- Editorial Note -
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- Gilad Atzmon published this article first on December
12, 2003. The reason it is republished by Al-Jazeerah today is that it
represents an excellent analysis of the Zionist tactic of anti-Semitism,
which is used to attack those who criticize the Israeli occupation atrocities
in Palestine. It's also relevant to the new law that President Bush signed
US To Rate Its Allies On Their Treatment Of Jews (Al-Jazeerah, October
15, 2004). (Note - Mr. Atzmon is an Israeli.)
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-
- In the light of the growing discussion initiated by Israeli
politicians and Zionist enthusiasts regarding the eruption of new anti-Semitism
I am here to announce as loudly as I can: there is no anti-Semitism any
more. In the devastating reality created by the Jewish state, anti-Semitism
has been replaced by political reaction. I am not suggesting that Jewish
interests are not being mutilated and vandalized. I am not saying that
synagogues aren'tOn Anti-Semitism being attacked, that Jewish graves are
not brutally smashed up. I am saying that these acts, that are in no way
legitimate, should be seen as political responses rather than racially
motivated acts or 'irrational' hate crimes. If Israel is the state of the
Jewish people and the Jewish people themselves do not stand up collectively
against the crimes that are committed on their behalf, then every Jewish
person, Jewish symbol and Jewish object becomes an Israeli interest and
a potential terrorist target. It is up to the Jewish people to take a stand
against their Jewish state and to disassociate themselves from their zealous
national movement.
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- If, for instance, we woke up tomorrow morning to find
that another American so-called 'soft target' had been blown to pieces,
no one would think to suggest that it was a 'racially motivated anti-American
attack'. We would be naturally inclined to view the incident as an 'act
of terror' against 'American interests'. Our political analysts would probably
tell us that it was a form of retaliation against 'American colonialism',
'expansionism', 'support of Zionism' and so forth. Since Zionists want
Israel to be seen as 'a nation among nations' we should not treat them
as a unique case. We should treat them as we do the Americans and the British
who have already realised that their various expansionist interests around
the world are under severe threat. If we go along with the Zionist call
to regard Jewish-ness as a nationalistic category rather than a religious
one, we should be consistent and regard any act against Jews as a political
reaction rather than an irrational racist attack. In other words: the success
of Zionism drains away any possibility of anti-Semitism.
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-
- The last statement is perplexing because it is the Zionists
who tell us all the time that anti-Semitism is on the rise. Zionism is
fuelled by anti-Semitism. The Zionists need anti-Semitic acts in order
to justify the state of Israel as the only viable option for Jewish existence.
Zionists have long understood that it is anti-Semitic acts that push Jews
to support the idea of a Jewish state. Accordingly, in order to promote
Zionist interests, Israel must generate significant anti-Jewish sentiment.
Cruelty against Palestinian civilians is a favourite Israeli means of achieving
this aim. Hence, we confront something of a vicious circle: the Israelis
commit atrocities against the Palestinians; some anti-Israeli feelings
mature into sporadic verbal and violent attacks against Jewish people and
Jewish interests; Jews around the world feel rightly threatened and inclined
to support Israel; some of those Jews emigrate to Israel; more Palestinian
land is confiscated; anti-Jewish outrage around the world grows. This is
apparently the Zionist perpetuum mobile. Unfortunately, it is damn effective.
It has worked since the early days of Zionism. Zionist leaders in Germany
were very fast to welcome Hitler and the Nazi regime (Dr Joachim Prinz
(Germany, 1933) is just one example). Sometimes, the Mossad itself has
initiated attacks against Jews in order to 'push them in the right direction
' (for instance, attacks against synagogues in Iraq in the 1950s).
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- In its perpetuation of anti-Jewish feeling Zionism has
two principal aims. The first is simply to convince Jews that Israel is
their safest option. The second is more interesting: to shatter any possibility
for criticism of Israel. Zionist lobbies present all critical views of
Israel as a form of anti-Semitism. Zionists are now very well trained in
plucking on the gentile guilt string. This method is very effective because
most westerners fail to grasp the vicious deception entangled within the
Zionist identity. Zionism is grounded on a very specific realisation of
the Jewish identity as a synthesis of racial awareness, religious awareness
and nationalistic awareness.
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- While it is more than legitimate to criticise racist
fundamentalism and nationalistic zeal, Zionists present any attack on their
venture as an assault on the Jewish religion or the freedom of belief,
or even the right of Jews to exist.
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- Let's review some current typical Zionist arguments:
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- a. The 'Elders of Zion' syndrome: Zionists complain that
Jews continue to be associated with a conspiracy to rule the world via
political lobbies, media and money.
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- Is the suggestion of conspiracy really an empty accusation?
The following list is presented with pride in several Jewish American websites.
