now, when you start using terms like "stupidity and unfairness" you are bound to get people up in arms. Many people feel that Israel is perfectly justified in taking the action it has given the fact that *they* were attacked, soldiers taken hostage and others killed. I did see a high official speak on this on CNN this morning and he commented to a question that was something about "Don't you think the response is a bit disproportionate?" He stated that, "Could you imagine if this happened on the USA boarder?---If two of our soldiers were taken hostage in Canada and others killed. Would the USA simply sit back and do nothing??"

Just some things to ponder.