Issue #14, November 2017 – Dear AJDS members and supporters, This issue of the Australian Jewish IN THIS ISSUE Democratic Society’s newsletter, Just Bodies, Histories, Voices, is focused on antisemitism. This is Antisemitisms / Jordy a broad topic that encompasses many Silverstein different and related phenomena, past and present. It deserves our attention now no Antisemitism in the less than ever, especially since it is largely Palestine Solidarity Movement? / Vivienne neglected in the Left, and concerns many developments within mainstream culture, Porzsolt including the American government openly spouting antisemitic views. Increased violence against Jews can be physical, but also rhetorical. At the same time, it is Being Jewish in ‘Swedistan’ important to define , which stifles criticism of Israel, blames Islamic / Yael W. terrorism as the source of all conflict, allows Nazis to march in our name and defines many non-Zionist activists as self-hating Jews. “It’s a Disgrace for Sweden” / Robert If you’re reading this and wondering about the spelling of ‘antisemitism’ used here, it is Börjesson the one currently preferred by many scholars and institutions. I go along with the Jewish Fear, Love, & reasoning of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), who’ve Solidarity in the Wake of rejected the hyphenated version of the word: “IHRA’s concern is that the hyphenated Charlottesville / Jonah spelling allows for the possibility of something called ‘Semitism’, which not only Boyarin legitimizes a form of pseudo-scientific racial classification that was thoroughly discredited by association with Nazi ideology, but also divides the term, stripping it Jews, Fascists and from its meaning of opposition and hatred toward Jews” (read more of the IHRA’s Antisemitism: a Paradoxical Alliance? / Ann memo at https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/sites/default/files/memo-on- E. Fink spelling-of-antisemitism_final-1.pdf).

Antisemitism, Palestine, Antisemitism requires constant redefinition: where is it located? What are its social and the Mizrahi Question / and historical contexts? How does it manifest across the political spectrum? How has Tallie Ben Daniel it been used to provide a platform for ? What spaces can we create to challenge antisemitism? And how might we understand Jews along a spectrum defined Jews Against : an by skin colour; are Jews White, and what is Whiteness? As written elsewhere, “Race interview is not just a matter of skin pigmentation or ethnic background. It is determined by The Israeli Occupation and both individuals and their observers, and the boundaries of who’s in or out of one the Rise of Antisemitism – group or another change constantly” (Emma Green’s in The Atlantic, at Is there a Connection? / https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/are-jews-white/509453/). Tony Klug Antisemitism(s) cannot be fully covered in one issue of our newsletter. As such, this Jews and Revolutionary collection of articles is a beginning, and includes predominately Jewish perspectives on Jews: Are You an antisemitism. We are keen to provide more voices from other communities on Antisemite? countering antisemitism therein, as well as writing about Jewish and non-Jewish apologists for antisemitism in Palestine and the Arab world. On the Nakba and the Jewish Left / Robin The views expressed in Just Voices are not official positions held by the AJDS. When in Rothfield the last issue of this newsletter the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948 was described as a cataclysmic event, this was my personal view. Only AJDS statements AJDS Statement on Avi Yemini and the Rise of Far- reflect positions agreed upon at an executive level. The AJDS does not have a Right Racism unanimous position on the subject of 1948 in Israel/Palestine.

And more! Thank you to all those who helped and contributed to this edition of Just Voices. Yours, Keren Rubinstein

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 1 Bodies, Histories, centuries. One part he looks at is According to Tamar Mayer, Herzl Antisemitisms the so-called Jewish foot. In the admired the way in which nineteenth century, particularly in Germans had been mobilised By Jordy Silverstein Germany and Austria, Jews were around the nationalist cause and imagined to have a flat foot and to believed that ‘a similar future for walk with a faulty gait. In Austria in the Jewi We’re all pretty familiar, I think, sh nation’ was possible. He with the stereotype of the Jewish 1804 the Jews’ ‘weak feet’ were thought that this could be the cure man who doesn’t play sport. Living given as ‘the reason that the for the ‘problems caused by 2,000 in , we see Jewish majority of Jews called into military years of living in exile.’ These sportspeople as the exception. service were released, because the problems materialised, Herzl majority of Jewish soldiers spent believed, in the lacking masculinity The idea is that we’re bookish, introverted, given to being more time in the military hospitals of Jewish men in Europe. As such, studious and sitting around talking than in military service.’ Nazi the reform of the Jews needed to and studying rather than exerting caricaturists drew Jews’ deformed take place primarily at the level of ourselves physically. In both bodies, and showed Jews as having the physical—with a changing of German and Yiddish this is the flat or ruined feet. Over these the body. Mayer writes that ‘[t]he couple of hundred years, Gilman characteristics were to luftmensch, the ‘air person’, who New Jew’s exists in the world of ideas, rather shows, Jews were seen as having mimic those of the gentiles: tall, than the physical world. In his vital feet which disrupted their ability to virile, close to nature and book Unheroic Conduct: The Rise of properly participate in social physically productive.’ The New Heterosexuality and the Invention of institutions such as the army, or Jew was to be embodied by those the Jewish Man, US-based Talmudic the gymnasium, both of which Jews who would live in the Jewish scholar Daniel Boyarin has were central to European society. nation-state, in Israel. They would Jews were not seen as having fit reform their bodies to be described this as ‘a widespread sensibility that being Jewish in our bodies, and thus as not being a substantially different to the bodies proper part of the body politic. of those of us who would live culture renders a boy effeminate.’ This effeminacy is part of an idea of Because they could not participate outside Israel. This was, historians the gender order, wherein in the army, they were not have come to agree, an ironically Ashkenazi Jewish men have been contributing to society. Jewish assimilationist move in the face of seen as inadequate (and Jewish bodies were seen as lacking, and so an experience of being persecuted women, or Jews who have not fit Jews were seen as lacking. They on the grounds that Jews were not into the gender binary, are not could not be considered full a robust national group. As in the seen as worthy of inclusion in the members of the citizenry. antisemitic idea that Jews naturally have flat feet, in this formulation, conversation). When antisemitism clings to the the problems (and resolutions) of biological body like this – when it’s So whether one plays sport, what individual bodies were being seen as inevitable – it’s hard to activities one does with one’s body mapped onto a national group shake. And its thinking moves and brain, have implications for identity. around, getting into everything. how a person is seen. That’s hardly So how does that continue today? surprising – most of us understand Indeed, Herzl – the founder of And what can we do about it? Well this to be the case. Australian modern political , whose masculinity is saturated with ideas memory is regularly invoked in firstly, I think it’s useful to know of sportsmanship, and one’s place celebratory fashion within the the histories we’re engaging with. When we celebrate strong Israeli in society often sits in relationship Melbourne Jewish community – Jewish bodies, the IDF, or the to this. wrote in the 1890s that he building of a Jewish nation-state in believed the Jewish people ‘must But for Jews, and particularly the mold of European nation- train the youth to be soldiers. But Ashkenazi Jews, this relationship states, we’re working to reform a only a professional army… has long and complicated histories, Jewish body both body politic However I must educate one and – which should be understood and physical body which has been all to be free and strong men, ready – through a seen by antisemites as lacking. to serve as volunteers if necessary. and the ways that it has been When we participate in furthering Education by means of patriotic scripted onto the Jewish body. these materialities and these ideas, songs, the Maccabean tradition, we are rejecting some historically Sander Gilman, one of the religion, heroic stage-plays, honor, valuable notions of Jewishness in foremost scholars of the European etc.’ In designing a Jewish favour of others. Antisemitism is Jewish body, has written about the , Herzl was profoundly ways different parts of the body influenced by the ways in which potent, and it’s useful for us to remember that. Bookishness, and a were given antisemitic meaning in nineteenth century German rejection of an alignment of a the nineteenth and twentieth nationalism was being shaped. JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 2 nation with a state and an army, antisemitism in the Palestine Along with extreme and a rejection of hard physical solidarity movement. This arises and , hard-line bodies, can be useful. Antisemitism from the attitude to it in the antisemitism is growing across the has a long history, and there are movement, an attitude with a world. Even the security agencies in lots of ways in which we need to partially reasonable basis. It is this this country have named the far reckon with its impact. To hesitancy and ambivalence that I right as an emerging threat. understand current formations of wish to examine. Jeff Sparrow has shown in a recent Australian Jewishness, and the After all, we are here to fight for article in Overland how News Ltd futures that we’re seeking to the rights of the Palestinians. It is allows some really shady, outright produce for ourselves, we need to Jews in the form of the Zionist antisemitic writers to hide behind understand where our ideas of movement who have dispossessed more mainstream right-wingers what it means to be Jewish come the Palestinians. Not 'the Jews', but like Mark Latham and Rowan Dean. from. some Jews, even if for a relatively Synagogues have been bombed, ^ ^ ^ short historical period, most Jews. Jewish cemetaries desecrated. These Zionist Jews justify the While isolated, these incidents are Visit our website at www.ajds.org to crime of dispossession in the name not trivial. read these articles online and access of justice and historic and religious further resources provided by the The Czarist forgery, The entitlement. authors and contributors to Just Protocols of the Elders of Zion Voices. And world-wide, the official Jewish has very wide global circulation, leadership is dancing the military despite its being exposed as

two-step with Israel, endorsing its fraudulent by The Antisemitism in the Palestine every action, right or wrong. It can Times of London in 1921. appear inappropriate to even raise Solidarity Movement? The contemporary currency of the the question of prejudice against By Vivienne Porzsolt Protocols is fuelled by opposition Jews. to the Zionist project as well as