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- Jews in Bush's Administration:
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- Ari Fleischer White House Press Secretary
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- Josh Bolten Deputy Chief of Staff
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- Ken Melman White House Political Director
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- David Frum Speechwriter
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- Brad Blakeman White House Director of Scheduling
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- Dov Zakheim Undersecretary of Defense (Controller)
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- Paul Wolfowitz Deputy Secretary of Defense
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- I. Lewis Libby Chief of Staff to the Vice President
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- Adam Goldman White House Liaison to the Jewish Community
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- Chris Gersten Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Administration
for Children and Families at HHS
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- Elliott Abrams Director of the National Security Council's
Office for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations
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- Mark D. Weinberg Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development for Public Affairs
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- Douglas Feith Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
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- Michael Chertoff Head of the Justice Department's criminal
division
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- Daniel Kurtzer Ambassador to Israel
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- Cliff Sobel Ambassador to the Netherlands
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- Stuart Bernstein Ambassador to Denmark
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- Nancy Brinker Ambassador to Hungary
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- Frank Lavin Ambassador to Singapore
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- Ron Weiser Ambassador to Slovakia
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- Mel Sembler Ambassador to Italy
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- Martin Silverstein Ambassador to Uruguay
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- Jay Lefkowitz Deputy Assistant to the President and Director
of the Domestic Policy Council
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- Let me assure you, in Clinton's administration the situation
was even worse. Even though the Jews only make up 2.9 per cent of the country's
population, an astounding 56 per cent of Clinton's appointees were Jews.
A coincidence? I don't think so.
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- We have to ask ourselves what motivates American Jews
to gain such political power. Is it a genuine care for American interests?
Soon, following the growing number of American casualties in Iraq, American
people will start to ask themselves this very question.
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- Since America currently enjoys the status of the world's
only super power and since all the Jews listed above declare themselves
as devoted Zionists, we must begin to take the accusation that the Jewish
people are trying to control the world very seriously. It is beyond doubt
that Zionists, the most radical, racist and nationalistic Jews around,
have already managed to turn America into an Israeli mission force. The
world's number one super power is there to support the Jewish state's wealth
and security matters. The one-sided pro-Zionist take on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, the American veto against every 'anti-Israeli' UN resolution,
the war against Iraq and now the militant intentions against Syria, all
prove beyond doubt that it is Zionist interests that America is serving.
American Jewry makes any debate on whether the 'Protocols of the elder
of Zion' are an authentic document or rather a forgery irrelevant. American
Jews do try to control the world, by proxy. So far they are doing pretty
well for themselves at least. Whether the Americans enjoy the deterioration
of their state's affairs will no doubt be revealed soon.
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- b. Zionists occasionally argue that if Jewish nationalism
is bad so is any other form of nationalism.
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- I would argue, however, that there is nothing wrong with
nationalism. Being nationalistic - like being religious or loving punk
music - is about belonging. Yet Jewish nationalism is unacceptable because
it is based on racist fundaments and religious zeal. Zionism, which originally
presented itself as a secular movement, developed real ambitions in relation
to the land of Canaan. These aspirations were based on the Biblical promise.
In fact, Zionists were very quick to transform the Holy Scriptures into
a legal document. This was a radical distortion of the most sacred Jewish
spiritual text but they didn't finish there.
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- While being Jewish is about 'race' (you are a Jew only
if your mother is a Jew), Zionists believe that the whole of Palestine
belongs solely to the Jewish people. If we articulate this idea in Zionist
terms we should rather say that the whole of Palestine belongs to the Jewish
race. This type of idea ought to remind us of the Nazi expansionist philosophy,
but then we must remember that Zionism predates Nazi ideology. It is Jewish
nationalistic ideology that introduced the idea of 'living space' and the
expulsion of the indigenous years before Hitler was even born. Presumably,
if Nazism is regarded as an unacceptable form of nationalism, Zionism should
be treated the same.
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- But Zionists won't give up; in a righteous manner they
will claim that Jews are entitled to self-determination. They will argue
that Jews, like any other nation, are entitled to land. Whether this is
the case or not, however, is irrelevant. Even if we agree that Jews are
entitled to have a national home the existence of this national home cannot
be at the expense of the Palestinians or anyone else.
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- We tend to associate nationalism with a geographical
reference. The French people, for example, are those who live in France
or were born there. Similarly, the Americans are those who live in America
or were born there. When it comes to Jewish nationalism there is no demand
for geographical bonds but rather a special notion of geographical aspiration.
Every Jew from Brooklyn (NYC) or Golders Green (London, UK) is entitled
to Israeli citizenship at the expense of the Palestinian people. This form
of nationalism is unique and a form of racist, expansionist colonialism.
