Someone on a message board said that an anti-semite used to be someone that hated Jews, but nowadays an anti-semite is someone that the Jews hate. What do you think about this statement.
2007-10-30 10:24:45 · 7 answers · asked by Soul Man 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I think they meant that when a zionist dislikes somebody they'll label them as anti-semitic. Similar to a warmonger labeling you as unpatriotic if you oppose the war. It's rhetoric. I don't know anybody who is anti-semitic, but I do know people who oppose Zionism, just as you might not dislike Germans, but you oppose nazism.
2007-10-30 10:46:12 · answer #1 · answered by CaesarLives 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
When you say "the Jews" you are refering to every single human being who has a mother who was Jewish. This is how the term "Jew" is defined by most Jewish people.
This is far from a monolithic group. Within this very large group of people you have every a great variety of political and philosophical viewpoints. Not all Jews even follow the religion of Judaism.
So then, who do "the Jews" hate? Thinking of people in terms of large monolithic groups is very destructive to critical thinking. I think the statement is absurd and illogical. What is true is that the term "Semite" refers to any Semetic person, not just a Jewish person.
2007-10-30 10:35:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well, some Jews probably do hate anti-semites, but the term anti-semite refers to someone who hates Jews.
2007-10-30 10:28:28 · answer #3 · answered by C C 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It's a silly statement! antisemites tend to be those who hate Jews though, technically, Semites can also include Arabs.
2007-10-30 10:30:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Being anti-semetic means you are against someone who speaks a semetic language. That includes Arabic, Hebrew, and other in the middle east. It has nothing to do with Jews except that they used to speak hebrew.
2007-10-30 10:28:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
I think it's not correct.
But then -- people change the usage of words all the time -- and many people don't even bother trying to use the actual dictionary definition of words.
So, as long as you know what the person is saying -- it's up to you whether you mention that they're using the word wrong.
2007-10-30 10:28:50 · answer #6 · answered by coragryph 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I think its the kind of statement that an antisemite would make to justify their hatred.
2007-10-30 10:28:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