So, why ask the question of classic antisemitism. I need to This is an abridged version of a paper antisemitism in the Palestine stress, right up front, that I have presented at the National Conference, solidarity movement at all? To seen nothing of this hard-line BDS – Driving Global Justice for effectively fight the false charges of antisemitism that Jeff Sparrow Palestine, , 28-29 antisemitism, we need to be refers to in the Palestine solidarity July 2017 impeccable in challenging the movement in . genuine article. If we do not take While others have spoken of the More prevalent in ordinary our stand firmly on the basis of spurious charges of antisemitism conversation, both in our justice and universal human rights, used to silence opposition to Israel, movement and in the wider society we lose the ground on which we I will examine and address the is what I call common garden can effectively fight in support of extent to which real antisemitism antisemitism. This is long-standing. the Palestinians. For the integrity of may exist. There is a surprising amount of our movement, we need to fight all casual antisemitism about the First, let me deal with the term prejudice, including antisemitism. wealth of Jews, about Jewish power, 'antisemitism'. It is a European term Since in the movement, we are so Jews controlling the world and so for a European phenomenon - often accused of antisemitism, it on. It astonishes me how easily hatred and fear of Jews. It implies makes sense to check out the people can continue to express that Jews belong to an alien extent it may manifest. such negative stereotypes about pseudo-race, like Arabs. To spell it Jews. How acceptable it is, without hyphenated with the 's' in We exist in a society where, social sanction. antisemitism spelled uppercase, historically, hatred of Jews has been implies there is a race of 'Semites'. deeply entrenched. While there is a clear difference This is spurious. The term 'Semitic' between common garden and In the wake of the horrors of can be legitimately applied to a hard-line antisemitism, it is only World War II, overt antisemitism group of languages, not to a one of degree. Indifference to the has been very much on the nose. supposed 'race'. To hyphenate the minor forms can lead to growth That is why the accusation of word gives credence to the racist and acceptance of the other. antisemitism is such an effective paradigm. Hence 'antisemitism' Insofar as these general social weapon for the Zionist Lobby for should be one un-hyphenated trends operate in our movement, silencing criticism of Israel and word. we must be vigilant in noting and Zionism. eliminating them. It is with some ambivalence that I The far right is rearing its ugly head. address this question of Just because Islamophobia is centre JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 3 stage and much more prevalent Judaism, they declare us to be out. Not moralising, not finger- doesn't mean we should close our antisemites. pointing, just clarification. eyes to signs of antisemitism or be So we must simply uphold and And this task should not be left to held back from confronting it by pursue our goal of justice and those of us who are Jewish. Just as the ambivalence I have noted. rights for Palestinians and not be at other targeted groups feel isolated Both antisemitism and all defensive. and abandoned if they are the Islamophobia are hatreds which objects of prejudice and vilification, I have had a number of experiences grow from the same ugly roots and so do we if we find no allies. of calling out antisemitism in the they feed each other. The poison solidarity movement that I have Another example that caused spewed by the likes of the United encountered. Often enough, I let it considerable controversy was the Patriots Front is traditional hard- go. But when it seems useful, I try cartoon by Glen Le Lievre in the line antisemitism, lurking in the to deal with it. Sydney Morning Herald 26 July wings but gaining a foothold in the during the 2014 onslaught on Gaza mainstream alongside One example was at a Palestinian by Israel. It showed a yarmulke- Islamophobia and xenophobia. Its solidarity event a few years ago. wearing man in an armchair with a actual existence, even if currently While people were arriving before Star of David on the back, on a cliff- at the margins, demonstrates its the start of the event, an audio- top, TV remote in hand, watching deep roots in European culture. It visual compilation was being the bombing of Gaza. Massacre as sits there, waiting to emerge at projected on to a screen. This was entertainment, as armchair TV times like now, when people are identifying the percentage of Jews spectacle. attacked on all sides by uncertainty, in publishing, in education, in injustice and rising inequality. finance etc. It was the classic antisemitic trope of the hidden We can best challenge the spurious power of Jews, pulling the strings, charges of antisemitism if we controlling the world. I felt sick in challenge its real manifestations in my stomach. I wanted to walk out. our movement. But I thought 'No, that wouldn't be Antisemitism is a peculiar form of constructive. I need to deal with racism. It targets a group for this.' So when there was an It was a very strong cartoon. It supposedly being privileged and opportunity to take the accurately reflected a number of powerful. Because the Left microphone, I did. I pointed out published photos of actual Israelis opposes the privileged and how classically antisemitic this watching, evidently enjoying from powerful, it is easy even for people presentation was. I didn't do a afar, the slaughter in Gaza. on the Left, confused by these censorious song and dance about However, the face of the man was stereotypes entrenched in it. I focused on how it made me drawn as a heavily antisemitic European culture, to direct feel, the 'I' statements they teach stereotype. It was worthy of the antagonism to this ethnic group you in communications courses. I vile efforts in the Nazi propaganda instead of to the class that really pointed out the indivisibility of paper, Die Sturmer. The identifying holds privilege, wealth and power. human rights and that racism of features, the yarmulke, the Star of Even Marx was not immune. That any kind had no place in our David, were purely Jewish religious, is why August Bebel called movement. not national Israeli. Had the man antisemitism 'the socialism of been shown with an Israeli flag and fools'. My intervention was generally with other national identifiers, well-received, but I wished it hadn't And the ambivalence about calling there would be no problem with been left to me to respond. out antisemitism has even a the cartoon. It would stand as a stronger basis within our In a sense, lack of awareness of valid, powerful statement which movement because it is a Jewish antisemitism is understandable could not be challenged as it nationalist movement, Zionism, among those whose history is not accurately reflected reality. that is the direct historical cause of European. We have different There was a huge uproar of the injustices we fight. histories in our movement. Those protest at the cartoon from the of us of European background Our task is very much complicated usual suspects. The Editor-in-Chief know about this stuff, Jewish and by the fact that anti-Zionism and of the Sydney Morning Herald non-Jewish alike. We know about antisemitism are declared to be the apologised for the cartoon and said the long dark shadows of same by our opponents. antisemitism. Others may not. All 'The Herald now appreciates that, No matter how often we say we the more reason for all of us, in using the Star of David and the oppose the historic and current especially of European background, kippah, … the newspaper invoked crimes of Zionism, not Jews or to take responsibility for calling it an inappropriate element of JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 4 religion, rather than nationhood, counter-productive. It is wrong. Who would believe this? Sweden. and made a serious error of They took in large numbers. We need to be clear about judgement. It was wrong to publish They're having problems like they challenging ourselves and each the cartoon in its original form.' Nothing other, when, as inevitable, we will never thought possible.” actually happened in Sweden Yet here's the rub. The State of from time to time, manifest the (http://www.independent.co.uk/ne Israel has appropriated the religious exclusionary behaviour we are ws/world/americas/us- Star of David on its national flag. It fighting against in the wider society. /donald-trump-whats- is a national symbol of Israel as well This is especially so for happening-in-sweden-refugee- as a faith. The Zionist movement antisemitism, that peculiar immigration-crime-stockholm- claims to speak for all Jews, claims phenomenon of hatred and fear of a7598536.html). that Israel is the Land of all Jews. Jews. And the propagandists for Israel A well-known US organisation that Despite the challenges and call all criticism of Israel fights antisemitism - the Simon complexity of the situation of antisemitic. They call Jews who Wiesenthal Center, issued a antisemitism in the Palestine don't support their project 'not warning to Jews to exercise solidarity movement, let us not real Jews' and 'self-hating Jews'. shrink from exposing and “extreme caution when visiting Given that they believe that Israel confronting it. Let us do this southern Sweden.” Cemeteries belongs to all Jews and all Jews have had been desecrated, the appropriately, constructively, but an inalienable right to the land, synagogue vandalised, and there let us not harbour it. there is a kind of logic in calling it was a high reported incidence of antisemitic. The error lies in the Jews being assaulted and spurious elision of Jewish identity threatened. A common with Zionism. Primary perception I encountered was the responsibility for the confusion lies location of antisemitism coming with the Zionist movement. predominantly from Muslim Arab/Middle Eastern communities, A number of the reports on the and Sweden being the left leaning controversy put the word pleasant country enabling this 'antisemitic' in quotes. As if the through its support of Palestine. Is characterisation of Le Lievre's there antisemitism in these cartoon as antisemitic was open to migrant communities? Absolutely. question, when clearly, on the basis Being Jewish in ‘Swedistan’ To what extent is hard to discern. of the facial features, it was not. So By Yael W. However, what I was most the real antisemitism of the shocked by was the prevalence of cartoon, the ugly characteristics of Shortly after moving to Sweden I articles on the problem of Muslim the face portrayed, was ignored. was in touch with a relative who emailed with hopes for my safety, antisemitism which were taken The cartoon was accompanied by living in Malmö with the “Muslim straight from far right and neo Nazi an equally strong article by Mike problem.” Having no idea what websites. Antisemitic networks Carlton, attacking the horrors of she was referring to, I went online provided a platform for blaming the attack on Gaza. There was not and did some research. I couldn’t antisemitism on the Muslim a trace of antisemitism in it, yet he seem to find evidence backing up population. And of course, was as much a target for the her concerns. Much of what I fabricated facts were abundant. On attacks of the Lobby and its allies came across were articles from a number of occasions, I read as Le Lievre's cartoon. obvious right-wing sources with English articles which would There is a parallel with many of the inflammatory allegations of conveniently insert the word cartoons of Margaret Thatcher. widespread sexual assault Muslim before details of various Her regime, too, deserved, and perpetrated by Muslims, yet little perpetrators of crime where the received, ferociously satirical substantive journalism or reports original Swedish source made no cartoons. Some of it was very to back up these claims. Around mention of ethnicity or religion. misogynist. Sexism was used to the world Islamophobes like to While distracted by these attack Thatcher's unjust policies, point to Sweden’s “liberal” refugee allegations of antisemitism just as Le Lievre's cartoon used policy as proof of what happens amongst Muslim/Arab antisemitism to comment on when you let in too many Muslims: communities, the far right in Israel's savage attack on Gaza. It is Terrorism, rape, crime, “no go recent years has grown in a totally unacceptable to use any zones,” (fake facts). Donald seemingly welcoming political form of hatred to expose and Trump made headlines when he environment, and with it virulent oppose any kind of injustice. It is said: “Look at what’s happening and violent antisemitism. Violence last night in Sweden – Sweden! which resulted in the Jewish JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 5 association in Umeå, Northern community in Gothenburg have Gothenburg’s Jewish congregation. Sweden, closing its office space protested against NMR being Well known cultural figures have after threats from the Nazi group allowed to demonstrate near the written debate pieces. But few Nordic Resistance Movement synagogue and during the high have spoken with the men and (NMR). This same Nazi holiday of Yom Kippur, the day of women who likely feel the worst organisation was given a permit by atonement. about the demonstration, those the police to march on Yom Jews that survived the horrors of Last Sunday a group from NMR . Kippur this year in Sweden’s protested through Gothenburg, second largest city, Gothenburg. despite not being given permission. Despite police briefings that the Police in Gothenburg were rally would be considered a threat Many still have nightmares strongly criticised for not stopping against an ethnic or minority group the demonstration. In Gothenburg’s Jewish aged care (a crime in Sweden) should it use home people want to speak about They survived the horrors of the insignia, uniforms, banners or how it feels that Nazis are allowed holocaust and found sanctuary in tactics reminiscent of Nazi to demonstrate nearby the Germany in the 30’s and 40’s, the Sweden. Now Gothenburg’s older synagogue on Yom Kippur. Many Jewish population are trying to rally went ahead. The fact that the who survived the concentration understand why the Nazi rally was planned for Yom Kippur, camps still have nightmares. One organisation NMR are permitted something that was a frequent woman describes that every night, to demonstrate outside their occurrence in Nazi Germany, and 72 years after the end of the war, synagogue during the high holiday that the symbol of the Nordic she still has the same nightmare: of Yom Kippur. resistance movement is taken that she is back in the straight from the Nazis, should be Michael Ben-Menachem was only concentration camp and is being reason enough to have banned this eight years old when he was sent hunted by Nazis. One after the hateful procession. to a labour camp. He is just one of other they come to meet us, some the survivors who are critical of in wheelchairs, others walking Swedish law and Gothenburg’s slowly with assistance from their police giving Nazis to carers. In the end, there are 23 demonstrate just 250 metres from pensioners in the room. the city’s synagogue, and Nadia, 82, survived antisemitism furthermore on the holiest of high two times, first in the Nazi holidays, the Day of Atonement, concentration camp and then in Yom Kippur. “It’s a disgrace for Communist Poland. “I don’t know Sweden,” says Michael Ben- Images courtesy of the author. if I will dare to go to synagogue Menachem. now. I am scared. I fear what they can provoke.” She continues: “It’s a disgrace for Sweden” The symbols awaken “That they chose just this day. They knew what they were doing. Written by Robert Börjesson, memories. translated by Yael W. And we support this. It’s terrible.” For Michael Ben-Menachem the Another survivor, an older man Originally published at Nordic resistance movement’s who was in five different http://www.expressen.se/gt/qs/det symbol reminds him of Hungary’s concentration camps, turns -ar-en-skamflack-for-sverige/ Nazi party. “The Nordic towards me. resistance movement has an

arrow, and I am perhaps the only “I will ask you one thing. Have you They survived the concentration one who thinks about this, that we ever felt anxiety? Since this started camps- now Nazis are demonstrating in Hungary had arrows. It awakens with the march I have felt anxious. outside their synagogue. memories in me,” he says. Everyone feels anxious that they permitted the march in the city Since the Nazi NMR got centre on the same day that we permission to demonstrate on the Nordic Resistance have Yom Kippur,” he says. 30th September many have reacted movement- Nordiska “When we came here in 1945 the Motståndsrörelsen (NMR) with concern for Gothenburg’s Jews. The Prime Minister Stefan thought was: ‘Never again,’ and This Nazi organisation NMR was Löfven has deliberated over the now it’s starting again. It feels given permission to demonstrate conflict of interest between horrible. And I wish that it wasn’t true that they are permitted to in Gothenburg on the 30th defending the rights of the September. The Jewish demonstration and protecting

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 6 march out on the street and shout. One day for inner reflection, doubt if it helped. “The way things It is a terrible experience.” prayer and sanctity. are today it seems I have failed.” he says. Next to her wonders a lady if there can be a counter “Why does it have to be the demonstration and if so whether 30th September?” that can be violent. “There are a Many in the aged care facility are great many people who have pondering whether the police expressed strong support for the didn’t know it was Yom Kippur, or Jewish community” says Benjamin if they chose to ignore this. The Gerber. “They want to latter alternative is the most demonstrate, create a circle painful to process. “The worst is around the synagogue, but this is that I believe that they knew, but also problematic because this is a didn’t care. This hurts,” says the very special day. It’s a day for inner Excerpts from Emma Green man who survived five reflection, for prayer and sanctity. “Are Jews White?” concentration camps. That the It is not a day for outer symbolism police on Sunday didn’t stop the and demonstrations. There are The following excerpts were taken Nazis who demonstrated without other days when people can focus with the author’s permission from a permit in central Gothenburg on this and on our part it takes a https://www.theatlantic.com/politi triggers strong feelings in the aged lot of energy and focus away from cs/archive/2016/12/are-jews- care home. “In Germany it was what the day means. So even if we white/509453/ exactly the same way have demonstrators that support started, that they demonstrated us, in a sense we lose the ------without asking first, and I atmosphere for this day.” remember this as a child,” says a In the room sits Leopold who “As pro- and anti-Trump woman who sat quietly for a long survived the second world war in movements jockey to realize their time. She continues: “I came to Sweden. For him, antisemitism in agendas, the question of Jews and Sweden 42 years ago, after being in Gothenburg is worse today then whiteness illustrates the high several concentration camps, and I under the devastation of Nazi’s stakes—and dangers—of remember how I felt when I racialized politics. Over time, Jews arrived, I felt that finally we are Europe. “I am born in Gothenburg and during the second world war have become more integrated into free! Here nothing can happen. I American society—a process am really saddened that we sit here there wasn’t the same pressure on us as Jews as there is now in scholars sometimes refer to as and discuss these things now. The “becoming white.” It wasn’t the police saying that the Nazis can go Swedish society.” He says. “During the 30’s and 40’s we didn’t need skin color of Ashkenazi Jews of on this route and do what they European descent that changed, want as long as they are quiet and protection, there wasn’t any. I remember that the front entrance though; it was their status.” nothing happens is naïve. I was was always wide open when I went always very proud to have become to synagogue as a boy. Sure we “No matter how much prestige Swedish. I am so disappointed in were taunted many times when we Jews may amass, their status is Sweden now.” left the synagogue, and sure, we always ambiguous. “White” is not Many in the room want to share felt the threat from the Germans, a skin color, but a category their thoughts. “Why is it so hard but we didn’t feel threat from local marking power. American Jews do for the police in Gothenburg to Nazis like we do now.” have power, but they are also change the date? Why does it often viewed with suspicion; and Everyone in the room connects need to be the 30th of September, having power is no assurance of the most important holy day that the NMR’s clothes and symbols protection. A majority of with threat and death. “It’s a Nazi we have,” wonders an older man religiously motivated hate-crime with glasses and a determined uniform,” many say at the same offenses are committed against time. voice. A woman continues: “I Jews.” don’t understand why they are Before we leave the old aged home “’White’ is a kind of cultural allowed to march in Sweden. They one man, the man who asked if I construct—a way of thinking of are forbidden in Germany. We had ever felt anxiety, explains that yourself, and a way that other know too well who they are. They he dedicated a big part of his life to people think about you,” said are murderers who will educated Swedish children on the Goldstein. “Whiteness itself is a demonstrate.” Nazis evil and the holocaust. very fluid and contested category.” Recent headlines and Nazi Race is not just a matter of skin

demonstrations have made him pigmentation or ethnic JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 7 background. It is determined by European Christian collaborators antisemitism is over and unrelated both individuals and their to murder a third of our people. In to other systems of oppression. It observers, and the boundaries of living memory. is also Trump egging neo-Nazis on. who’s in or out of one group or another change constantly.” Jewish fear is not the same for every These excerpts were reproduced with Jew. the author’s permission. Jewish fear is smiling at a stranger

on the street, getting a cold stare back and my thoughts immediately going to: is it your yarmulke, is it your nose, knowing that back then, Jews with a “good appearance” (i.e. Aryan-passing) were slightly more likely to survive. Knowing that we have been taught to hate and fear our own noses, to surgically smash

and alter them to feel safe and beautiful. That when my father’s study partner went hiking recently

in upstate New York he was shot at in the woods by strangers because he was wearing Orthodox male clothing.

Jewish fear is not the same for every Jew. My own experience is shaped by being white, cis-male, traditionally observant, and of Jewish fear is googling “Blut und Ashkenazi heritage. Some of us Boden” and knowing that some of descend from generations of Jews Jewish Fear, Love, & Solidarity the top hits will be contemporary in the Wake of Charlottesville who have suffered from long calls for the extermination of my centuries of European Christian By Jonah Boyarin people. It is clicking on a Bustle violence; some of us descend from article entitled, “What Does generations of Jews who for ‘Blood & Soil’ Mean? centuries on end received Originally published on jewschool.com Charlottesville Protesters Heard comparatively better treatment August 17, 2017, and reproduced with This Disturbing Chant,” and not from their North African or permission. seeing the words “antisemitism” Middle Eastern Muslim neighbours ------or “Jews” mentioned once. It is the and rulers, only to have those Charlottesville police declining to Jewish Fear relationships shattered by defend Charlottesville’s synagogue European Christian colonialism Jewish fear is American Neo-Nazis from armed neo-Nazis. and imported antisemitism; others chanting “Blood and Soil” on Jewish fear is receiving death of us may have non-Jewish American soil. threats targeting me as a Jew who ancestors of various heritages in Jewish fear is that buzzing feeling in writes publicly. It is the recent or distant past. Some our bones that won’t let us sleep how terrifyingly common that is, Jews, like me, are light-skinned, at night, because we don’t know all the more so for those who, with whiteness that largely when it will come next. unlike me, are multiply targeted for protects us from American state being female, gender-queer, and/or violence; some are Jews of colour, Jewish fear is American Neo-Nazis Jews of colour. multiply targeted by the chanting “Blood and Soil” on intersections of racism and Jewish fear is the casual ease with American soil. In living memory, antisemitism, and if they descend which people compare Trump’s that chant (“Blut und Boden”), and from Middle Eastern or North America to Nazi Germany, the fascist ideology that birthed it, African countries, Anti-Arab without imagining those organized mass movements of racism and/or Islamophobia. Some comparisons to be triggering to German Nazis, and Polish, Jews are increasingly afraid to walk Jews, because they think Lithuanian, Greek, and other the streets in Trump’s America if JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 8 they are women, or visibly gender- wealth and control to justify their the conversation, for which I am or-sexuality queer. acts of genocide. sincerely grateful.) Jewish fear is all the well-meaning Jewish fear is time and again when and ill-meaning friends, co- white Christian male violence has Jewish fear is antisemitic conspiracy workers, and acquaintances who come for us, we have stood alone. theories alive and well in 2017 talk about how Jews are good with Jewish fear is we are still alone. Jewish fear is the risk of white Jews money. It is the way that Jewish feeling so triggered and alone that wealth gets highlighted as we forget that the neo-Nazis Jewish/Jewish poverty gets Jewish Love marched on Charlottesville to invisibilised, while the defend the memory of Black overwhelming Christianity of the Jewish love is we are never alone. slavery, or that Charlottesville ruling class in this country goes Jewish love is our deep lineage of itself sits on land haunted by white unmarked. It is Jews structurally resistance to abusive systems of genocide and expulsion of set up to be urban landlords to power. indigenous people. It’s white Jews working-class tenants people of caught up in whiteness, and colour, with all of the on-the- Jewish love is we have each other. terrified by the idea that any Jew surface exploitation that entails; We have our ancestors/those who might be vulnerable, forgetting or while white Christians ruling class did Jewishness before us and our denying that Black Jews exist, that members own the luxury towers, descendants/those will do Black Jews stand doubly the banks, the suburbs, whose Jewishness after us. We have a threatened by neo-Nazis who operation runs smoothly and goes sense of being that stretches envision an America bereft of unmarked as exploitative. beyond immediate time and place, Black people and Jews. It is white that broadens and deepens our

Jews, afraid that any critique of capacity to love, care, and take Israel bears a hint of or is a prelude Jewish fear is we are still alone. action for all living things. to attempted genocide, reflexively Jewish fear is the recurring silence Jewish love is we have others, too. defending Israel’s state violence from non-Jews about the explicitly, We live in an unprecedented time toward Palestinians or rejecting particularly antisemitic language of possibility for close connection the Vision for Black Lives and behaviour of the neo-Nazis in between Jews and non-Jews. wholesale over its single paragraph Charlottesville. It is seeing, with of critique of Israel. Jewish love is that Hashem chose rare exceptions, only Jewish ח עמ יל ) us with love Jewish fear is antisemitic friends of mine posting on social ). Jewish love is connecting conspiracy theories alive and well media when Jewish cemeteries are those words to my heart, spirit, in 2017: Neo-Nazis in vandalized or when the Boston and flesh with the utterance of my Charlottesville chanting “Jew will Holocaust memorial was lips and with my tefillin. not replace us,” holding up signs destroyed this week for the about overthrowing the “Jewish second time this summer. Jewish love is our foremothers / media,” called to action by the aunties composing tkhines and Jewish fear is if we bring up our other prayers to say in times of joy Daily Stormer to “Unite the struggle to non-Jewish comrades, Right…[and] End Jewish Influence and plenty as well as prayers to say we will be gaslighted and shamed in times of fear and hardship, as in America.” In America, where into silence, because structural ruling-class, white Christian Henry well as love songs, and play songs, antisemitism functions Ford popularized the fraudulent and songs of loss, and songs to pass by portraying us as antisemitic conspiracy theory the time. They bequeathed them conspiratorially, greedily powerful book, The Protocols of the Elders of to us in Ladino, Judeo-Arabic, despite our repeated vulnerability Zion, an adapted version of Yiddish, Hebrew, and other Jewish to structural, white Christian male which could still be found on languages. Jewish love is learning violence. Walmart’s shelves in 2004. In those languages so we can honour America, which used racist Jewish fear is I ask a dear friend of their gift and resilience. immigration quotas in 1939 to turn mine, a white man of Christian away the S.S. St. Louis and its 900 heritage, to learn about German (overwhelmingly Jewish) antisemitism, and he ignores me; I Jewish love is we have others, too. refugees, back to Europe and the ask him a second time, and he Jewish love is our deep lineage of Nazis, who used antisemitic evades; I ask him a third time, resistance to abusive systems of conspiracy theories about Jewish pained and confused, and our power. It is the passion relationship badly falters. (He later and chutzpah of a young, Yiddish- apologizes, reads up, and reopens JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 9 speaking Clara Lemlich, who in Jewish solidarity is non-Jews Jewish solidarity is naming the way 1909 incited the “Uprising of the checking in with the Jewish people that contemporary American neo- 20,000, the largest strike by in their lives right now to see how Nazis, white nationalists, and KKK women workers in the United they’re doing, to see if they can feature a range of antisemitic States to that time.” It is one-third provide some harm reduction by language and behaviours that draw of Ashkenazi Jewry belonging to offering to lend an ear, bring over directly from German WWII Nazi the Jewish Socialist Bund or the some homemade soup, or take a ideology and goals, while also Communist Party during the shift at work. It is also white Jews moving carefully because interwar period. It is the Mizrahi checking in with the people of articulating this connection is Black Panthers fighting white colour, Jewish and non-Jewish, in terrifying and triggering to many supremacy within Israeli society, in their lives to offer the same. American Jews. It’s acknowledging solidarity with Palestine. Jewish that Jews are responding to this Jewish solidarity is white Jews justice is, to paraphrase Dr West, difficult balance in a variety of organizing our communities to what Jewish love looks like in ways. support Black, Brown, and public. It is generations of Jewish Indigenous-led organizing, Jewish solidarity is the Jewish self- radicals committed to a fight for a recognizing that this country was defence clubs that Jews formed in better world, to this present day. founded on and continues to Poland to protect our Jewish love is the unshakable organize itself around anti- communities from fascists and the dignity with which my severely Blackness and indigenous police who actively abetted them. disabled brother is treated by the genocide. It is German Christian accomplices ultra-Orthodox Jewish like the White Rose who resisted Jewish solidarity is Jews for Racial organization which cares for him. the Nazi regime. It is Goodman & Economic Justice (JFREJ) in NYC They have inherited a worldview and Schwerner going down South showing up effectively for decades from their ancestors that with Cheney to break Jim Crow. in feminist, anti-racist, anti- recognizes that my brother’s Islamophobic coalitions, building Jewish solidarity is naming the innate worth does not depend on long-term relationships with sister ways patriarchy underpins anti- his ability to produce. organizations led by people of Jewish violence and all other forms Jewish love is true ahavas yisroel, colour, immigrants, and Muslims; of structural violence, and building an accessible, beloved and those organizations now committing to feminist Jewish community that centres the stepping up with JFREJ’s guidance transformations of our experiences and leadership of Jews to study and resist antisemitism. communities. of colour, Sephardi, and Mizrahi Jewish solidarity is Jewish rabbis Jews, and honour our diverse array and rabbinical students laying their of diasporic Jewish traditions, Jewish solidarity is white Jews showing bodies on the line and “Standing which are resources and options up for racial justice. Against in for Jewish life today. Charlottesville.” Jewish solidarity is Linda Sarsour helping raise over $100,000 from

Muslim communities to repair Jewish Solidarity Jewish solidarity is Linda Sarsour Jewish cemeteries, and JFREJ and Jewish solidarity is solidarity of helping raise over $100,000 from Jewish Voice for Peace defending non-Jews to Jewish people. Muslim communities to repair Jewish her from right-wing attacks for her cemeteries. solidarity to Palestine. Jewish solidarity is also solidarity of Jews to other targeted peoples. Jewish solidarity is non-Jews Jewish solidarity is solidarity for reading the writing (see below) of Palestine that follows the lead of Jewish solidarity is Jewish rabbis and Jewish anti-racists in response to Palestinian civil rights leaders and rabbinical students laying their bodies Charlottesville reading and then includes Jews in our vision of on the line. — lifting up those Jewish voices within collective liberation. It actively Jewish solidarity is also solidarity of their non-Jewish communities. It is resists Christian Western Jews to other Christian heritage friends of mine imperialism and structural Jews, particularly multiply targeted who have studied antisemitism antisemitism. It centres the voices Jews: Jews of colour, Sephardi when I ask them to, and have of Palestinians and Mizrachi and Jews, Mirzrahi Jews; female Jews; integrated resistance of Sephardi Jews. gender- and sexuality-queer Jews; antisemitism into their everyday Jewish solidarity is non-Jewish disabled Jews; poor Jews, and interactions and their liberation organizers of the March for Racial others. work. Justice scheduling their action for

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 10 the Jewish Community’, an ardent the anniversary of the Elaine Jonah Sampson Boyarin is a Jewish defender of the Jewish State, a Massacre, learning that they had educator, activist, Yiddish translator, bigoted anti-Islamist, has attracted excluded many Jews because this and writer. over 80,000 followers on his date falls on Yom Kippur this year, page. Yemini, who This article was produced with and modelling open-hearted, claims to have fought in the IDF, permission from the author. The creative accountability in response. finds common ground with other original can be found at Jewschool: It is non-Black Jews learning about Islamophobic organisations, Neo- Progressive Jews & Views, at the history of anti-Black violence in Nazi extremists, who have not https://jewschool.com/2017/08/80 this country, including the Elaine tried in the past to hide their 150/jewish-fear-love-solidarity-in- Massacre. antisemitism. the-wake-of-charlottesville/. Visit Jewish solidarity is non-Jews taking the website for a full list of resources How far do these extreme and responsibility for educating and used to compose this article. perhaps unhinged manifestations organizing their people. It’s anti- of an alliance between Jews, Fascist racist community organizing that studies antisemitism and Christian hegemony and integrates that analysis into all of our people’s movements. The more our movements do that, the more we will effectively resist systems of white supremacy and capitalism, which are interdependent with structural antisemitism.

Everyone is accountable and no one is disposable.

Jewish solidarity is white Jews showing up for racial justice. It is moving our dominant American Jewish communal institutions and Betar Youth Group, Sarny, Poland, 19/10/1932. My mother, Raya the state of Israel away from apathy, isolation, and complicity by Bak, 15 years old, seated immediately below and to the left building long-term, generous, (facing) of Menachem Begin (centre). mutually accountable relationships with communities of colour, and Anti Semites represent what is Muslims, queer people, and Jews, Fascism and happening in Israel and the Jewish Palestinians as our comrades in Antisemitism. A paradoxical Diaspora? How far does the collective resistance of Christian alliance? outrage expressed in and white supremacy. It is moving our By Ann Elizabeth Fink in some Israeli social media communities towards justice with extend? How much support do the fierce love, knowing that everyone In Israel, the son of the Prime Avi Yeminis of Melbourne enjoy in is accountable, and no one is Minister of the Jewish State, Yair Jewish communities throughout disposable. Netanyahu, posts an image on his the Diaspora? How did it even Facebook page that is laden with come to be a question we need to Jewish solidarity is part of antisemitic imagery. He draws an discuss? collective liberation. equivalence between what he

Acknowledgment: I extend my refers to as far-right "scum" and heartfelt thanks to Nadav David, leftist "thugs”. He also claims that Jews and Fascism Elana Baurer, Jessica Rosenberg, lefties hate America and Israel and Jewish support for fascist regimes Rebecca Ennen, Helen Bennett, are the real threat. Fascism “and all is not a new phenomenon. As first and other dear comrades who that is in the past.” articulated by Mussolini in Italy in encouraged me and helped shape In Melbourne, Australia, a thuggish, the 1920s, it was a form of radical this piece. muscle bound publicity seeking authoritarian nationalism. Placed ^ ^ ^ Gym owner, Avi Yemini, a self- on the far Right on the traditional proclaimed ‘prominent figure in Left-Right spectrum, Fascists