Jewish nationalism is best understood as an international imperial movement
specialising in colonising Palestine.
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-
- It should be noted that Palestinian nationalism is very
different from its Jewish rival. It is multi-cultural and based on a multi-ethnic
society. Palestinian nationalism is geographically based. It confers Palestinian
identity to those who live in Palestine. Among the Palestinian people you
will find Jewish Palestinians, many different Christian Palestinians, many
different Muslim groups. (In discussing Palestinian identity I do not deny
the possibility of ethnic clashes between the different groups.) Palestinian
nationalism produces the ideal form of multi-ethnic democratic Arabic society.
No wonder the American tyrant is so keen to destroy it.
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- c. Zionists are not happy at all with the recycling of
some old 'Anti-Semitic slogans and images'. They are especially annoyed
when they are blamed for the death of Jesus. (I am referring here to the
Jewish American organisations' reaction to Mel Gibson's The Passion. Many
people around the world regarded the Israeli siege of the Church of the
Nativity in Bethlehem as an attempt to kill Jesus 'again'.)
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- I would suggest that perhaps we should face it once and
for all: the Jews were responsible for the killing of Jesus who, by the
way, was himself a Palestinian Jew. But then two questions should be asked:
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- 1. How is it that people living today feel accountable
or chased for a crime committed by their great great great ancestors almost
2,000 years ago? I assume that those Jews who get angry when blamed for
killing Jesus are those who identify themselves with Jesus's killers. Those
who would commit this murderous act today. Those Jews are called Zionists
and they are already advancing into their sixth decade of inhuman crimes
against the Palestinian people and the Arab world. Zionism, for those who
do not know, is a repetition of the darkest age of the Jewish Biblical
era. It isn't that surprising therefore that Zionists have selected the
most suicidal chapters in Jewish history (such as Massada and Bar Cochva)
and turned them into the pillars of their reborn culture. On the other
hand, we must praise the Zionists for being consistent. Zionists claim
that the whole of Palestine belongs to the Jews because their Jewish ancestors
lived there 2,000 ago. Jews attempting to live on confiscated Palestinian
lands nowadays regard themselves as the same Jews who lived in Palestine
two millennia ago. This must explain why Zionists are so offended when
they are blamed for the actions of Judas. They are offended because they
are all Judases. Might I remind the reader that the Judases of today are
armed with hundreds of nuclear weapons without being signed to any international
control treaty.
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- 2. Why is it that the Jews who repeatedly demand that
the Christian world should apologise for its involvement in previous persecutions,
have never thought that it is about time that they apologised for killing
Jesus? I wouldn't ask the Italians to apologise on behalf of the Romans
for their part in Christ's killing simply because Italians do not feel
remotely offended when Romans are blamed for it. I merely suggest that
if a Jew feels offended when accused, this reveals attachment to the perpetrators.
It might be the right time for the Jewish state to ask for forgiveness
on behalf of the Jewish people for their immoral behaviour.
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- I assume that the following lingual fact isn't known
to most gentiles. Jews do not use the name 'Jesus' when referring to Christ.
Instead, they use the Hebrew word 'Yeshu' which means 'may his name and
memory be erased for ever' (yeshu - Yimach Shemo Vzichro). I do want to
believe that most ordinary Jews are not familiar with the etymology of
the name Yeshu. In Jewish the hierarchy of insults this is the gravest
and most disrespectful. This combination of words is usually attached to
Hitler and evils of his calibre. Jesus, it would appear, is considered
by Jewish spiritual leaders as the embodiment of all evil. I ask myself,
if Jesus was as bad as Hitler (in the eyes of the rabbis), why is it that
the Jews are so offended when blamed for killing him? Why don't they regard
his killing as the most glamorous chapter of their history?
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- d. Zionists are always outraged when they are equated
with Nazis. They will say that to claim 'yesterday's victims are today's
perpetrators' is a form of 'Holocaust denial' and will argue that describing
Israel as the root of all evil justifies the Holocaust. With great shame
I have to agree that Israel's behaviour throws some light on the persecution
of Jews throughout history. Perhaps it is time to dispose of the notion
of 'Holocaust denial'.
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- Westerners are very concerned not to be associated with
any form of Holocaust denial. In some countries Holocaust denial is treated
as a criminal offence. For years I have argued that Holocaust denial is
not a particularly interesting subject because as a notion it is far too
wide. In practice, anyone who tries to oppose the official Zionist interpretation
of World War II events instantly becomes a 'Holocaust denier'. Some Zionists
went so far as to accuse Roberto Benigni of Holocaust denial when he made
his masterpiece, Life is Beautiful.
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-
- It is true that for quite a while the Zionists were fairly
successful. They managed to stop the world from studying its history. