Can someone be anti-Israel, yet not be antisemitic?

Question

I have no problem with the Jewish faith or those who follow it, but rather with the idea of giving land to one set of historically displaced peoples, while ignoring all of the other historically displaced peoples.

So, yupchagee, the Roman Emperor Hadrain did not live in the 2nd century A.D., but instead he was alive during the 1970's. I wonder if he enjoyed disco or punk, your thoughts?

Answer 1

"Semitic" has NOTHING to do with Israel or jews.

The term "anti-Semitic" is used by Jews and Jewish sympathizers as a derogatory term to describe anyone who does not agree with them. By implication they would have you believe it is somehow wrong to be "anti-Semitic", according to their wrong and erroneous usage of the word. If you were to take a position against the policies of Israel you can bet you would be branded an "anti-Semite", wrong use of word. By their twisted and misguided logic, they think everyone has to go along with their thinking and approve of their action and if anyone does not then there is something criinally wrong with that person.

By this definition, I am about as "anti-Semitic" and as anti-Israel as you can get and I do not think there is anything wrong in taking that position. However, this IS NOT the meaning of the term "anti-semitic", which has nothing to do with jews and nothing to do with Israel. The jews have wrongly usurped the word to mean hate or defamation directed against them, as if they think they are all that important...HAH! Semitic is a word that was originally coined in the late 1800s by a German scholar to define a grouping of Middle Eastern languages that shared certain linguistic similarities. The word has NO meaning at all in reference to anything specifically Israel or jewish, none whatsoever.

Properly used then, the term "anti-semitic" means to be against this particular family of languages, which includes Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic. So if you are anti-semitic it means you are against these languages, which seems a rather silly and stupid notion to me..

Answer 2

I assume that you refer to the Emperor Hadrian of Hadrain's Wall in England. Talk about displaced people. The Romans went into England in 55 A.D. and were there for 300+ years. They brought great architecture and culture with them and left their mark long after they were gone. So, maybe the Jews will do something good too.

Answer 3

It's possible, but it's not common. Most people today probably aren't aware of it, but Zionism was a secular Jewish movement. Most orthodox sects at the time opposed it. They believed that it was the Messiah's job to re-establish a Jewish state and to try and force God's hand was blasphemy. There are still a few of those kooks around today. Some of them were recently in Iran, giving aid and comfort to one of the worst enemies Israel and the United States have ever had. But most Jews, past and present, just like most Christians, are basically secular in their outlook, like David Ben-Gurion, Israel's founding father. He knew most religious Jews opposed him, and his greatest fear was having to watch his back while facing four Arab armies at once (he wound up facing five!). Figuring that religious Jews were dying out and secular Jews like himself were the wave of the future, Ben-Gurion told them, they didn't have to support him (that was too much to ask), but they didn't have to oppose him either. There was a third way. They could remain neutral. If they did, and Israel won (which wasn't at all certain in 1948), Ben-Gurion promised to give them control over all religious affairs in the new state. That's why so many religious (orthodox) Jews support Israel today. They get government subsidies to support their schools and communities. Ben-Gurion's bargain is also why Reform and Conservative Jews aren't recognized as Jewish in Israel. I myself, am not "kosher" by Israeli orthodox standards, something that pisses me off to no end. But that doesn't mean I oppose Israel in principle.

Answer 4

I don't believe that anyone can be anti-Isreal without being anti-semitic. As far as giving land to one group over another that has been done through-out time. In times past, when any group of people were conquered the victors became the rulers. It is their land to do with as they see fit. How much land have we Americans returned to the native Americans. We gave control of Okinawa back to Japan. We gave control of the Panama Canal back to South America. We allowed Germany to govern themselves.

If Palestine is so deserving of their own nation then they should earn that right. Israel has fought and died for their land. They have defeated superior forces numerous times. Yes we do back them as do many other nations of the world. Most rational people stand by their allies. Would you stand by and watch your best friend be beat down? Go back and read your history. I seem to remember how other Arab nations were always fighting Palestine for their land. I find it strange that none of these other Arab nations supported Palestine before the land was given back to Israel. Israel has tried to work with Palestine and other Arab nations to co-exist in peace. But the cold hard facts are this. They don't want Israel to exist anywhere. They want to bring death to anyone who even supports Israel in any way. If all of these other Arab nations are so much in favor of Palestine then why won't they cede any of their own lands to them? Israel has tried that option. But the Arab nations don't want that. They firmly believe that it is their right to control not only Egypt but the entire world. Read the Koran. It tells you that they are to wage a holy war against any who do not follow Mohammad. Today Israel is their target, but who will follow next if they are permitted to succeed?

Answer 5

people CAN criticize israel without being antisemitic but unfortunately this is rare. almost all anti-israel criticism is brimming with anti-semitic imagery that is there specifically to bring to a person's mind the age-old image of the power-hungry, greedy, trying-to-control-the-world jew. just look at the guy above who "is anti-zionist not anti-jewish" but still has no problem with telling you that jews usurped the word anti-semitism in order to make you pity us more. either he does know the origin of the word and is lying to you, or he doesn't and is therefore just saying it trying to make jews look bad. if people used the same standards to criticize israel as they use to criticize other countries then we would have no grounds to complain.

Answer 6

I totally agree with you. I have no problem with the Jewish faith or anyone who practices it. I do, however, have a major problem with Israel's politics.

There is no conflict inherent in that. Religion and politics, though both highly flamable topics, are not the same issue.

Answer 7

Technically, you can oppose Israel as a state and not be considered an anti-Semite.
De facto- not many of the people who proclaim to oppose Israel politically do it for the "right" reasons (that is to say: many of them are simply anti-Semite).

I suggest you to read the following:
http://christianactionforisrael.org/antiholo/ml_king.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1095694,00.html#article_continue
http://www.jonathanfreedland.com/articles/archives/000181.html
http://www.mikesilverman.com/2002_09_29_log_archive.html#85507228

Answer 8

Yes of course. I am against the policies of Israel but am not anti semitic or against those who are the religion of Judaism.
I merely dislike Israels foreign policy regarding its neighbors and its treatment of the Palestinians.

Answer 9

Absolutely. There is a group of orthodox Jewish rabbis who believe the state of Israel should never have been formed, hard to say they would be anti-Semetic!

Answer 10

Rare2find,

How did Palestine come to be on that land?????? They kicked the Jewish people off the land that's how.

Yes you can be against Israel without being anti-semetic. Can you be against Palestine without being anti - arab or anti islam or anti-muslim?