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 11 rejected assertions that violence is HaTsair, the Zionist socialist nationaldeutscher Juden) was automatically negative in nature secular youth movement, fought a German Jewish organization and accepted political violence, battles on the streets of Warsaw. during the Weimar Republic and war, and colonisation as means to To my parents, Avi Yemeni would the early years of Nazi Germany. achieve national goals. not have appeared a singular The goal of the Association was phenomenon. The difference being the total assimilation of Jews into Many Italian Jews were that in Warsaw, Betar youth the German Volksgemeinschaft, self- sympathetic to the regime and operated within the Jewish eradication of Jewish identity, and occupied significant offices and community and not alongside the the expulsion from Germany of positions in Italian political and Polish Fascist groups. In Italy, it the Jewish immigrants from economic life until the was different. In the UK, while Eastern Europe. It was opposed promulgation of the 1938 racial there were deep divisions within to Zionists and Eastern European laws (Italian Jews were also active the Jewish community as to how to Jews, whom they saw as racially in anti-fascist react to Fascism, there is no and spiritually inferior. Some organisations). Vladimir Jabotinski evidence that there was any active German Jews supported Hitler was an early admirer of the Fascist support for the fascists. because they thought antisemitism regime, which helped the was only for the purpose of establishment in 1934 of a navy Among the most vociferous of the officer training camp in Jewish anti-fascist groups was the "stirring up the masses”. Politically, the Association was close to Civitavecchia for Mandatory Bund. “The Bund... founded in the German National People's Palestine Jews, laying the 1897, in Poland, Russia and Party, a national conservative foundations of the Israeli Navy. Lithuania... opposed assimilation, party, which refused to recognise With the rise of Hitler in Germany, defended Jewish civil and cultural the association, despite the fact Italian Fascists, influenced by rights, and campaigned actively that they had come out in support Nazism and its race theories, against anti-Semitism” (Phillip of Hitler. Founded in 1921, it was actively began promoting Mendes). The Bund was secular dissolved in 1935. antisemitism; Jews were depicted and socialist. both as "" In Vienna, there was also deep capitalist bourgeois and as antagonism to the influx of Eastern communists. Jews and Pre-War Tolerance European Jews and early support of Antisemitism for Hitler. In 1978, Friedrich Until the mid-1930s, European Hayek, the Vienna born, Nobel Jews were divided in their For centuries, European Jews had Prize winning economist, in allegiances all along the political survived within societies that were spectrum. On the far Left, Jews deeply and ineradicably antisemitic. support of Margaret Thatcher’s immigration policy, warned of the were active in the Communist The Middle East was at times more dangers of immigration into the parties and on the far Right, hospitable but this varied over UK by “visibly different looking” followers of Jabotinski’s Herut time and place. Jews survived populations. He attributed the rise movement admired Mussolini. In despite , cruelty, abuse, in antisemitism in Vienna after South America, the Middle East, deprivations and restrictions on and in North Africa, Iran, Iraq, and movement, trade, residence, social WW1 to the “sudden influx of Galicia Egypt, Jews were active in participation, communication and n and Polish Jews” This was a view commonly held not only by communist, socialist, nationalist speech. They adapted strategies by Viennese and German Jews, but and Fascist movements. cooperating, working within the system, and moving from one area also by Anglo Jews in Australia Among Zionist Jews, these to another when life became who warned against the mass divisions were deep and significant, intolerable, or were expelled. immigration of Eastern European both in Europe and in Mandated They converted to the dominant AND German and Austrian Jews Palestine. There is no need to religion when it was possible, and both before and after World War rehearse the bloody events which when personal ambition was so II (WWII). preceded the Declaration of strong it would not tolerate the Independence of the State of Israel strictures placed upon it. But self- as Menachem Begin on the iRght, World War II and The identification as Jews for the large and Ben Gurion, representing the Universal Declaration of majority appeared to be non- centre Left, vied for control of the Human Rights (UDHR) negotiable, nor for the most part, Yishuv (the nascent State) with possible. In the aftermath of WWII, the their separate militias. defeat of the Fascist forces of There were exceptions. In pre-war Poland, the Zionist Germany, Italy and Japan revealed The Association of German youth group Betar, founded by the full scale of the horrors of the National Jews (Verband Menachem Begin and HaShomer Holocaust in Europe and the JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 12 barbarity of the Japanese in the superpowers, the Cold War Zionists, fervent believers in Manchuria and elsewhere. protagonists. The dependence on human rights, and who had oil fueled the rise of new powers enthusiastically welcomed the With the end of the war, and the in the Middle East. Crimes against UDHR. Indeed, the UN took creation of the United Nations humanity were again being 'temporary' responsibility for this (UN), the international community committed, this time in full view: in population, albeit with disastrous vowed never to allow such Srebenica, Bosnia, Rwanda, all consequences. It was hoped that atrocities to happen again. World under the watch of UN just as Israel had settled the leaders decided to complement peacekeepers, claiming they were hundreds of thousands of Jews the UN Charter with a road map helpless to intervene. The colonial from Arab lands with full to guarantee the rights of every powers which had been citizenship entitlement, the Arab individual everywhere. This overthrown in Africa, gave way to Palestinians would be similarly became the Universal Declaration even more despotic regimes in absorbed by neighbouring states. of Human Rights, introduced at the Zimbabwe and Libya. The ousting This was not to happen. first session of the General of the Shah of Iran in a revolution Assembly in 1946 and ultimately In the Diaspora, Jews were fomented by secular democrats, adopted by the UN General becoming increasingly attached to was hijacked by a repressive Assembly on 10 December 1948. the State of Israel, a homeland for theocracy. the Jewish people, and one which The end of WWII also saw the promised to safeguard the rights of establishment of the State of Israel all its citizens. American Jewry by the UN in 1949 only a few Zionism and Racism which had in the past received the months after the UDHR, and to In Israel and elsewhere, The UN majority of refugees from Europe, which Israel itself became a (and the UDHR) came to be was largely democratic and signatory. In the 1950s, Jews regarded as impotent and progressive. Jews had been active worldwide identified strongly as inconsequential, and open to leaders of the trade unions in New anti-Fascist and anti-Nazi. The manipulation by the member York, and in the 1960s and 1970s enemy was Communism and the states, culminating in the passing of were in the forefront of the Civil most heinous, state-sponsored, UN Resolution 3379, which Rights movement. For these Jews, postwar manifestation of determined that "Zionism is a form Israel was a beacon, a socialist- antisemitism, was that of Stalin’s of racism and racial . leaning, democratic State. David USSR. " It has since been rescinded. The Ben-Gurion, leader of the Labour In the following decades, the world UN frequently criticised the centre Left, had triumphed witnessed much progress but also behaviour of the Israeli state politically over Menachem Begin, huge population dislocations and towards the indigenous Palestinian whose ideological origins lay in mass slaughter (although not on population, over whom it had Mussolini’s Right wing Fascism. In the scale of WWII). Partition of gained sovereignty as a result of South Africa, Jews were prominent India into Pakistan and then the War of Independence in 1948 in the fight against Apartheid. Bangladesh along a religious divide, and of whom a large proportion, Zionist organisations became the just prior to the UDHR, made for approximately 700,000-800,000 centre of Jewish life. Not only in an inauspicious introduction. The people, had been expelled; very the USA but in the Australia, South European Union, the success of few of whom were ever to be Africa, South America, Canada and Desegregation in the USA, the allowed back to their homes. This the UK. It provided the networks spread of the Civil Rights action was contrary to the UDHR, and social and emotional security movement as well as the eventual a problem that had been to a population dispersed across collapse of the Soviet Union in the expediently set aside during the the continents. The USA and Israel late 1980s, all seemed indications vote for Israel’s admission to the now had roughly equal numbers of of a world adopting more UN, but which was to become a Jews and the USA was felt by most progressive and liberal ideologies. very thorny issue in later years. American Jews, in that postwar The rise of nationalist movements The Nakba continues to be a era, to be an alternate homeland to which succeeded in overthrowing central issue in the present which they owed fealty, and which dictatorships and colonial powers conflict. they were happy to subscribe and in the Middle East, Africa The mass expulsion of Jews from support. Rallying around the and South America also raised Arab lands in the early 1950s (in Zionist flag replaced what had optimistic spirits in the first two or roughly the same numbers as three decades after the war. been the ‘kehila’, the tight expelled Palestinians) and the community of the shtetls, and These hopes were dashed as ‘integration’ of these ‘Arab Jews’ Jewish cultural centres in the large increasingly old conflicts re- into the new state, appeased the European cities. emerged and were manipulated by consciences of many liberal JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 13 In the first three postwar decades, generation of Israelis had reached history. The present Israeli Left wing Jews became increasingly adulthood and were government more commonly disillusioned. First with Soviet expressing their dissatisfaction refers to Israel as The Jewish State. Communism, then the Hungarian with the old guard. Conservative Divergent and critical opinions, Revolution in 1956, followed by politicians around the world hailed while still possible, are increasingly the invasion of the Soviet army Begin’s victory. Those of us who threatened. In the OPT, into Czechoslovakia following the remembered his origins were settlements grow apace; the “Prague Spring”. Simultaneously in more pessimistic. stranglehold by Israel from the Poland, a student-led revolt outside, and the repression of The ensuing 30 years saw Israel’s became the pretext for the Gaza from within, by Hamas, has increasing prosperity, the rise in Gomulka government to unleash impoverished and disempowered influence of religious nationalism as an antisemitic purge which the population to the point of near well as the power of the Chief resulted in the emigration of tens starvation and desperation. All Rabbinate. The IDF remained of thousands of Polish Jews, 13,000 movement towards an entrenched in the OPT, and of whom arrived in Israel between independent Palestinian State is on following the uprisings (intifadas) 1968 and 1972. hold. of 1987 and 200 this Military Occupation became even more restrictive and punitive. The failure The 1967 Six Day War: of the Oslo peace talks also Expulsion and Colonisation diminished the influence of ‘liberal’ Israel’s victory in June 1967 led to Zionists. further large-scale dislocation of In the Diaspora similar forces were the Palestinian population and the at work. Prosperity, generational military occupation of the West change and security, all Bank, East and Gaza. contributed to an increase in The Israeli Black Panthers (pictured) were The Golan was annexed as was conservative political perspectives. disadvantaged Mizrahi Jews protesting East Jerusalem. The military In 1990 following the collapse of the Israeli State’s actios. Iage take occupation exists to this day, as from https://972mag.com/palestinians- the Soviet Union and the does full military control over are-the-glue-that-holds-ashkenazim-and- emigration to Israel of one million Gaza. The Occupation of the mizrahim-together/128061/ former Soviet citizens, the political Palestinian Territories (OPT) also scene was completely Contributing to the success of the opened the areas of the West rebooted. Both in the Diaspora parties that comprise Netanyahu's Bank, known to the Israelis as and in Israel, there was a growth in Right-wing coalition are the Judea and Samaria, to large scale political along with Mizrahim, who have long colonial type settlement; a privatisation of public assets and complained of institutional bias population which now exceeds corporate globalisation. rooted in Ashkenazi (European) 600,000. dominance and control in the early Netanyahu: Consolidation of Menachem Begin and the Rise years of the state. This discontent Right Wing and Religious of the Political Power of the with the uneven distribution of Political Power Right power and economic advantage In 2015, on the day of the has become an important factor in In 1977, Menachem Begin became general election and following the rise of the Right's political Prime Minister of Israel as head of parties. Antipathy to Mizrahim the party, whose origins as Prime Minister, Netanyahu’s urging in tweets and does not seem to be obvious at the the Right wing Herut movement emails, “Hurry friends, the Arabs are going out in individual level, but social and had, in the early years, been droves to vote, bussed in by the economic structures dating from relegated to the political fringe. the early years are still factors This victory of the political centre Left”, the Israeli electorate voted into power the most Right-wing influencing the distribution of Right ended the three decades of government in its history (it should wealth and power. Labor Party centre Left also be noted that the Joint List, dominance. The ex-CIS (Soviet) émigré made up of largely Israeli population is more Right wing and The population that voted for Palestinian with some Israeli Jewish anti-Palestinian than other secular Begin was one in which the representation, formed the third sectors of the the Israeli public. Mizrahim, North African and largest of the political parties Most supportive of the continuing Middle Eastern Jews were much represented in the new Knesset). OPT, and the concept of a greater more represented than in previous This Knesset proceeded to Israel are the Settlers, religious and elections. 30 years on from the introduce the most divisive, secular nationalists, a large founding of the state, a new ethnically biased laws in Israel’s JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 14 contingent of whom are American abuse by the general public and Political Fascism in Israel citizens, or whose settlements their status is not recognised by The recent proclamation by the depend on American the Israeli Government. Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked, philanthropy and who in 2016 The Palestinian Israeli population is supported by the Netanyahu come out in strong and very well also targeted most often in cabinet, that henceforth she would organised support for Donald Jerusalem and particularly in East seek to ensure that Israeli Jewish Trump. Jerusalem. Right wing fascist rights and interests would always Alongside and adding to this organisations such as Lahava and trump human rights and civil consolidation of right wing political the Jerusalem Betar Football fans liberties, clarified for even the power is the stranglehold of the are often seen and recorded, most optimistic liberal Zionists, Chief Rabbinate. Represented by intimidating East Jerusalem the essentially fascist nature of this two political parties in the residents and are always present at present Knesset. coalition, this ultra nationalist protests and demonstrations held Liberal Zionists in Israel and much government ultimately depends on by anti-government groups. more prominently in the USA are their support. The Chief Rabbinate increasingly uncomfortable with also assumes the power to decide this openly Right wing, proto- who will be classified as a Jew and The IDF in the Occupied fascist government and its thus deserving of the full rights of Palestinian Territories toleration of the thuggish and citizenship. Not only does the In the OPT, the brutality of IDF brutal behaviour of some of its Chief Rabbinate exercise its power soldiers, their terrorising activities ardent supporters. within Israel in deciding who is a aimed at the pacification of the Jew, but it is extending that right Palestinian population and the Netanyahu’s very public courtship of , his supine worldwide. The Chief Rabbinate blindness of the upper echelons to silence in the face of openly publishes lists of recognised Rabbis the murder of civilians recently antisemitic rants by Donald in the Diaspora whose marriages came under close scrutiny with the and conversions will be recognised prosecution of the soldier Elor Trump’s close advisors, does not seem to worry the majority of and names those whose marriages Azaria, who shot at close range an voters in Israel, but has stirred and conversions will no longer be already gravely wounded considerable controversy among valid. The ramification of such Palestinian, Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, Jews in the USA and elsewhere in policies will have serious lying prone and 'neutralised' on the the Diaspora. In publications such consequences for citizenship both ground. This deliberate murder as Haaretz and in social media, within Israel and in terms of rights was by no means singular, but it there is outrage, moral indignation of immigration from the Diaspora. was filmed and the video widely The Jewish State now and disbelief that Jews are allying distributed by the NGO B’Tselem. themselves, not only with Right contemplates how to deal with This action offends the rules of the wing, anti-democratic, but also first degree Jews and a second tier IDF, and the decision of a transparently antisemitic forces. of 'would be Jews', whether by particular commanding officer on Charlottesville graphically conversion, marriage, birth in that particular day, and prior to the illustrates the impotence of Israeli Israel to non-recognised parents, distribution of the video, resulted leaders to deal with what had or a host of other conditions as in the arrest and subsequent originally been one of the prime ordained by the Chief Rabbinate. prosecution and sentencing of the goals of the establishment of the soldier. Azariya’s action was by no State of Israel. means unusual. What followed was Racism within Israel a public debate as to how tolerable In 1948, Israelis and Jews In contemporary Israel, racial were such actions and by worldwide declared, 'Never again bigotry directed at fellow Israeli implication many other actions of will we march like sheep to the gas Jews is a fact of life. Manifestations the IDF in the OPT. Moshe chambers'. In 2017, Yair of such bigotry in Israel are Ya'alon, the Defence Minister and Netanyahu, the 26-year-old son of witnessed and suffered daily by the no supporter of the Palestinian the Prime Minister of the Jewish Ethiopian community. A visibly cause, resigned in the wake of State, posts statements on his distinct community, they are public and political criticism of his Facebook page, in which he draws regularly victims of police brutality declaration that this killing of a an equivalence between what he and suffer systematic wounded prisoner was referred to as far-Right "scum" and discrimination in the education indefensible. Leftist "thugs” denying any system, workplace, in housing and ll elements of fascism, claiming “a throughout the bureaucracy. that was in the past.” African refugees and asylum seekers are subjected to frequent JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 15 This statement from the very distinguishes this government is its anti fascists have been active in pinnacle of Israeli power, enables open and political support for such successfully opposing Avi Yemini’s Zionist supporters in Israel and in regimes. Israel’s dealings with such attempts to gain a respectable the Diaspora to deny the hostile states were always covert. platform from which to ideological fascism informing the Their dealings did not serve to disseminate his fascist and racist Jewish State’s policies and to frame enhance their standing in the public ideology. But many in the Jewish the opposition and anti-fascist eye. Despite its discriminatory community seem happy to adopt forces as Leftist thugs, 'anti-Israel, policies toward Israeli Palestinians, the language of equivalence (of far anti-American'. This discourse has and the facts of the OPT, Zionists Right and anti-fascists) and the been quickly seized upon. The have always maintained that they characterisation of those who are language of equivalence is repeated are committed to the values of anti fascists as 'Leftist' and anti- among pro-Zionists and attempts Democracy. Israel. In contrast to the USA, to characterise the anti-fascist there is no evidence that the This open espousal of fascist movement as a danger to the State support for the Jewish State is ideology, the lengths to which the of Israel. being eroded in Australia. present Israeli government is going to dismantle the institutions that supported the democratic project The Alliance of Jews, Fascists and the total failure to find a and Anti-Semites solution to the Palestinian Israel On Antisemitism by Jewish Jewish fascism has deep historical conflict have led some progressive Voice for Peace (JVP): book roots. This alliance with openly Zionists to radically rethink their review antisemitic political forces in the loyalty to the project. By Yael W. postwar era is not so familiar. So-called Liberal and Democratic Maybe the best analogy would be Zionists, both in Israel and in the with Jews who supported Stalin’s Diaspora, now face a stark choice communism even after the Soviet between defending their beliefs in pact with Nazi Germany. The the principals of the UDHR, the contingencies of war, and later a belief that all citizens of the State sublime hope that the socialist of Israel are entitled to equality goals of the Soviet Union and before the law, and in all other satellites such as Poland, matters, including family reunion. Czechoslovakia and Hungary, The alternative is descent into an would excuse/justify this aberrant ethnic and religious autocracy, a behaviour. fascist regime, whose declared Much the same sort of thinking aims are the annexation and appears to lie behind many colonisation of 60% of the individuals’ support for Trump and Palestinian West Bank and the Netanyahu. Is it good or bad for continuation of the denial of Jews? Advantageous or human rights and civil liberties to On Antisemitism is a timely disadvantageous for the its 4.5 million inhabitants. collection of writings given the Netanyahu government? What is Together with the prioritising of current increase in popularity and being claimed is that the welfare of Jewish citizens in Israel, this organisation of the Right and far the Jewish State trumps all other effectively means holding 6 million Right. The work is relevant not considerations. This present Palestinians hostage in a Jewish only given the overt antisemitism alliance of Jews, Fascists and Anti State. from the far Right in Western Semites in the USA, is seen in many countries, but also in light of The question being asked is how quarters as instrumental in -wing far do the extreme and perhaps Israel’s most Right furthering the Zionist project. government, which highlights the unhinged manifestations of an problematic discourse around the Nor are such alliances really alliance between Jews, Fascist and definition of antisemitism. That is, new. All Israeli governments have anti-Semites as represented by dealt with despotic dictatorships, Yair Netanyahu and the Avi ‘new antisemitism’, which asserts that criticism of Israel is African, Asian, South American Yeminis of the Diaspora antisemitic. It is refreshing to see and Middle Eastern. Many of the characterise what is happening in such a brave, critical and articulate countries to which Israel has Israel and the Jewish Diaspora? In collation of works addressing such supplied weapons, technology, and the USA there has been very loud an important issue for us. Indeed, know-how, have had antisemitic and widespread condemnation. In and anti-Israel policies. What Australia, a few hundred Jewish if we don’t engage with the issue of antisemitism, it is left in the hands JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 16 of pro-Zionist groups who use and Sephardi Jews, Islamophobia in challenging antisemitism is a work new antisemitism as a weapon to the context of Imperialism and the in progress. stifle dissent. ‘war on terror’ and Israel’s role in The importance of this body of this, as well as colonisation, the Featuring contributions from work is best encapsulated in Rabbi influence of Christian European activists, academics, students, and Alissa Wise’s remarks in the antisemitism introduced to the religious leaders, the book brings conclusion: Middle East, and much more. together a broad diversity of “The truth is that everyone who voices and views on antisemitism, The Muslim and Palestinian voices organizes for justice in Palestine its definition, history, narratives presented in the book are must wrestle with antisemitism, and impacts, and reiterates the inspiring, and a solid reminder of either because a false accusation is necessity of addressing the the intersections of our struggles, being lobbed at them, or because complexities of this issue. It is also as Linda Sarsour writes: of a need to be vigilant to ensure the first book on the topic to obia is one branch on “Islamoph that critique of the Jewish state include the voices of Christian and the tree of racism. Islamophobia, doesn’t become blanket criticism Muslim Palestinians, and Jewish and homophobia, anti-Black racism, of Jewish people… Christian African Americans. In the and antisemitism are all connected foreword, Judith Butler argues that and we cannot dismantle one I have been asked countless times: to challenge antisemitism it needs without the other.” Omar “How do I deflect accusations that to be defined, and emphasises Barghouti tackles the false charges I am antisemitic?” I always respond: having a nuanced approach which of antisemitism levelled at “Well, are you?” considers the different historical Palestinian solidarity movements You can purchase a copy of the experiences of Ashkenazi, and activists with a balanced book through the website: Sephardi, Mizrachi and Jews of approach which acknowledges the http://onantisemitism.com/ colour. Indeed, JVP has done a hurt caused by antisemitic language great job including Jews who are and advocating vigilance in often marginalised, and sometimes accurate and respectful completely erased, in communication. conversations around Antisemitism, Palestine, and A strong theme in the book, one antisemitism. Tallie Ben Daniel is the Mizrahi Question addressed by many of the one such writer, articulately contributors, is that of new By Tallie Ben Daniel examining the Eurocentric antisemitism. New antisemitism is deconstruction of antisemitism Chapter from On Antisemitism, critiqued for obfuscating real and Mizrahi erasure and Jewish Voice for Peace, antisemitism, thereby enabling it, oppression in the Left. She has Haymarket 2017, 71-80 and and as some argue, also fuelling given us permission to republish footnotes. Reproduced with antisemitism by implicating Jewish her chapter in this issue of Just permission. communities at large with Israel’s Voices. crimes. Antony Lerman provides an interesting look at the As a Mizrahi Jewish person, I am politicisation of antisemitism and Each chapter engages with various often shocked by the ways issues pertinent to an examination Israel’s hegemony over monitoring mainstream US Jewish histories and countering it. The only of antisemitism, and while I would and cultural scripts erase Mizrahi shortfall of the book is that despite 1 love to credit all contributors it is experiences and histories. This the strong focus on new beyond the scope of this review. erasure becomes even more acute antisemitism, there is little The book is split into sections on when discussing antisemitism. In engagement with attempts to histories and theories of this essay, I argue that in order to illustrate the location and antisemitism, confronting have a comprehensive analysis of definition of antisemitism and how antisemitism and islamophobia, antisemitism that truly tackles the we can challenge it. I believe that and fighting false charges of operations of power in the United failure to engage these issues antisemitism. Some of the topics States, one must not only take provides a platform to discredit covered include new antisemitism, Mizrahi experiences and analysis the fantastic work of the book, a historical look at Christian into account, but also account for almost presenting an apologist antisemitism, the specificities of the existence of the State of Israel. approach to antisemitism in the anti-Black racism in Jewish The essay starts by thinking Left and within Arab communities, communities and antisemitism in through some of the more but also reveals that defining and Black communities, racism, ubiquitous understandings of orientalism, oppression of Mizrahi antisemitism, then moves to a brief

