tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post3134104268558488868..comments2024-01-22T04:45:58.881+02:00Comments on Simply Jews: New Antisemitism – Call for actionGideonSworthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13951672633294843881noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-40553180542071330932011-06-07T02:53:46.023+03:002011-06-07T02:53:46.023+03:00Dick, Whereas, I am sure you are aware of the dict...Dick, Whereas, I am sure you are aware of the dictionary definitions, I should point out that my example of Nazi treatment of Jews is naturally not the necessary "antisemitism" of contemporary times. Whereas I don't regularly see Jack booted SS men herding Jews into trucks these days - I might well see a student on campus being herangued about Israel's policies on Gaza or being victimised or isolated in social situations no matter what that individual's views might be on Palastinians - but simply because he/she happens to be Jewish (and this individual had gentile parents and was a convert, albeit not religious outwardly, to Judaism). Equally, a Holocaust Memorial Day I attended in recent years run by a local council attended by Jews, Gypsies, Armenians and many local digintaries of varying faiths was shockingly interrupted during the candle-lighting for remembrance by Pro-Palestinian supporters who had been invited (unaware of their agenda or affiliation by the organisers) to sing along with the Jewish Choir on stage. They grabbed the mike to scream "Jewish Israeli Nazis" and othewise appraise the audience of their particular negative attutides towards Israel! I don't think they cared about the exact credentials of those Jews attending as to their DNA or otherwise, just the fact that many attending would have qualified sufficiently as subjects for their invective. Other incidents have involved otherwise gentle, sophisticated and cultured non-Jews laughing amiably about how "Jews" care so much about money - ignorant of the fact that the tall blonde beside them at the gallery private view is Jewish. It doesn't take rampant hate to be racist, a touch of blase prejudice will do.<br /><br />Jews may or may not have "Jewish" DNA since vast quantities of Jews do indeed convert to the faith voluntarily which is not actually contrary to what I think, but is a fact. As for agreeing to its validity - I think someone's convicition is entirely valid enough and should they wish to take the particular path of Judaism, quite frankly, valiant. This actually does make them identifiable by all too many as worthy of the kinds of "racism" that has been identified by The United Nations own definition of the term where ethnicity and race are not considered distinct. Whereas I do know of some that may, by accident or design, have inter-married or changed names to reach indistinquishable status as Jews, it still remains that any form of identification as a Jew, no matter how little and importantly, why not proudly so? - would potentially expose that person to myriad flack from varying quarters. No matter what degree a Jew might be ill-treated by someone who is not - it is this very behaviour, attitude and expectation that defines and indeed forces, the necessary qualification of "racism" in regard to antisemitism.Natnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-23173911106177862032011-06-05T08:26:29.000+03:002011-06-05T08:26:29.000+03:00Thanks, Francis. Makes a lot of sense to an outsid...Thanks, Francis. Makes a lot of sense to an outsider like I.SnoopyTheGoonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-91228699423409372292011-06-05T07:53:43.000+03:002011-06-05T07:53:43.000+03:00<span>Nat, I understand your use of race fo...<span>Nat, I understand your use of race for Jews when applied to, say, the crimes of Nazi Germany. Or other haters who choose to think of the Jews as a race, to keep them all lumped together for political purposes. Indeed, the word race never was a very useful definition of anything, except in the political sense. <br /> <br />But I think the meaning of the exhibit is perfectly clear that Jews are not one race in any biological meaning of the term---despite the fact that some groups of Jews have intermarried to the point where they now produce kids with Tay-Sachs and other genetic diseases.</span><br /><br /><span>More than a religion? Perhaps, depending on the individual. Lots of Jews have disappeared successfully over the centuries into other religions, cultures and ethnic groups, the gestapo and the inquisition notwithstanding. <br /> <br />And conversion is more widespread today than you seem to think, whether you agree with its validity or not. As a biological idea, calling the Jews a race is absurd. And doing so politically should be left to the haters where the absurdity, with all its narrowing implications, really belongs.</span>Dick Stanleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-21034484243922553892011-06-05T07:45:34.000+03:002011-06-05T07:45:34.000+03:00Nat, I understand your use of race for Jews when a...Nat, I understand your use of race for Jews when applied to, say, Nazi Germany. Or other haters who choose to think of the Jews as a race, to keep them all lumped together for political purposes. Indeed, the word race never was a very useful definition of anything, except in the political sense.