Politics

Снова в защиту евреев

Feb 2, 2015 Shlomo Ben-Ami

МАДРИД – Несмотря на впечатление, произведенное массовыми демонстрациями единства по всей Франции, недавний теракт в редакции сатирического журнала Charlie Hebdo не означает, что свободе самовыражения в Западной Европе что-то серьезно угрожает. Не говорит он и о том, что исламский радикализм каким-то образом скоро поглотит или преобразует западные общества. Угроза, которую он в действительности высвечивает, не столь очевидна: возобновление дискриминации и насилия в отношении евреев Европы.

Charlie Hebdo – последний рудимент восходящей к девятнадцатому веку вульгарной и несколько грубой французской традиции возмутительной карикатуры в адрес религиозных и политических деятелей – вполне может послужить эталоном свободного самовыражения. Европейцы поднялись на защиту жизненно важного принципа; свобода слова, каким бы злобным это слово ни было, остается в силе в любой демократической стране.

Аналогично, «Еврабия», пророчество Бат Йеор о том, что Запад обречен на гибель из-за ислама, просто не реализуется. Ни одна исламская партия не получает мест в Европарламенте; лишь немногие ведущие мусульманские деятели представлены в крупных центрах культурного и политического влияния в Европе; в институтах Евросоюза практически нет арабов и мусульман.

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 16 Comments on this article

William Wallace Feb 9, 2015

The lack of much response to the attacks on Jews in France prior to the Charlie Hebdo events is, as the author points out, confirmation of a different standard with respect to Jews in Europe. It's that simple, as well as that sad.
With myriad conversations under my belt in several EU nations over the last 4 decades, I can count on one hand the number of times I have heard any comments from EU citizenry that were not anti-Semitic when any issue regarding Jews or Israel was raised. Anecdotally, that makes for a 99,99% anti-Semitic stance. Pretty shabby, Europe!
***
The recurring collapse of Enlightenment values into barbarism is a function of the fact that human nature cannot be "updated" in accordance with those values, and remains tied to tribal loyalty. People tend to pay attention to human misery only in the aftermath of great tragedies that finally manage to convince us that we share a common humanity.

Post-war lessons last for a generation, are eroded by the next that exploits the bounties of peace, and are entirely forgotten by the next, which makes war to maintain privilege, having forgotten and now betraying the values that underlie peaceful prosperity.

An honest observer of our follies is likely to be more than a little misanthropic.
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Ian Maitland Feb 8, 2015

This is all self-evident, but it is probably worth spelling it out for the record.
The most conspicuous fact about what Ben-Ami calls the "resurgence" of discrimination and violence against Jews in Europe is that it is perpetrated by Muslims -- many of whom are recent immigrants to Europe or the children of immigrants -- who are largely unassimilated to European culture.
The obvious conclusions from this fact are that (a) we should look for the roots of this violence in specifically Muslim grievances against Jews and (b) the violence has little or nothing to do with historical European anti-semitism and/or the Nazi hatred for Jews. Even if the perpetrators of the violence against European Jews borrow some of the tropes of European anti-semitism, that is simply opportunistic or epiphenomenal. It does prove any deeper connection.
If the charges of anti-semitism are such a gross anachronism, why have they experienced a recent resurgence? They have an enormous propaganda value. Obviously, if you can get away with it, there is no more effective way to discredit a political adversary or movement than by linking it to the holocaust.
All these points are self-evident. Therefore the conclusion that follows is self-evident. Ben-Ami and other Israeli propagandists are dishonestly using charges of anti-semitism against the criminals who murder European Jews to convince the world that Muslim anger at Jews is driven by the same insane hatred for Jews that resulted in the holocaust rather than Muslim and Arab fury and shame over Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.
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yang guang Feb 7, 2015

how about this just maybe it is the resurgence of discrimination and violence against the Muslim God. Maybe the newpaper should be less free on who it talks about or who it thinks is not of western values. Yes this includes the Jewish people of this world . You continue to talk about the holocaust , this was some 65 years ago why bring this up ? Man can not move on in this world . the only way to make peace it seems is to kill any one and every one that is in the way.
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Erikwim During Feb 5, 2015

Dear Shlomo, it is rather painful to read your article since it so clearly illustrates how not only you, like quite a few other vocal representatives of Jewish religion, twist things around to be too much about Jews. The world is full of populations and people of differing ideas or looks having been treated badly by others. This is a common and sad fact. It does not help anybody to 'appropriate' a disproportionate share of all this sorrow. Apart from the fact there is no such thing as 'the jewish comunity' in Europe. Just like there are no 'christian communities' or 'islamic communities' or 'Manchester United' communities or 'vegan communities' or 'gay communities'. There are people living in Europe in mixed communities, with lots of people suffering from some form of discrimination, be it for their religion, hair-clour, sexual orientation, poverty, 'ugliness'. For starters I am afraid you easily find more violence against gay people in Europe at the moment then agianst jews.