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 17 analysis of Iraqi Jewish experiences antisemitism. Although missing establishment of Israel created a and their relationship to the nuance, I am going to assume that new Jewish identity, in which every conventional understanding of for most, this encapsulates the Jewish person, for better or antisemitism. Finally, the essay major events. And the final worse, is hailed by the Jewish state. takes on one of the “alternative” conclusion must be that For some Jewish people, this definitions of antisemitism, and antisemitism is a problem that has relationship is one of liberation and argues that it too participates in always been with us, and will triumph, or is characterized by a the erasure of Mizrahi always be with us. sense of belonging, even if they experiences. The essay concludes This narrative sits uncomfortably don’t physically reside there. For by asking how we can link our others, this relationship is one of with me, and has for a long time. analysis of antisemitism to both the trauma and discrimination, and/or There are three major reasons: global struggle for Palestinian painful culpability, as the Israeli first, as an Iraqi Jewish person, this rights and to the fight against the government continues to maintain narrative often erases the marginalization of Mizrahi Jewish systems of oppression and experiences and histories of non- communities. discrimination against the European Jews. Like all religious Palestinian people. And I should The first, and perhaps most minorities, Jews are incredibly point out that the relationship of popular, understanding of diverse, and there have been Jews worldwide to Israel is not antisemitism in the United States is significant Jewish communities all ned here, one I have come across both in over the world, not only in Europe. limited to those I’ve outli nor are any of these relationships mainstream Jewish institutions and Second, in a US context, this mutually exclusive. But regardless, in more alternative leftist spaces. It narrative of antisemitism can lead a relationship is seemingly goes something like this: anti to seeing it as a kind of urtext for unavoidable. semitism began, so the story goes, other forms of racism, which often with the scapegoating of Jews in lets white US American Jews off Yet, when we talk about ancient times, because of the the hook when confronting white antisemitism, even in spaces that Jewish adherence to monotheism, dominance and structural racism. are ostensibly aware of the culminating with the destruction of Third, this narrative, in this form, occupation and displacement of the Temple by the Romans; often ends with a justification for Palestinians, European experiences continued through the spread of the dispossession of Palestinians— are presented as the template for Christianity and the Crusades, the establishment of the State of all Jews, everywhere, along with a manifesting in accusations of blood Israel was necessary, so the story cautionary tale of the unchanging, libel; and endured through the goes, to correct for the centuries endless, permanent, or cyclical social and economic discrimination of antisemitism. Antisemitism, in nature of antisemitism. We also of the Enlightenment in the form of this interpretation, is ongoing and live in a world where Western “the Jewish question.” That was unfixable because Jews are always Europe, and Western European followed by pogroms, culminating outsiders, and in Israel, Jews can be history, is dominant, so the tropes in the Holocaust. Antisemitism, the majority, and so never have to that characterize European then, has always been with us and worry about such violence again. antisemitism— like conspiracy always will, and we have to live theories in which Jews are secretly Of course, any casual follower of with this legacy. Jews, as perennial in control of financial systems or Israeli and Palestinian politics social outsiders, are blamed for the media are dominant as well. I should know that the — economic and social problems do not doubt that antisemitism establishment of the State of Israel associated with money or the exists, nor do I think we should let in 1948 did not mark an end to media or other powerful, it go unchecked. But I want an violence. Rather, Palestinian disembodied forces. In some cases, analysis of antisemitism that communities worldwide this story ends (happily or interrogates, rather than commemorate the establishment otherwise) with the creation of the replicates, the Eurocentricity of of the state in 1948 as the Nakba, State of Israel in 1948. Of course, the current most common or “catastrophe,” a military event in some interpretations, the narrative. that decimated Palestinian villages violence in Israel/Palestine (or any and created the second-largest criticism of Israeli policy) is further refugee population in the world.2 evidence of antisemitism. The Experiences of Mizrahi The Jewish majority in Israel is and Sephardi Jews While this is obviously overly maintained only through succinct, I wonder if those reading dispossession, deeply unequal I want to offer an alternative this would have any trouble with laws, and a demographic war narrative to the one so roughly this as a summary of the history of against Palestinians.3 The outlined above: A Jewish community develops in Iraq after JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 18 the destruction of the Temple and Jews, everywhere. Many scholars, Jews at the hands of Ashkenazi for thousands of years flourishes in most notably Ella Shohat, have Jews. the major metropolitan areas. remarked on the position of In the United States, many Jewish Jewish Iraqis are found in nearly Mizrahi Jews within Israeli society: historians lack an analysis of how every sector of society, while simultaneously included and antisemitism works alongside and maintaining a unique cultural and excluded from the Israeli national intersects with other systems of religious identity. They have deep collective, both a potential bridge oppression, like racism, sexism, cultural connections to other between Jewish, Ashkenazi Israelis and classism.11 I saw a version of Jewish communities, notably in and Palestinians and more often, a this history of antisemitism while India and France. When the British fence that marks the Israeli at the Association for Jewish colonize Iraq after World War I, 8 collective’s borders. Studies Annual conference, at a anti-Jewish sentiment is imported The narrative above may be just as panel discussing what kinds of along with a different set of overly simplified as the one I began pedagogical tools one can bring to colonial hierarchies.4 In 1941, the with, but I am using it to make the a social justice–grounded Jewish Jews of Baghdad experience the following point—that when talking Studies classroom. One panelist farhud, an anti-Jewish riot that was, about antisemitism, one cannot discussed how her Jewish according to historian Orit focus only on the experiences of American history class is often Bashkin, a result of “German white Ashkenazi Jews. To do so is confronted by what she saw as the propaganda disseminated into the to contribute to the ongoing contradictions of US history: how Iraqi print market,” “an intense erasure of Mizrahi Jews in Jewish did American Jews move so quickly debate among intellectuals communities in the United States from marginalization and concerning Nazism and fascism,” and in Israel, and to perpetuate the discrimination to almost total and the general conflation of idea that European acceptance, a journey so unlike Zionism with Judaism in a is the history of all Jews. At the that of other minority groups? nationalist, postcolonial era of Iraqi same time, it is equally problematic politics.5 After the State of Israel is What was remarkable to me in her to assume that antisemitism as it established in 1948, a backdoor discussion of the ways labor, presented in Europe can be deal with the government of Iraq capitalism, and “up by the “found” in the histories of Mizrahi expels the Jews from Iraq, making bootstraps” perseverance had Jews.9 In some cases, when we them leave their possessions transferred American Jews from start with the assumption that behind; they are then put in margin to center was the complete antisemitism is a natural and refugee camps ( ) and are absence of any acknowledgment ma’abarot eternal part of the Jewish marginalized as uncivilized, too that race may have played a role. condition, or the human condition, close to the Arab neighbors of Many people of color in the United it can lead to orientalizing the Israel in language, culture, and States have probably heard the Mizrahi experience, by attempting demeanor.6 Israeli identity phrase “I’m not white, I’m Jewish” to “discover” the equivalent of a continually valorizes Western from white, Jewish US Americans. or a ghetto in Mizrahi European Jewish culture in all At the same time, many scholars history, essentially analyzing segments of society, including the have examined the social Mizrahi history through the lens of anti-occupation left.7 The processes in the United States European history.10 We assume experiences of Iraqi Jews are before World War II that that the status of Iraqi Jews in the unique, but they connect to the established “Jewishness” as early twentieth century must have experiences of Jews from Yemen, ethnically separate, while allowing been similar to those of Polish, Syria, Egypt, Iran, India, Morocco, (some) Jews full entrance into German, or Bavarian Jews, when in and other Middle Eastern and whiteness in the decades that fact, they were living in a totally North African countries in that followed.12 Keith Feldman, in different political context, and they are continually marked as particular, has made a compelling grappling with totally different case for looking at Israel and “other” in Israeli society. The term histories. If one focuses only on Palestine and the ongoing “Mizrahi” is symbolic of that antisemitism as the primary, or otherness a Hebrew term that occupation as a series of events — only, way Jews have been that deeply influenced the meaning translates literally to “eastern.” oppressed throughout time, and While Mizrahi Jews constitute a and function of race in America.13 define antisemitism through the majority of Jewish Israeli society, Rather than focus on the Jewish events of European exclusion and Ashkenazi Jewish culture and involvement in the civil rights discrimination, than one is history dominates. Mizrahi Jews movement or simplistic perpetuating a European-centric are told that the history of understandings of “Black-Jewish understanding of history and European Jews is the history of all relations,” Feldman traces the rise erasing the exploitation of Mizrahi

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 19 of Zionism in US American Jewish institutions, the vexed relationship to Israel within Black liberation and Black power movements, and the impact of the events of 1967 on Arab communities in the United States, Israel, and beyond to Things Are Not Better on the The zine treats antisemitism as explain not only how Jews became Left—on Mizrahi Erasure in a equivalent to “anti-Jewish white, but how in the end Palestine Common Analysis of oppression.” The core assumption became “America’s last taboo.”14 Antisemitism in the zine is that antisemitism, or - Attempts to theorize antisemitism “anti Jewish oppression,” looks We cannot fully understand the and works differently from other “from the left” equally ignore the experiences and histories of forms of oppression. As impact of whiteness and white Mizrahi Jews unless we also Rosenblum states, anti-Jewish confront the ways Zionism and the supremacy on Jewish communities. oppression “can make its target State of Israel contributed to—and In the past few years, I’ve come across a common theory of look extremely powerful.”16 In in some cases, may be the source other words, antisemitism makes of Mizrahi Jewish oppression. antisemitism in leftist organizing — the “ruling classes invisible” by And in the United States, the that often perpetuates Mizrahi “diverting anger at injustice toward cultural articulation that equates erasure and assumes that all Jewish people are white and of European Jews instead.” According to this Jewishness with whiteness, theory, Jewish people are a descent. For the purposes of this without accounting for the impact scapegoat for the rage produced essay, I’m going to focus on one of Zionism on Jewish racial by economic and racial injustice: identity, furthers and perpetuates iteration of this theory, April “The point of anti-Jewish Rosenblum’s 2007 zine, “The Past white Ashkenazi dominance in oppression is to keep a Jewish face Didn’t Go Anywhere: Making Jewish spaces. The collective in front, so that Jews, instead of Resistance to Antisemitism a Part impact of this is to allow ruling classes, become the target progressive white Jewish of All Our Movements.”15 I chose this zine because it is incredibly for peoples’ rage.” Therefore, “it communities in the United States works even more smoothly when popular in leftist spaces, and to avoid confronting racial Jews are allowed some success, precisely because it tries—and oppression within the Jewish and can be perceived as the ones community, within the United fails—to think about the ‘in charge’ by other oppressed States more broadly, and within experiences of Mizrahi Jews and Jews of color. groups.”17 My first problem with Palestine/Israel. this analysis of antisemitism is a seemingly minor one—the passive voice used to describe the position

of Jewish people. Jews “are allowed some success” rather than “achieving” success, therefore

erasing the ways some Jewish communities actively participated in cultivating whiteness in the

United States, not to mention the active participation in the European colonization of Palestine.18 This analysis of antisemitism works as an explainer for the Jewish position in medieval Europe, but falls short in taking the current realities of race and ethnicity in the United States and Israel into account.

For example, Rosenblum’s analysis of internalized oppression claims Itzik, by Zoya Cherkassky-Nnadi, 2012 that on an individual level, Jewish

people—especially men— JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 20 often perceive themselves as and disgusting based on our Jewish disproportionate targeting of trans physically weak. We were faces, and its fantasies of what our women of color by the policing and legally banned from being bodies looked like.”23 This analysis prison systems, for example). allowed to carry weapons assumes that all Jewish women are The questions of racialization that for substantial periods under of European descent, that there is come up when thinking about the Christian and Muslim rule. a particular kind of “Jewish look” history of Jewish identity in the European society excluded that is shared among all Jews. This United States are ever more us from mainstream excludes converts, Mizrahi Jews, fraught when thinking about professions (e.g., farming) and other Jews of color. Mizrahi Jews in this country. Sigal that strengthened the body. My basic problem with this theory Samuel artfully thinks through the We were literally unable to is that it lets white Jews off the question of Mizrahim vis-à-vis race protect ourselves and our hook— it excuses the ways racism, in the United States in an op-ed families from mass violence white supremacy, and classism published in The Forward titled “I’m and rape.19 manifest themselves within Jewish a Mizrahi Jew. Do I Count as a This analysis, while factually communities. It is one thing to say Person of Color?”24 She takes suspect,20 also lacks an that Jewish power is a myth of multiple aspects of the question acknowledgment of white antisemitism; it is something else into account—her personal Ashkenazi dominance—in that the entirely to say that powerful Jewish experiences, which includes racial value of a strong, masculine body is people are a symptom of profiling in airports; her family’s a European, Christian invention, antisemitism. For example, the heritage; the US Census, which as directly tied to the emergence of idea that there is some kind of of this writing classifies Arab and nationalism.21 It also completely secret cabal of Jews that control Middle Eastern people as white; ignores the ways Zionist the media or foreign policy is a and academics, who are decidedly masculinity developed as a direct deeply anti-Semitic trope that has mixed in their interpretation of the response to this invention, with contributed to violence against location of Mizrahi Jews in the the settler-pioneer-farmer in the Jews in Europe and in the United United States. She ends by claiming figure of the sabra, and that white States, among other places. But herself a “woman of color”—a Jewish belonging in the United white people, including white Jews, politicized, coalitional term that States was contingent on can and do hold power in the comes to us via feminist thinking participation in the same settler- United States, and Jewish and activism.25 But even that term colonial narratives.22 institutions, by and large, do not can hold its own complexity, its work to combat the ways white own way of masking difference It also lacks an intersectional supremacy and racism manifest between those who inherited a analysis of Jewish communities by themselves in Jewish communities. racial category due to the settler- collapsing all Jewish people This theory claims that colonial violence in the United together. Black and Latino Jewish States, and those of us who come men confront a totally different set antisemitism “works more smoothly when it allows certain to our racialized identities due to of cultural scripts around historical events elsewhere.26 masculinity. Rather than weakness, Jews success.” I argue that it is whiteness, not antisemitism, that Similarly, Keren Soffer-Sharon they contend with a racialized allows (some) white Jews success hypermasculinity that enables state writes that “as Arab Jews, our very in the United States. existence calls into question some violence against them, often by of the most basic values that our portraying them as those “we” As a queer person, I see parallels mainstream Jewish community has must protect “ourselves” from. in queer activism and communities, tragically come to hold about the The fact that Jewish men of color where a focus on white, male, Arab experience such racism does not upper-class gay issues contributes ‘threat’ that Palestinians and Muslims in general pose to our mean that they don’t also to the erasure of, and violence 27 While Mizrahi experience antisemitism, but one toward, working-class queers and collective safety.” Jews are uniquely positioned to would not know that from this queers of color. While the lack of point to the damage done by analysis. For another example, marriage rights in the United assuming all Jews are European, or Rosenblum claims that “Jewish States certainly contributed to that Jews are somehow in people—especially women—often queer oppression, the fight for opposition to Arabs, we are not feel disgust about ourselves and same-sex marriage often immune to perpetuating and our bodies, because, as the main railroaded the issues that had an participating in racisms. There are racial ‘Other’ in Europe, European impact on poor and working-class many ways this can manifest, but society and popular culture queer people and queers of color for now, I would like to focus on a created its images of what was ugly (homelessness and the US-based organization, JIMENA:

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 21 Jews Indigenous to the Middle East antisemitism” to claim, “Though had a catastrophic effect on and North Africa. veiled as political activism, BDS Jewish students [sic] campaigns are in effect vehicles for confidence, willingness, and

anti-Semitism, as they target the ability to support Israel. This JIMENA and the “New world’s only Jewish State, and lead damaging BDS messaging has Antisemitism” to silencing and bullying of Jewish effectively served to isolate, 29 Since at least 2004, a group of pro- and pro-Israel students.” This unaffiliate, and disempower Israel advocates, notably Kenneth blatant misinformation obscures many of our Jewish students Marcus of the Brandeis Law the ways Palestinian human rights and potential student Center, have attempted to activism is often targeted on supporters of Israel. There is 30 redefine antisemitism to include university campuses. BDS, as a no better counter defense to criticism of Israel. Such advocates nonviolent set of tactics, is this propaganda than the have argued that when responding to a call by Palestinian story of Jewish refugees 31 antioccupation activists target civil society to enact boycott, from Arab countries. divestment, and sanctions until Israel, they are singling it out as the Here, JIMENA is using a claim to Israel complies with international only Jewish state, while other indigeneity to further a settler- law. But JIMENA’s purpose is to human rights abuses go colonial project. “Jews are not use Mizrahi identity to further unobserved. While this argument white colonists, we are indigenous silence such activism: has very little merit—many anti- to the Middle East and North occupation activists come to their BDS and anti-Israel activism Africa” is a flipping of the centrality activism through a sense of moral relies on a false narrative of white Ashkenazi experiences, outrage that is not limited to which portrays Jews as white but also does so to intentionally human rights abuses in Israel and European colonialists who erase the participation of Palestine, and we should invaded a third-world European (and non-European) stringently distinguish between country, displaced a Jews in the Nakba, the occupation, antisemitism and anti-Zionism— significant portion of the and the creation of the Palestinian these pro-Israel advocates indigenous Palestinian refugee population. I am personally nonetheless use false charges of population, oppressed and outraged by their use of my antisemitism to target activism on segregated the remainder. family’s heritage to justify the behalf of Palestinian human rights, As North America’s primary continual dispossession of as noted elsewhere in this volume. organization representing Palestinians, but it is it is essential JIMENA is an organization that Jewish refugees from the that we understand Mizrahi ostensibly works to educate US Middle East and North positionality in all its complexity, American Jewish communities Africa, JIMENA is uniquely including the potential to be used about the histories and cultural positioned to refute these to further the aims of the Israeli practices of Mizrahi Jews. A myths by empowering government, or to continue the project of the San Francisco Jewish students with the personal injustices of the occupation. Community Relations Council, it narratives of former Jewish JIMENA is, at its core, a uses the claim of indigeneity via refugees indigenous to Arab “brownwashing” organization, Mizrahi Jews to further the aims of countries and Iran. We teach albeit a sophisticated one—using the State of Israel, that is, to students that: ‘Jews and the experiences of Jews of color undermine the struggle for Israelis are not white and Mizrahi Jews in particular to Palestinian human rights. The most colonists, we are indigenous justify the occupation. I’m using the explicit example of this is the fact to the Middle East and North term “brownwashing” as a that JIMENA currently uses the Africa. We speak Arabic. derivative of the term We have been made website “nakba.com” to redirect “pinkwashing” to note the ways refugees from countries we both cynically use marginalized to its website.28 In JIMENA’s view, lived in for over 2,500 year identities Arab and queer to “Nakba” does not connote the — — Palestinian expulsion from [sic]. In today’s value, we had promote anti-Palestinian aims. To Palestine in 1948, as the term is $6billion confiscated when fully combat this use of Mizrahi more commonly known, but we fled.’ BDS messaging history, progressive Mizrahi Jews rather what they refer to as the preys on college student’s and Jews of color must take ideologies of empathy and collective action, and work to “expulsion” of Mizrahi Jews from other Middle Eastern countries support for the ‘third-world produce an analysis and a language (ostensibly to safety in Israel). On victim’ while singling out to address our heritage, histories, its website, JIMENA applies its those with ‘white privilege’ and inheritance in ways that fight as the oppressors. This has interpretation of the “new JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 22 back against the exploitation of “Eastern” in Hebrew, is an 10. See Edward Said, Orientalism (New Palestinians. imperfect umbrella term that York: Pantheon Books, 1978). refers to the Jewish communities 11. See Kimberlé Censhaw’s seminal descended from the Middle East work, “Mapping the Margins: and North Africa, including but Notes toward a Conclusion Intersectionality, Identity Politics, not exclusively Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, and Violence against Women of What would an intersectional Kuwait, Iran, Lebanon, Kurdistan, Color,” Stanford Law Review 43, Yemen, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Libya, understanding of antisemitism look no.6 (1991): 1231-99. like? If we take the particularities of Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, multiple Jewish histories in the Afghanistan, and Pakistan. 12. Brodkin, How Jews Became White Folks. United States into account, does 2. Michael Dumper, ed., Palestinian that mean that we are left without Refugee Repatriation: Global 13. Keith Feldman, A Shadow over a way to confront the legacies of Perspectives (New York: Taylor & Palestine: The Imperial Life of Race in violence against Jewish people, or Francis, 2006) 6. Until 2011, America (Minneapolis: University an accounting of the ways Jews Palestinians constituted the of Minnesota Press, 2015). largest refugee population in the were seen as the “other” of 14. Feldman, Shadow over Palestine, 10. world. From 2011 to the present, Europe? the Syrian refugee population has 15. From my research, it seems My answer, as is my answer to been the largest. Rosenblum’s zine borrows heavily from the thinking of Cherie most things, is not an either/or 3. For more on this, see Rhoda Brown. I have come across formulation, but a both/and one. Kanaaneh’s Birthing the Nation: versions of this theory in multiple European antisemitism has had a Strategies of Palestinian Women in progressive Jewish spaces. My real impact on American culture, Israel (Berkeley: University of hope is that my writing here is California Press, 2002). and continues to proliferate as taken as my own honest attempt European nationalism enjoys a kind 4. Please see Eric Davis, Memories of to work through what I find of resurgence.32 At the same time, State: Politics, History and Collective problematic about this analysis, the current manifestations of Identity in Modern Iraq (Berkeley: not an indictment of those who antisemitism are not a recurrence University of California Press may find it useful. of past forms of antisemitism, and 2005), and Derek Gregory, The 16. Colonial Present (Malden: Blackwell Rosenblum, “The Pat Didn’t Go we do ourselves a disservice if we Anywhere,” 2-3. think they are. We must contend Publishing, 2004). 17. Ibid., 8. with the ways some Jews have 5. Orit Bashkin, The New Babylonians: access to power and privilege, with A History of Jews in Modern Iraq 18. See Edward Said, The Question of the racial differences within the (Stanford: Stanford University Palestine (New York: Vintage, Jewish community, and, crucially, Press, 2012), 110. 1992); Ran Greenstein, Zionism and Its Discontents: A Century of with the ways Muslims and Arabs 6. Although I am focusing for the Radical Dissent in Israel/Palestine have been targeted in the United moment on the Jews of Iraq, many (New York: Pluto Press, 2014); States after 9/11. We must learn non-European Jewish and Ilan Pappé, The Ethnic Cleansing about our histories, and for those communities underwent similarly of Palestine (New York: One exploitative treatment in Israel, of us who fight for a better future, World Publications, 2007). think carefully about what kinds of and often worse. See Rachel Shabi, lessons we learn. As David Biale We Look Like the Enemy: The 19. Rosenblum, “The Past Didn’t Go Hidden History of Israel, and notes, “Traditional Jewish Anywhere,” 8. Shohat, “Sephardim in Israel,” 1- memory, with its emphasis on 35. 20. In 1938, Jews were banned from recurring persecutions, can only owning or possessing firearms in reinforce the traumas of recent 7. Shabi, We Look Like the Enemy, 23; Nazi Germany, one of many anti- Jewish history; history itself, in all Smadar Lavie, “Mizrahi Feminism Jewish laws throughout the its complexity, may provide the and the Question of Palestine,” decade before the Holocaust, and Journal of Middle East Women’s there have been other points in needed therapy.”33 My hope is that Studies 7, no.2 (2011): 56-88. history – under Catholic rule in we can move into a future where There is an argument to be made the Middle Ages, for example – the fight for justice—what Rabab that the banning of Yiddish in where similar laws were enacted. Abdulhadi calls “the indivisibility of Israel is connected to a kind of However, it is factually inaccurate justice”—takes all of this into European assimilation as well See to say that Jews “were legally account.34 Dovid Katz, Words on Fire: The banned from being allowed to Unfinished Story of Yiddish (New carry weapons for substantial Notes: York: Basic Books, 2007). periods under Christian and 1. Of course, this erasure is not Muslim rule.” For more, see David 8. Lavie, “Mizrahi Feminism”, 57. isolated to the United States. The Biale, Power and Powerlessness in term “Mizrahi,” which means 9. Shohat, “Sephardim in Israel,” 15.

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 23 Jewish History (New York: nationalist, isolationist and racist it also made it perfectly clear what Schocken Books, 1986). campaign. we were up against. Neo-Nazis 21. See Daniel Boyarin, Unheroic 33. David Biale, Power and clearly saw this as an opportunity Conduct: The Rise of Heterosexuality Powerlessness, 8. to build and consolidate their and the Inventio of the Jewish Man movement. Jews against Fascism (Berkeley: University of California 34. David Finkel and Dianne Feeley, slowly formed over 2016 in “An Interview with Rabab Press, 1997). response to the various splitting Abdulhadi,” Against Apartheid: The 22. See Tallie Ben Daniel, “Zionism’s Case for Boycotting Israeli and splintering of Frontier Legacies: Colonial Universities, Ashley Dawson and and the growth of the various far- Masculinity and the American Bill Mullen, eds. (Chicago: right, fascist and neo-Nazi Council for Judaism in San Haymarket Books, 2015), 123-35. nationalist movements that grew Francisco,” American Studies 54, out of it. no.4 (2016): 49-72. This book chapter was reproduced with permission from Jewish Voice for Why do you think it is

23. Rosenblum, “The Past Didn’t Go Peace and the author. significant to challenge Anywhere,” 8. fascism specifically from a

24. Sigal Samuel, “I’m a Mizrahi Jew. Jewish platform? Do I Count as a Person of Color?” The Forward, August 10, 2015, Jews have experienced the logical forward.com/opinion/318667/im- end of fascism. We know where a-mizrahi-jew-do-i-count-as-a- fascism takes us. One of the things person-of-color. that we have tried to emphasise is the importance of historical 25. Loretta Loss, “The Origin of ‘Women of Color’”, Racialicious, consciousness and of memory, March 3, 2011. whilst also elevating the voices of those experiencing the sharp end

26. Janani, “What’s Wrong with the of racism and fascism today. Jews Black Girl Term ‘Person of Color,’” not only have a very important, Dangerous, March 20, 2013, www.blackgirldangerous.org/2013 indeed a vital stake in combating fascism, we have a heap of culture, /03/2013321whats-wrong-with- the-term-person-of-color. politics and history that is entangled in this fight. By bringing 27. Keren Soffar Sharon, “Mizrahi our Jewishness to the foreground Jews, Jews of Color, and Racial Interview with: Justice,” Jewschool: Progressive Jews in anti-fascist work we seek to and Views, April 28, 2016, Jews against Fascism (JaF) open space for others targeted by fascism and racism to formulate jewschool.com/2016/04/76596/Mi zrahi-jews-jews-color-racial- new, radical anti-racist political justice/. Can you start by telling us how subjectivities. The rise of the far right has brought antisemitism 28. Richard Silverstein, “San Francisco it was that Jews against JCRC steals ‘Nakba,’” Tikun Olam, fascism was formed? back as a vital issue for the left. While we appreciate all the allies May 17, 2016, In April 2015 Melbourne saw the we can get in this fight, we’re not www.richardsilverstein.com/2- largest street mobilisation of the 16/05/17/san-francisco-jcrc-steals- going to let non-Jewish people far right for decades when Reclaim nakba/. speak on our behalf or make us Australia held their rally. This was antisemitism into an abstract issue. 29. JIMENA, “JIMENA Response to also one of the largest counter BDS & Campus Anti-Semitism,” rallies that was held at the time. I June 4, 2015, think a number of us were pretty www.jimena.org/bds-anti- What do you hope to achieve shocked not just by the comfort semitism-on-campus. with this group? What are with which the organisers felt they some of your objectives? 30. Jewish Voice for Peace, Stifling could just arrive with a racist Dissent. message in the heart of Melbourne, For now it is pretty simple. This is 31. “JIMENA Response to BDS & but with the arrival of out and to expose fascists, to isolate them, Campus Anti-Semitism.” proud neo-Nazis as back up where possible refuse them a platform, to build and be a part of 32. I write this conclusion a week support. On that day neo-Nazis after Britain voted to leave the came as neo-Nazis, they did not an anti-fascist movement. There is European Union, which many are hide the fact - as they usually also an element that might have analysing as a result of a would: it was pretty distressing once been referred to as seeing on the street. But “consciousness raising”, we want

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 24 to - and we think we have quite doing this. We are interested in denial in Sydney where he’d made successfully in many ways - get ways of building and contributing a weird connection with Muslims people thinking about and acting to mass movements. We have a and he wound up begging his neo- on these issues. A couple of times particular interest in working with Nazi mates not to come. There we’ve been in the right position to other Jews to see what kind of was also an event held by some far- call for and organise magic we can make together. right “respectable racists” called demonstrations against far right However, this, really, is only a part ‘The Threat of Islam to Jews’ events in the Jewish community. of our work and the work that where we had two conservative We see mobilising a physical needs to be done. The rise of Jewish groups cancel the venue presence to challenge events like fascism in Australia has not bookings for event because it these as hugely important and we occurred in a vacuum, but has been ‘fomented hatred and fear’. In the have been very successful so far. bolstered, encouraged and end they had to hold the event in (see below) fostered by systemic racism, secret - we had someone leak us particularly towards Aboriginal the info an hour or so before the We also want to create something people, to refugees, to Black and event but it was too late by that of a home for lefty Jews to feel people of colour, and Muslims. We point to do anything. When Yemini connected with their Jewishness, see this day in day out in the words and to feel like they too can organised a rally to “Make Victoria and actions of politicians, in the White stretch Jewishness so that it is Again’ (or whatever it was media, in the cops, in cultural about) we were really proud of the something that they too can wear. institutions. It will be impossible to numbers we - both Jaf and the I guess presenting a model of really defeat fascism unless we can Australian Jewish Democratic Jewishness rooted in an in a very serious way build society together - were able to uncompromising social justice responses to this in our bring and to march behind our ethic. We really want to be part of movement. White supremacy and banner, both from within the community, and the way we do is bigger than the Jewish community and the broader that is not by looking at crusted on knuckledraggers that we meet in anti-fascist solidarity movement. leadership, but by looking to the street. As things stand this is These are all small wins, but they ourselves and what we can create. probably the harder struggle we are wins nonetheless. face.