<br /><br />But I think the meaning of the exhibit is perfectly clear that Jews are not one race in any biological of the term. More than a religion? Perhaps, depending on the individual. Lots of Jews have disappeared successfully over the centuries into other religions, cultures and ethnic groups, the gestapo and the inquisition notwithstanding.<br /><br />And conversion is more widespread today than you seem to think, whether you agree with its validity or not. As a biological idea, calling the Jews a race is absurd. And doing so politically should be left to the haters where the absurdity, with all its narrowing implications, really belongs.Dick Stanleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-52269782358747556912011-06-05T01:58:23.000+03:002011-06-05T01:58:23.000+03:00Dick, the implicit and explicit message at Tel Avi...Dick, the implicit and explicit message at Tel Aviv Uni in that poster is to implore the world to repudiate stereotypical labelling of Jews (not to suggest they are necessarily "different" races). It is a commonly held misconception that Jews (however they might "look") are only Jews by religion. Jews are (and remain so for many) quite "race" enough for Hitler to exterminate them blonde, red or raven headed, blue or green eyed, black skin or fair! The fact is that Jews are not simply a religious or political entity or sect or an interest group that culturally identify. Protesting Buddhism, Catholicism or nothing would be to no avail in Nazi Germany, for a hapless Jew. Equally, whatever else a Jew might wish they were, changed names to be or took up whatever belief set that impelled them - now or then, Jews remain a race. Characteristics may vary depending on the geography of various places Jews can be found. It would come as no surprise to imagine that Jews did have local converts to their religion that inter-married and hence the variety.<br /><br />Jews may also profess Judaism (in whichever form), but even if they didn't or chose otherwise (and this includes converts or children of converts in most cases), the DNA (often to all Jewry's cost over the millenia) is a defining factor - hence "racism" and "anti-semitism" is all to woefully synonymous.Natnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-13164602563354005862011-06-04T20:41:25.000+03:002011-06-04T20:41:25.000+03:00I wonder if tying antisemistism to "racism&qu...I wonder if tying antisemistism to "racism" is really a good idea, since Jews obviously are not a race and never have been. Think of the exhibit at the Jewish museum at Tel Aviv U. that asks the question "What do Jews look like?" and answers it by showing faces of different shapes and colors.Dick Stanleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-74724135740723652162011-06-04T20:27:42.000+03:002011-06-04T20:27:42.000+03:00I was a member of the Association of University Te...I was a member of the Association of University Teachers, the predecessor of the UCU which organised solely within the established universities. After less than a year I resigned my membership, when it became clear that the AUT was not interested in defending the conditions of contract research staff. Only tenured academics meant anything to the union.<br /><br />Another characteristic of the AUT, and one that has been strengthened by its amalgamation with the SWP-dominated further education teachers union to form the UCU, is the way in which the vast majority of members allow a tiny minority of ultra-leftist tossers to dominate internal political debates and external political campaigning. The UCU's policy on Israel is a case in point.<br /><br />The reality in British universities is a strong and healthy dialogue with colleagues in Israel and Palestine, and an indifference toward calls for boycotts and disinvestment. That indifference is deeply damaging to the reputation of academics as a whole.Francis Sedgemorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18234909.post-51247145647906054592011-06-04T20:27:03.000+03:002011-06-04T20:27:03.000+03:00<p>I was a member of the Association of Univ...<p>I was a member of the Association of University Teachers, the predecessor of the UCU which organised solely within the established universities. After less than a year I resigned my membership, when it became clear that the AUT was not interested in defending the conditions of contract research staff. Only tenured academics meant anything to the union.<br /></p><p> <br /></p><p>Another characteristic of the AUT, and one that has been strengthened by its amalgamation with the SWP-dominated further education teachers union to form the UCU, is the way in which the vast majority of members allow a tiny minority of ultra-leftist tossers to dominate internal political debates and external political campaigning. The UCU's policy on Israel is a case in point.<br /></p><p> <br /></p><p>The reality in British universities is a strong and healthy dialogue with colleagues in Israel and Palestine, and an indifference toward calls for boycotts and disinvestment. That indifference is deeply damaging to the reputation of academics as a whole.<br /></p>Francis Sedgemorenoreply@blogger.com