So to focus the threat on the jewish community is rather myopic and will not get you general support, since it is so far removed from the far more general human attitude to discriminate. And to harm one another. If there is any group currently facing realy hard times with prejudice it is people of Islamic religion. If you are convincingly standing up for mankind, for tolerance and for loving your neighbour the obvious thing to do is to speak up loudly on wrongful discrimination of people of Islamic religion. That is the giant elephant in the room today. Persecution of jews with all due respect is not the central story of today in Europe, it is an unforgettable historic fact similar to the facts of massive persecution of protestants, witches, Roma etc. in Europe's bloody history. I fully agree we should work hard to avoid another such bloody chapter.
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Rik Rijs Feb 5, 2015

Long standing anti-Semitic attitudes in Europe are based on sheer nonsense, biased views and prejudice. On the other hand, European Jews often publicly support the Israeli occupation. Knowing very well how brutal that occupation is. There was no outrage among Western-European Jews when Israel killed more than 2000 Palestinians last summer. On the contrary, modern zionism has a large support among European Jews with many Jewish publications supporting Israels' policies. That is a source of hatred. What prevents European Jews to distantiate themselves from the Israeli brutality? An inconvienient thruth for Ben-Ami that makes his opinion rather smart propaganda.
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Dov Fowler Feb 4, 2015

Great article! I applaud Mr. Ben-Ami for broaching the 'secret' subject of non-Muslim European antisemitism. Indeed, blaming Muslims only for antisemitism is nothing but islamophobia.

The subject, of course, has nothing to do with Israeli policies, of which the author himself is a frequent critic. The comments to this article, posted by people who do not know the difference between Zionism/Israelis and Judaism/Jews and/or believe that all Jews should be punished as a consequence of a government policy in some far away country - these comments only underline the urgency of Mr. Ben-Ami's message!
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j. von Hettlingen Feb 4, 2015

Bat Ye'Or's prophetic term - "Eurabia" remains - for the moment - just a word. The menace of Islamic extremism is not that imminent. Yet many Jews across Europe seem to believe that we are so craven in our capitulation to the Muslim community that our continent is sliding into "dhimmitude", another term used by Bat Ye'Or to describe non-Muslims appeasing and surrendering to Muslims, at the cost of Israel and the European Jewry. Netherless an EU survey of 2013 on the Jews' experiences of antisemitism in Europe provides some sort of vindication of Shlomo Ben-Ami's concern.
However the "resurgence of discrimination and violence against Europe’s Jews" varies from country to country and case to case. Jews in Hungary can be seen as victims of state-sponsored antisemitism. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, which is the source of Muslim antisemitism in the country, with most perpetrators identified as Muslims. This prompts many French Jews to emigrate to Israel. Ben-Ami quotes an incident in Paris, during which "the attackers put it, “Jews must have money” (though that did not explain why they then raped the woman)". Although it was a heinous and inexcusable crime, some of these perpetrators themselves had been victims of prejudice, racism and Islamophobia. Unfortunately they took it out on innocent victims.
In general criticism of Israel is felt as a resentment against Jews, since the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks fell apart. But in many cases some pro-Palestintinian activists had in their mindless phrasing, drew on antisemitic tropes.
While the author warns against seeking "redemption for a problem that is so deeply ingrained in Europe’s history", perhaps one should narrow the gap between perceptions of victims of antisemitism and those accused of antisemitism. Those, who deny that they are antisemitic do believe it. Those accuse others of antisemitism genuinely feel themselves to be victims of antisemitism. Last but not least, many of us in Europe do "take a good look" at ourselves and try "to avoid falling back into the clutches of fear, hatred, and appalling politics".
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Ramon Gutmann Feb 3, 2015

Is it possible a Project-Syndicate in Spanish?
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MK Anon Feb 3, 2015

The author discards very quickly and easily Israel's policies, using a pool from a non independant think thank/lobby. The survey ask non violent and non-anti semitic poeple the reason why violence happens against the jews. Sounds like it was not asked to the right person..

There is no western goverment that is against judaism, nor political parties. All wesern europe's far right parties are now using the muslims as scapegoats, rather than jews as they used to. The anti-semit acts results from a few extremists, mosly muslims i.e. the same poeple that the extreme right uses to scare everyone and get the votes and convince us that doom is coming..