How antisemitic is the far Is there a strong history of right and fascist movement in Jews against fascism have Jewish involvement in anti- Australia? been central in leading fascist movements? These things are a spectrum, but campaigns to prevent racists Indeed there is! Jews were when you look the Islamophobia of and fascists from having a involved inter alia in fighting these movements it is like they platform, with amazing fascism in the Spanish civil war, in have modelled it directly and success. Can you talk a little defeating Oswald Mosley and the unselfconsciously on classic anti- bit about that? BUF at the battle of Cable Street, Semitism: from international I guess we really found our feet and of course fighting against Nazis conspiracies, blood libels, when local Jewish fascist Avi in Europe a multitude of ways accusations of corrupting culture, Yemini decided he wanted to bring including the famous Ghetto etc. Even when these movements and Malcolm revolts. In Jews Against Fascism we are not speaking directly about Roberts to Caulfield to speak to take particular inspiration from the Jews they need antisemitism, or Jews. We organised a Melbourne based Jewish Council something that looks like it, to be demonstration that promised to to Combat Fascism and Anti- the engine for their racialised follow the event anywhere it Semitism, a left wing Jewish conspiratorial worldview. decided to go. As a result of our antifascist body formed in the early work the organisers got cold feet 1940s that combined practical What are your ideas around and cancelled the event. This was monitoring and exposure work the best ways of defeating helped along by mates in the with public advocacy, propaganda fascism? broader anti-fascist movement, as work and campaigns in alliance well as the broader Jewish with left wing groups and civil In a way this is nothing new. As we community who were pretty society to combat fascism, said we are interested in ways of happy to tell Hanson and Roberts , racism and exposing and isolating fascists. Our to bugger off. We’ve had similar colonialism. The Jewish Council Facebook page has been a good success when Yemini was planning understood that a Jewish fight (and sometimes fun) platform for to protest over a shul construction against antisemitism could not be

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 25 solved by nationalism it could only They are not actually interested in stickers! Message our page for be solved by joining with non-Jews free speech. If they were they more info). in a common fight against the would not sustain ongoing international system that produces campaigns against people - Muslims fascism and racism. in particular - exercising their free What’s your advice for people working to stop the growth of speech. If they were they wouldn’t be sooking every time we turn up the far right in Australia? That brings me onto the next and protest outside their event. Come together. Inspire your question, from your I’m not sure about everyone mates. Be creative. Work with experience and online involved but we probably take a other groups. Be a part of mass presence, can you tell us your view that limits on free speech is movements. Find people with experience of something that governments do. If similar interests. Don’t forget the antisemitism? Where its you want to to say hateful things systemic sources of fascism. coming from and how does it then they cannot expect us to be manifest amongst different tolerant, or to tolerate that. We Thank you JaF for your time, political and cultural will speak back. And we will be and keep up the great work! communities? disrespectful and impolite and We have been involved in the left obnoxious when we do. for a good period of our lives and I don’t know where they got the RENEW YOUR AJDS have indeed come across small impression that we were free instances of what could be deemed speech warriors, but they do seem MEMBERSHIP lazy antisemitism and insensitivity to think our activism is hypocritical Concession $35 there. This is not something to be for some silly reason or another. ignored and any left movement What they have done is Single $60 worth its salt needs to address appropriated a ‘free speech’ this. To be honest though these discourse for a hate speech Family $75 instances pale in comparison to the platform, as if their struggles to Go to www.ajds.org/join/ type of organised antisemitism bash Muslims were in some way propagated by the far right. equivalent to civil rights marchers Modern racialised antisemitism in Selma, or anti-Nazi organisers of should be understood as a political Berlin. They call us fascists Consider a donation movement and worldview with regularly, as if the defining element Your support counts! roots in 19th century Europe. of fascism is getting in someone’s Anti-Jewish prejudice is of course face when they are being racist. The Israeli Occupation and the much older than this but modern This kind of infantile, narcissistic Rise of Antisemitism – Is There antisemitism is different because it understanding of fascism is so a Connection? involves 1. the racialisation of outside of the earth’s orbit as to be Jewish people 2. Jewish people as farcical. By Tony Klug central to a conspiratorial This paper was delivered at the Pears worldview, and 3. antisemitism as International Conference on Zionism the basis of a racist, anti- In what ways can people get and Antisemitism, Birkbeck, democratic, irrational and illiberal involved and support the work University of London, 25 May 2017. political movement. Low level that you do? Also available online at antisemitic views, including We are really keen to build http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/arch stereotypes about Jews are networks with other anti-racism ive/audio/2017_05_25/2017_05_25_ relatively prevalent across activity, and particularly other Zionism_Klug_talk.mp3. different political and cultural networks of Jews in Australia and communities in Australia. The root internationally out there doing of these ideas and their good work. We’d love to sit down weaponisation however is in the with different groups to see how far right. we can best work together (even if we don’t always agree!). Otherwise people can support One of the arguments often Jews against Fascism by liking and used by the far right is sharing our posts on Facebook, or freedom of speech. What is if they are really keen to make a your response to that? small donation (we will send JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 26 Jews, Muslims and Arabs, temporarily stirred hopes for an reawakening old stereotypes of independent Palestinian state In this talk, I pose the question of cunning, manipulation and secret alongside Israel, the political culture whether there is a connection power on the one hand, and was, for a time, transformed. Jewish- between the Israeli occupation and marauding hordes threatening Arab dialogue groups and other the rise of antisemitism. Or to put it western or Christian civilization on another way, if Zionism was, at least co-operative projects blossomed. I the other. The parallel rise in these partly, conceived as a way of was myself co-chair of the UK-based phenomena is not a coincidence. normalizing relations between Jews Council for Jewish-Palestinian Each of them feeds off and nourishes and all other peoples, is the state it Dialogue, whose monthly meetings the others. So they need to be spawned and the policies that state were invariably packed to capacity. viewed not in isolation but alongside has been pursuing normalizing New friendships across the divide each other. antisemitism instead? were struck and Israel’s stock in the There are, to be sure, some voices Arab world, and indeed globally, shot It’s a sensitive and multilayered within the Jewish world that deny any up. According to leading Jewish question but what I want to focus on link between Israeli policies and anti- and share with you is what I have research institutions at the time, “a Jewish sentiment. Rather, current general lessening of antisemitic learned over my five decades of close enmity towards both Jews and Israel, 2 engagement with Israelis and pressure was recorded”. notably from within the Arab and Palestinians. There is no question in The potential for a change in the Muslim worlds, is explained as a my mind that over this period there atmosphere had been foreshadowed - has been a marked rise in anti-Jewish phase in “Jew hatred” stretching back nearly two decades earlier following centuries. The columnist Melanie sentiment, particularly in the Arab President Sadat’s extraordinary visit Phillips promotes such a theme in her and Muslim worlds and, furthermore, to Israel in 1977. At the so-called controversial book Londonistan, that this is primarily a product of the peace conference held in Egypt a few ongoing conflict, in particular the where she writes: “the fight against weeks later, the international press Israel is not fundamentally about land. unceasing Israeli occupation. But this corps, including myself, was told by is only one side of the equation. It is about hatred of the Jews” who, the head of the press office that she says, are viewed by Islam as “a Egyptian spiritual leaders were being The other side is the corresponding 1 From this, it follows cosmic evil”. urged to downplay those portions of phenomenon of mounting anti-Arab that the way Israel conducts itself is the Koran that spoke ill of the Jews and anti-Muslim sentiment in the at most a minor factor in the hostility and to stress instead those parts that Jewish world. In turn, the conflict’s directed towards it. called on Muslims to make friends toxins have spilled over into other But the evidence does not bear this with the Jews. The broader political areas of the globe and, in some cases, out. Quite the contrary. During the mood is all-important. have fanned latent prejudices against “Oslo years” in the 1990s, which JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 27 I shared a taxi into the centre of only, he remarked: "In this specialized appeal of Israel's case will Cairo with the venerable Israeli sense, antisemitism did not exist in consequently suffer … and this will journalist and old friend, David the traditional Islamic world". further erode her level of Landau who, defying my advice, Although he held that Jews “were international support, although immediately declared himself to the never free from discrimination”, they probably not amongst organized Egyptian cab driver as Israeli. To my were, he said, “only occasionally opinion within the Jewish diaspora. astonishment, this led to a most subject to persecution”. Indeed, at This sharpening polarization [I agreeable half-hour conversation, different times in history, Jews fleeing concluded] is bound to contribute to culminating in the manifestly European Christian persecution an upsurge in overt antisemitism, of destitute driver refusing to take a were often welcomed in Muslim which there are already ominous penny in fare from his “Israeli lands and given refuge there. indications.”4 cousin”. Sadly, David died two years Professor Lewis identified Jewish To me, as an earnest young ago. resettlement in Palestine along with researcher with no axes to grind, Later that week, with not much the creation of Israel and subsequent these prognostications were self- happening, I spent a day riding in the Israeli-Arab wars as precipitating a evident, and unfortunately played out desert with a local peasant horseman more recent "European-style over the following decades pretty who literally jumped with joy at the antisemitism in the Islamic world". much as projected. However, at the prospect of reaching peace with “The real change”, he said, “began time, I doubted they would ever be Israel. He had lost brothers in the after the Sinai War of 1956 and was put to the test, as I did not expect the past wars and taken in all their accelerated after the … war of Israeli occupation to continue children. I encountered similar 1967”. beyond a few more years. Nor, by attitudes among the villagers we met the way, did most Israelis. during our various café stops. Not a Nonetheless, I was sharply wrapped word, by the way, about the Jewish over the knuckles by an assortment cosmic evil. of outraged Israeli readers who, A year or two down the line, I joined among other criticisms, pointed out an Israeli delegation at a ceremony in that latent anti-Jewish feeling had Cairo marking the re-opening of an always resided in some segments of old synagogue in the city. Almost international civil society -- everywhere in Egypt I went during What distinguished that war from lamentably true -- and that its that period, the message to Israelis previous battles was that it manifestations had nothing to do was the same: “withdraw from our concluded with Israeli military rule with the way Israel behaves -- territory and let the Palestinians have over occupied territories that demonstrably false. a state, and there will be no more contained over a million Palestinian Arab inhabitants, a number that has I don’t expect to be around to animosity between us”. In the shamelessly quote myself again in meantime, Israeli embassies stopped more than quadrupled since then. In another forty years but, as passions circulating literature depicting a pamphlet authored in the mid- continue to rise, it is surely as plain as President Sadat as a Nazi 1970s by a more youthful incarnation can be that if Israel does not end the sympathizer. of myself, I contemplated the likely effect on future attitudes towards occupation soon, and if organized The contemporary claim of endemic Jews in the hypothetical event of a Jewish opinion in other countries “Jew-hatred” through the ages in the prolonged Israeli occupation over the appears openly to back it, there will Islamic world is, moreover, Palestinian people, suggesting there almost certainly be a further spike in repudiated by the testimony of no would be “ever more frequent and anti-Jewish sentiment, potentially less an authority than the veteran more intensive acts of resistance … unleashing more sinister impulses. To historian Bernard Lewis, a Middle by a population yearning for anticipate or explain is not to justify, Eastern scholar of impeccable pro- independence … and feeling but it is hardly rocket science to see Israel credentials. He has encroached upon by a spreading what lies ahead under these distinguished three kinds of pattern of Jewish colonization” – circumstances. Muslim/Arab hostility to Jews: although at that time this amounted I want to suggest to you that opposition to Zionism; what he to fewer than 5,000 settlers, historical Palestinian animosity termed “normal” prejudice; and, compared with more than a hundred towards Israel had little to do with it thirdly, "that special and peculiar times that number today. being a Jewish state as such. Had it hatred of Jews, which has its origins been, say, a Hindu or a Buddhist in the role assigned to Jews in certain This would leave Israel, I continued, state, the Palestinians would have Christian writings and beliefs...".3 with “little choice but to retaliate in an increasingly oppressive fashion -- been no less embittered about being Using the term “antisemitism” to just to keep order … the moral exiled and dispossessed and, in refer to the third kind of hostility subsequent years, seeing their would- JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 28 be mini state subjected to acts of those who pose as their mentors. My The Forward as a member of a annexation, expropriation and heart goes out to them. virulently antisemitic Hungarian colonization. group with Nazi ties.5 I don’t wish to be a harbinger of Any animosity aroused by such an doom, but it gets worse. If Jews This was not without precedent. In imaginary scenario might have been around the world fail to apprehend 2009, two right-wing Hungarian falsely experienced on the receiving the connections drawn attention to politicians who had repeatedly vilified end as stemming from deep-seated here and continue to identify their country’s Jews, participated in anti-Hinduism or anti-Buddhism, just uncritically with policies almost the annual Global Forum to Combat as Israelis often attribute the actual universally regarded as unjust and Antisemitism in Jerusalem, animosity towards them as deriving oppressive -- policies that would sponsored by the Israeli Foreign from deep-seated anti-Jewish never be condoned by the custodians Ministry. You couldn’t make it up! prejudice. of Jewish values if enacted by any Meanwhile, certain Zionist circles in other country then we will Britain had courted two far-right The analogy, however, can be taken – continue to rely on spurious members of the European only so far. For what distinguishes the explanations for the rise in anti- Parliament, from Poland and Latvia, Jewish case from hostility, real or Jewish feeling, even if there is some who had also been accused of having perceived, towards most -- possibly truth in them. had neo-Nazi links. There was a time all -- other population sets, is that when Jews and official Jewish bodies waiting in the wings ready to pounce In our bafflement, we will also is the all-embracing, centuries-old, continue to unfairly charge genuine wouldn’t touch such people with a bargepole. However, their records as dogma of classical antisemitism, supporters of universal human rights purporting to explain all Jewish with being covert antisemites “friends of the Jews” have been defended partly on the ground that behaviour. To my knowledge, there because their commitment to human their political parties could be relied is no equivalent anti-Hindu or anti- rights principles does not stop at the Buddhist dogma. Palestinian doorstep. An on to take Israel’s side at the European Parliament. acquaintance quizzically remarked to Like other closed ideologies, In a similar vein, Nick Griffin when authentic antisemitism is immune to me recently “I thought an antisemite – was someone who hated Jews, not he was leader of the neo-fascist evidence or, inversely, is capable -- disavowed of absorbing all evidence, however someone who Jews hated.” his antisemitic past by arguing on contradictory, to back up its What all this points to is that Israel’s underlying contentions. The actual endless military occupation of the BBC television that his party “stood behaviour of its prey is land and lives of another people is full square behind Israel’s right to deal 6 In all these inconsequential. Imported into the not just seriously endangering Israel with Hamas terrorists”. cases, professed support for Israel or Muslim and Arab worlds where once itself – to say nothing about Israeli actions was employed to it was alien, the antisemitic deepening the despair of the relieve the charge of antisemitism, “explanation”, with its demonic Palestinians -- but it is also making the even by an avid antisemite with a conception of the Jew, is now situation of Jews around the world record of . increasingly embraced by disaffected increasingly precarious. As if that’s populations with mind-sets primed to not troubling enough, the be receptive to a simple, “it’s-all-the- contemporary tendency to cry Jews-fault”, answer to many antisemitism when it’s really problems. something else, carries with it the parallel but opposite peril of failing to Thus, anti-Jewish sentiment, kindled perceive brazen antisemitism when it by the actual deeds of the self- stares us in the face. proclaimed Jewish state may, where the ground is fertile, metastasize into For years, the ardently pro-Zionist full-blooded antisemitism. But they but ultimately – at the risk of over- are not the same thing. Objectively, generalizing -- deeply antisemitic the distinction is all-important. This fundamentalist evangelical Christian said, anti-Jewish sentiment may be right in the US has been serenaded by experienced, subjectively, as some pro-Israel groups and by the antisemitism, and be no less Israeli government. The Jerusalem demoralizing or hurtful, especially for Post invited the openly Islamophobic Jewish students on campus and other Sebastian Gorka, a security aide to unsuspecting young people who President Trump, to address its often don’t know what has hit them annual conference in New York only and have certainly not been served this month, despite having been well by the blinkered perspectives of exposed by the Jewish newspaper JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 29 In essence, it now seems that it is the jargon to propagate many of the 4. ‘Middle East Impasse: the only way stance taken towards the Israeli state familiar, sinister antisemitic notions – out’, Tony Klug, fabian research and the policies of its government of such as ubiquitous Jewish power, series 330, January 1977, p.14 the day, that is becoming, bit by bit, Jewish money, Jewish control of 5. http://forward.com/news/national/36 the standard by which antisemitism is media and governments, Jewish 4085/sebastian-gorka-trump-aide- measured and assessed, steadily vengeance or even child murderers – forged-key-ties-to-anti-semitic- replacing the former gold standard of is not of major concern. groups-in-hunga/ enmity toward the Jews qua Jews. While there are indeed some deeply 6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u Traditional antisemites are no longer worrying questions, they do not CAdS6gVZjM – necessarily – antisemites. They may warrant the levels of hysteria 7. For an insightful Palestinian even be regarded as philosemites. witnessed in recent months on the examination of the roots and effects Their place is being taken by people part of some commentators and of antisemitism, see ‘The minutiae of including a growing number of Jews – media -- arguably fuelled by ulterior racism’, Azmi Bishara: themselves -- who have no quarrel motives in some cases -- which serve http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/667/ with Jews qua Jews but have a strong only to confound the issues, debase op2.htm. Bernard Lewis (footnote 4) objection to the policies of the refers to a (non-referenced) book the coinage and often foment the political leadership in Israel, published in 1970 by the PLO very anti-Jewish feeling they claim to particularly with regard to its Research Centre in Beirut in which be combating. practices in occupied Palestinian the writer “protested against the use territory. They are, in this worldview, If they truly wish to take the heat out of such tainted materials, which ‘are regarded with contempt by the fast becoming the “new antisemites” of the disturbing rise in antisemitism, civilized world,’ and which dishonour their energies would be better or, as the case may be, “self-hating and discredit the Arab cause.” Jews”. directed towards agitating for a swift end to the Israeli military occupation, In sum, the charge of antisemitism without further pretext, and a fair against Palestinians, and others who Tony Klug has written extensively about settlement of the conflict with the champion their cause, is often made Israeli-Palestinian issues for some 45 Palestinians and the wider Arab too flippantly, lumping together real years and has long-maintained a close world while the opportunity still antisemites with the real victims of affinity with both peoples. He is a special presents itself. In this day and age, oppressive Israeli policies, while advisor on the Middle East to the Oxford this is the single most important key tending to give a free pass to Research Group and serves as a to advancing the yearning to ostensibly “pro-Israel” antisemites. consultant to the Palestine Strategy normalize relations between Jews Group and the Israel Strategic Forum. On the other hand, many Arabs, and other peoples. His doctoral thesis was on the Israeli Muslims and their supporters too occupation of the West Bank between easily dismiss the accusation of the wars of 1967 and 1973, during antisemitism as just a device for when he called for a Palestinian state defending indefensible Israeli policies. alongside Israel. For many years he was While this is sometimes true, the a senior official at Amnesty International, Notes: accusation is sometimes true too -- where he headed the International just consider the extremely crude, 1. ‘Londonistan: How Britain is Creating Development programme. albeit largely imported, antisemitism a Terror State Within’, Melanie of the unamended Hamas charter. Phillips, Gibson Square, 2006. However, it should also be noted Quoted and reviewed y Jackie Ashley, Jews and revolutionary Jews that some leading Palestinian figures The Guardian G2, 16/6/06, pp.6-9. From the Facebook group ‘juives have not only acknowledged the 2. ‘Antisemitism World Report 1996’, et juifs révolutionnaires’ infiltration of antisemitism into Arab The Institute for Jewish Policy https://www.facebook.com/permal society but have been outspoken in Research and the American Jewish ink.php?story_fbid=146435582696 their rejection of it.7 Committee, p.xvii. 7525&id=795943817142066 None of this is to say that anti- 3. ‘Antisemitism in the Arab and Zionism or hostility to Israel in the IslamicWorld’, Bernard Lewis, Are you wider world is not sometimes used Proceedings of the Eighth antisemitic? International Seminar of the Study as a cover for antisemitism or, in some cases, that it does not spring Circle on World Jewry, 29-31 December 1985, published by the from similar impulses, whether on Vidal Sassoon International Center the part of the far right or the far left for the Study of Antisemitism, or elements in between. Nor is it to Hebrew University, 1988. say that the propensity -- carelessly 1) If you think the words "Israel", or maliciously -- of some anti-Zionist "Zionists" and "Jews" are

