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Is it *always* 'anti-Semitism'?
author: Dave
Anger comes from pain; therefore anger is a secondary emotion; a reaction to pain. Fear comes either from an expectation of further pain – a projection of a possibility – or, as is the case with mass hatred, from indoctrination that ‘the other’ is less than an equal. Mass hatred has many names. One, often used on this site, is ‘anti-Semitism’.
But is the perceived Anti-Semitism wholly because of ‘Jewishness’ per se, or is it actually, at least in part, stemming from people’s distaste for Sharon and Co’s policies and how they translate into actions? Sure, for fundamentalists, raw anti-Semitism (which is bigotry, which is another word for ignorance) is not doubt a driver, but from many postings throughout this and other sites I visit, the driver is that of abhorrence toward Sharon and Co’s policies/actions.
What this means is that informed people do not hate Israelis or Jews throughout the world per se; they hate these particular behaviours. I’ve also noticed that informed people also deplore these destructive behaviours from Palestinians, Americans, British and any other peoples who choose punitive measures as ‘management tools’.
This is where some misunderstandings are occurring and I am reminded of the question Americans asked after the Twin Towers fell: why do they hate us? Jews are not as universally hated as some commentators would have us believe; it is the set of behaviours used to perpetuate violent reprisals that are universally detested.
Sadly, over time such behaviours become the symbol of a people. Who knows how long it will be before Germany will stop being associated with Nazism and German people linked to Nazis. In too many people’s minds, Nazism is perceived as genetic – a foolish perspective to be sure, but nonetheless one that shallow thinkers claim as real. Such a legacy could well become Israel’s and Jewish people’s (regardless of where they live) if the Israeli government’s policies/behaviours do not change.
It is an indictment on the way humans perceive reality that an entire people can be defined by the actions of a few, but this will continue until the actions of Israel’s leaders mature. Such behaviour changes will need to be demonstrated by those who lead Israel and those leaders need to transcend their extant ‘pre-conventional morality’ and rise to the level that Lawrence Kohlberg calls ‘post-conventional morality’. For a brief explanation of Kohlberg’s position see; www.nd.edu/~rbarger/kohlberg.html
Perhaps, one of the first signs to show us that Israel’s leaders have matured will be when they extend a metaphorical olive branch to their ‘enemies’ instead of cutting down their real olive trees. And, it is entirely possible that when the olive branch is offered, it will be received with gratitude. I have read elsewhere, a post by AMR that eloquently explains ‘the Arab Mind’ and I do not fault AMR’s explanation. All I will say is that it’s entirely possible that a growing number of ‘Arab Minds’ are changing and a growing number of ‘Arab Hearts’ are softening. But, we will only find this out when an olive branch is extended. Surely, with the collective wisdom of thousands of years, Israel can become Palestine’s Rabbi and, by demonstration, show the path to peace.