But Shlomo forget to think ofthe 99.9 % of the population who is not anti-semitic. We really cannot compare the current situation with the historical antisemitism of the late 19 and early 20th century.. at least for western uerope. The shoah is still a big trauma in the collective uncounscious of the west and you can be sure it won't happen again. And Israel would help a lot by stopping its colonialist attitude in palestinia. As it doesn't happen often, it's worth noting here that the author here seems to says Palestinians have right to a state, which is a step in the right direction.. now we ll have to see if isreal leaves a bit of land for that state to exists..
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Jocelyne Steeves Feb 3, 2015

Thank you Zsolt for the best summary describing Antisemitism that I've ever read. The solution encompasses a lofty goal "Love thy neighbor as thyself". The positive resultsof such an effort would change society in beautifully unexpected ways.
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Donald Champagne Feb 3, 2015

Beware selective evidence. How many non-jews were similarly victimized during the same period? And what evidence makes the attacks on a handful of jews a "surge"? I know of few people who blame the persecution of these few jews on Israel's failure to vacate the West bank. Yet many people, including prominent Jews, have warned Israel that is encroachment on the West bank is morally bankrupt and simply not helpful. These are words of caution from friends of the Jews, not their enemies.
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Zsolt Hermann Feb 2, 2015

Perhaps first it would be useful to mention some basic facts:
Antisemitism long predates the establishment of the Jewish State or the "Plight of the Palestinians".
The mass expulsion, forced conversion of Jews, the pogroms in Eastern Europe, even the Holocaust itself happened before Zionism reached its goal in establishing a state for the Jewish People.
For example the pogroms in Eastern Europe happened mostly in impoverished "shtetls", where there were neither "bankers" nor Zionists.
Antisemitism is irrational, thus "simple" superficial explanations solutions do not exist.

Moreover the present "battles" on the streets of Europe or even in the Middle East are not primarily against Israel or against the Jews.
What we are witnessing is a war in between radical Islam trying to maintain its root values in an uncompromising and brutal way and the so called Western values, washing away, destroying any values for the sake of consumerism, hedonistic self-serving fulfillment.

It is this war in between two completely incompatible worldviews, lifestyles that is threatening the future of humanity.
Neither of them is suitable as a foundation for a sustainable, free and equal global human society, which exists on the basis of mutually complementing cooperation above and despite inherent differences and hatred. They represent two extremes of the human nature that without being balanced lead to recurring explosions, vicious cycles.

There needs to be a "middle road", a connector in between those two sides before they destroy each other and the world.
And here is where the Jews come into the picture.

Both Christianity and the Western values following it, and Islam grew out of the original Jewish tradition, lifestyle.
Both claim that their teachings made the "Jewish method" obsolete, but as we can view in "real life action" today both by themselves and together drag the world towards a global catastrophe, unable to offer an acceptable solution for all.

It turns out that in today's global, integral world where each individual and nation is fully interconnected and interdependent only the founding principles of the Jewish nation, human interconnection based on "Love thy neighbor as thyself", unity "as one man with one heart", and mutual guarantee where "each person is fully responsible for one another" can offer solution for the many facets of the global crisis and long term survival for humanity.

Thus the original Jewish Nation, all the Jews around the world need to assemble as a single Nation again, and through their own positive example, re-establishing self-less, mutual connection, unprovoked national unity they need to teach the world their method of perpetual survival against all odds.

This is the only real solution against antisemitism and a solution for the otherwise self-destructing rift within the rest of humanity.
- Jocelyne Steeves Feb 3, 2015
  
  Thank you Zsolt for the best summary describing Antisemitism that I've ever read. The solution encompasses a lofty goal "Love thy neighbor as thyself". The positive results of such an effort would change society in beautifully unexpected ways.
  A new reply to this comment has been posted.
- Jocelyne Steeves Feb 3, 2015
  
  Thank you Zsolt for the best summary describing Antisemitism that I've ever read. The solution encompasses a lofty goal "Love thy neighbor as thyself". The positive results of such an effort would change society in beautifully unexpected ways.
  A new reply to this comment has been posted.
A new reply to this comment has been posted.
Paul Daley Feb 2, 2015

Before posturing themselves as aggrieved innocents, Jews have to ask themselves what responsibility they bear for Israel's 70 year long campaign of bigotry, discrimination and mayhem that has destroyed the lives of millions of Christians and Muslims. Palestinians have good reason to characterize the founding of the Jewish state as a catastrophe.
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