Fight anti-Palestinianism as we would anti-Semitism

[Israeli]

While anti-Semitism is considered a serious moral failing in Western society today, anti-Palestinianism is not even recognized as a phenomenon worthy of being studied.

By Jeremiah Haber

By “anti-Palestinianism” I understand prejudice against Palestinian Arabs based on perceived negative qualities of Palestinian cultural or natural identity. Views such as “Palestinian Arab culture is a culture of death and martyrdom,” “Palestinian Arabs hate Jews because of incitement,” “Palestinian labor is inferior” are examples of this prejudice. Attempts to justify these prejudices are inevitably based on selective data, generalization, and bias.

By “anti-Semitism,” I understand prejudice against Jews based on perceived negative qualities of Jewish cultural, natural, or religious identity. Opinions such as, “Jews love only money,” “there is a worldwide Jewish conspiracy against gentiles,” “Jews are loud, noisy, and uncouth,” etc. are examples of this prejudice. Attempts to justify these prejudices are also inevitably based on selective data, generalization, and bias.

What I would like to discuss here is how the current vogue of identifying anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is anti-Palestinianist, i.e., the product of bigotry towards Palestinians. I won’t bother to “disprove” the identification itself, any more than I would bother to “disprove” anti-Semitic claims. I applaud those who have the stomach for such things. I do not.

Source : http://972mag.com/fight-anti-palestinianism-as-we-would-anti-semitism/118611/

[Bad Dog]

1. All true.

When the Netanyahu regime labels all criticism of Israel as anti Semitic it devalues the term and allows real anti Semitism to flourish.

[shira]

2. Looks like the OP is promoting censorship. The only way to peace...

...is to actually confront and not hide from a "..Palestinian culture of death & martyrdom, hatred based on incitement".

Fatah: “Glory and eternity” to female suicide bombers
http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=17693

PA Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education organize activity at PA school honoring murder of 3
http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=339&doc_id=17621

Stabbing for kids: Palestinian girl gives demo
http://www.palwatch.org/site/modules/videos/popup/video.aspx?doc_id=16531

I wonder if the author of this piece (Haber) believes UNESCO is antisemitic for denying Jewish history?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134115721

Probably not.

My guess is there's not one anti-Zionist clown who has a problem with UNESCO's Jew hatred, but like Jeremiah Haber they pretend to be anti-racists who support Palestinian rights (not that they ever have).

[Ford_Prefect]

4. Justifying murdering children by arguing mutual murder is disingenuous at least.

There are no clean hands in such a discussion. You pretend to argue prejudice but instead perpetuate a blood feud. Who hit first or last is not to the point, and you know that.

Apartheid was never justified in South Africa nor should it be in Jerusalem. There are a whole string of injustices going back the the Roman Occupation. The last does not excuse the first nor vice versa.

Abuse begets abuse, begets abuse. Until the abusers acknowledge their own offenses justice does not begin, regardless of who hit first or last, or how much, or how often, or when, or whom. That is something else to learn from the South African experience.

[shira]

8. The only ones I see justifying murder of (Israeli) kids are anti-zionist racists...

...who say they understand terrorists and defend them.

Tell me, what does your post have to do with the OP or what I wrote?

As for apartheid, we all know that charge is bullshit meant to deflect from the weakness of the OP.

Instead, why don't we discuss whether it's racist to bring up Palestinian incitement to hate & murder? Or encouraging, praising, and rewarding terrorists? If you believe the OP is correct, defend it.

[FlatBaroque]

6. To you, everything looks like the opposite of what it actually is.

But rather than try and counter racist bullshit from a devoted Hasbarite, I will choose to do what most people do, put you on Ignore.

[shira]

9. Your non- response to what I just wrote kinda proves my point.

Pity I can't find any anti-zionists anywhere who justify their positions.

Says it all, really.

Just a lot of hate and ranting with no substance.

[safeinOhio]

3. I use to work with a Palestinain Christian.....

He said the Israelis treated him the same as all other Palestinenians. I don't think it is so much about ones religion.

[oberliner]

5. Islamophobia is recognized as a phenomenon worthy of being studied

Most Americans who have negative perceptions of Palestinians don't also have positive perceptions of other Arabs and Muslims. The West talks about, studies, and analyzes anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry as a phenomenon. It seems strange to imply that there should be a separate study of anti-Palestinianism. There is actually generally warm and sympathetic feelings towards Palestinian Arabs especially among the left in the United States in such a way that is not extended to, say, Saudi Arabians, who are now collectively being blamed for 9/11 in some quarters and are viewed as backwards and regressive by many in the West. Should anti-Wahhabism be recognized as a phenomenon worthy of being studied?

[Little Tich]

7. It's good to know that I'm not the only one thinking about these things,

and that other people reach conclusions that are very similar to mine.

My only objection is that anti-Palestinianism is a somewhat ambiguous term and that I prefer to stick with what I know, which would be racist attitudes towards Palestinians.

[shira]

10. You find it racist to discuss Palestinian incitement to hate, encouraging terror....

...praising and rewarding the murderers of innocents?

Well wait...I'm putting the horse before the cart. First, we need to agree all that nasty shit is going on before we can discuss it.

So?

[Little Tich]

11. What about Palestinians who are absolutely opposed to any form of self-determination for Jews

in Palestine - are they anti-Semites or are they just asserting their own rights?

Please stay with the subject of the OP.

And no, the way I phrased that question doesn't indicate my own position on the subject.