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 30 interchangeable; you may be instrumentalising Palestine and the Nakba because the Nakba is antisemitic. Palestinian suffering, of which you understood as a founding act of really do not care. violence. I would argue that the 2) If you think that a Jewish founding act of violence was the conspiracy controls the media / 9) If you think that any Jewish decision of five Arab states to declare international finance / politics / person, or even any Israeli Jew, is war against the fledgling state of lobbies, you are antisemitic. There guilty of the crimes of the State of Israel. Members of the hard Left are is no conspiracy, end of argument. Israel and human rights violations, aware of the 1948 war of Sorry, conspis and other scrapings you are an antisemite and also Independence but are reluctant to of bidets that keep alive and very likely a hypocrite living in a give it serious consideration as the spread this idea of a Jewish country who has committed many primary cause of the violence and conspiracy. It's at least 120 years crimes and human rights dispossession of Palestinians which that we hear this kind of shit and violations against colonised followed. Had the Arab states frankly you should perhaps get countries and you do not expect decided to accept the decision of the some new material… to be held responsible for the United Nations General Assembly in violence and oppression of your 1947 to create a Jewish and an Arab 3) If you use the term own country. state in Palestine, and to recognize "Rothschild" to involve "Jews", and make peace with the you are an antisemite. And Watch your consistency. subsequently declared state of Israel congratulations by the way for the in 1948, does anyone seriously exact use of the same phrases believe that the dispossession of that the Nazis and those who On the Nakba and the Jewish more than 700,000 Palestinian Arabs incited tsarist pogroms, etc. Left would still have taken place?

By Robin Rothfield Members of the Jewish hard Left find 4) If your only defense is "Jews that they have a bond with are not a race then I'm not racist" A few months ago the Jewish Left Palestinians whom they see as the or "the Jews are not the only remembered the 50th anniversary of underdog, and that is perfectly Semites, so I'm not an antisemite, the Six Day War and the occupation understandable. But they also need then you're probably an which followed this war. On the to consider events such as the antisemite. occupation the Left was united in its following: condemnation of the government of 5) If you think / demand that the Netanyahu in its failure to curb the • The holocaust survivors who Jews should condemn Israel with expansion of the settlements and to tried to reach Palestine in 1947 every word, tweets, comments, prevent the ongoing severe abuses of but who were deported back to etc., you are an antisemite (see the rights of the Palestinians. On the Europe by the British Royal navy; point 1). issue of the retroactive legislation on • The 20,000 Israeli soldiers killed settlements passed in the Knesset, in combat between 1948 and leading figures in the Australian 6) Supporting the legitimate 1997, the 75,000 Palestinian desire for self- Jewish establishment expressed their determination to enforce human disapproval. • Israelis wounded during this rights and having its own state, Supporters of Netanyahu defend the period and the nearly 100,000 Israelis considered to be and condemning the policies of existence of the occupation by disabled army veterans; the Israeli government does not in arguing that it is in Israel’s security itself make someone an interests. So it may be noted that • The fighters of Kibbutz Negba, antisemite. BUT see points 1-5.) Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister who in the 1948 war of and former Minister for Defence, independence, using only small 7) If you talk about Palestine addressing a security conference in arms, overcame Egyptian heavy whenever we talk about crimes Herzliya in November 2015, pointed armour and halted the advance of against Jews / Antisemitism / out that in the opinion of 80 – 90% of the Egyptian army. Holocaust / etc., you're most Israel’s defence and intelligence To some extent I believe that the certainly an antisemite. establishment, Israel would be better difficulty of the hard Left in coming to able to defend itself from the terms with the above events is a 8) If you use violence instilled in recognised international borders generational issue. While one might Palestine by the Israeli than from the current borders. government as an excuse to turn be aware of these events at an away from conversations about But a serious rift in the Jewish Left intellectual level, it is not the same as antisemitism and violence suffered emerged when elements argued that living through them. by Jews, you are not just an we cannot issue a statement on the antisemite, but you are occupation without mentioning the JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 31 It should be noted that the following reduced to a caricature. My dark skin five organisations devoted to human and Arabic name have earned me the rights issued a statement on the label of "terrorist" in the past. It did occupation without mentioning the not matter that I hated the bombings, Nakba: "Arab" became synonymous with • Amnesty International violence and explosive vests.

• Machsom Watch What do we gain from Shylockian • New Israel Fund representations of the Jewish people? AJDS Statement on Avi Yemini and the Rise of Far-Right Racism • T’ruah – Rabbis for human rights What do we gain from equating the (USA) star of David with a Nazi ? The Australian Jewish Democratic Many Arab Australians, I'm sure, will Society is deeply concerned by the • Meretz Australia share the same experiences of racism protest being organised by local that I have; how is it any different to personality Avi Yemeni who is equate the star and crescent with the cultivating a cynical branding campaign based in racism and fear. terrors of ISIL? Hate speech is always violent, and The nature of the issue makes it easy Yemini is trading in it. Right now Avi for latent anti-Semitism and anti- Yemini is the online equivalent of a Arabism to be mobilised by either racist street thug charging onto a train carriage and attacking the first The Palestinian exodus from the newly side... The leaders of the Palestine Muslim he sees. The flow-on effect of declared Jewish State, 1948. solidarity movement in Australia and this incitement contributes to a the organisers of these rallies must ______culture of Islamophobia and hate that make efforts to combat anti- is not limited to online hate speech. Excerpts from ‘The panel: Semitism. This does not prevent us It spills over into physical violence Australian views on the Gaza from condemning, in the strongest and verbal harassment in cities and conflict.’ terms, the violations of international towns across Australia. The effects - https://www.theguardian.com/comm law committed by Israel, or the unsurprising yet horrific - are entisfree/2014/jul/24/the-panel- recklessness of the Israeli Defence happening with alarming frequency. australian-views-on-the-gaza-conflict Force, which has led to a 76% civilian We’re seeing here the perpetuation

casualty rate in Gaza. The organisers of a fantasy of being beset: by By Fahad Ali, medical student and may not be responsible for the imagined immigrant and refugee president of the Students for offensive banners that often turn up, gangs attacking white purity; by Palestine Society at the University of but they do have a duty to speak out imagined anti-white racism; by Sydney. and remind the community that the imagined social problems caused by liberation of Palestine is racialized groups; by the imagined “All I know of my country is through fundamentally a question of human degeneracy of others; by imagined song and story, through books, faded ideals.” conspiracies; by imagined threats on photographs, my grandmother's so-called traditional ways of life; by heavy sighs and an overwhelming, This excerpt has been reproduced with the imagined attacks on free speech; by communal sense of loss. I have never author’s permission. an imagined spectrum of possible traitors, especially the dreaded set foot in Palestine, and sometimes I fear that I never will. A little over a leftists. Yemini’s harassment is marked by intolerance, militarism, year ago, I came to the realisation xenophobia and endless snivelling. that wallowing in fear and despair Combined, these are all classic was going to do absolutely nothing to hallmarks of neo-fascism, and they change the status quo, and so I are leading to a harmful call for stepped slowly and cautiously into increased policing and securitisation Palestine solidarity activism. of our communities.

Jews are, of course, familiar with the I made the decision very early on that baiting and provocations that extend I would not accept to be a part of any from racist paranoia. As Jews we campaign that vilified the Jewish cannot say it more clearly: we know people. I know what it feels like to be what hate looks like, we know where

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 32 hate takes us, we know that we can Nazi leader ’s Australia people have flocked to him. He might never be safe until racist hate in all its First Party, and was in 2016 deemed be a joke, but he is not a funny one. forms and systemic sources are unfit by authorities to own a firearms We encourage the Jewish community eradicated. licence as a direct consequence of his to continue speaking up and speaking hate activism. Erikson, Cottrell and Avi Yemini is not a neo-Nazi. He has, out about racism, xenophobia and Shortis all received slaps on the however, not shied away from the rise of fascism in the community. wrists and convictions for inciting ingratiating himself to neo-Nazi and We encourage everyone struggling serious contempt for Muslims fascist gangs across Australia, against racism and fascism to expose recently. Be afraid of extremist criminal including Nationalist Uprising and the Avi Yemini for hate speech, and for terrorists, Yemini howls to the moon. . Nationalist links with neo-Nazis and fascist gangs. Uprising leader Neil Erikson, besides It can’t be of any surprise that some We hope that the Jewish and broader bouncing between various neo-Nazi neo-Nazi factions have turned on community will become more incarnations for over fifteen years, Yemini (and, by extension, all Jews), involved in organising both in mass has received a non-custodial jealous at the growing space he takes movements and in whatever means sentence for racially harassing a rabbi. up on the far-right. Sooner or later might be effective. Fellow patriot leader of Nationalist the far-right comes for us all. Statement issued 14 September 2017 Uprising Shermon Burgess is well This is all happening at the same time known for his antisemitic tirades. that Yemini calls himself (and is called , leader of the United by numerous media outlets) a Patriots Front and formerly “Jewish leader.” He is not a leader of imprisoned arsonist, has described any organisation or institution. He is how he would like to see a photo of not recognised as a leader through Hitler in every classroom and a copy the esteem of the community. He of issued to every school calls himself a leader because he has student. Chris Shortis, who claims lots of Facebook followers. While not to be a neo-Nazi, but does claim this has made Yemini a punchline in to support National Socialism, has the Jewish community, non-Jews who had senatorial aspirations for neo- want to spend their days spitting on

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Dear friends,

Please join us at our annual dinner to share a meal with our vibrant and passionate community, celebrate the work we have done this year and be a part of an inspiring future for the AJDS.

When: Sunday Dec 10th, 6:30 pm Where: Flying Saucer, 4 St Georges Rd, Elsternwick. Upstairs. There is an elevator to get upstairs Cost: $60 or $45 concession Vegetarian or fish options Guest speaker: Tim Lo Surdo from Democracy in Colour

Bookings online at: http://www.ajds.org.au/annual-dinner-17/

If you would like to support us but can't make it to the dinner, you can now book a 'Pay it forward: Chanukah sponsorship of new AJDS ally' ticket through our online booking!

We are very honoured to have Tim Lo Surdo joining us from Democracy in Colour as our guest speaker this year. You can get a taste of this passionate and inspiring activist and the work that Democracy in Colour does in this short video.

Contact Yael for any enquiries: [email protected]. 0423 234 069

JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 34 Gideon Levy

Get your tickets quick to hear Gideon Levy speaking in his only Melbourne appearance, hosted by AJDS, Australia Palestine Advocacy Network and Australians for Palestine.

Purchase tickets visiting our website.

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JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – ANTISEMITISM AUSTRALIAN JEWISH DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY (AJDS) A Progressive Voice among Jews and a Jewish Voices among Progressives

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JUST VOICES #14, November 2017 – Antisemitism AJDS 36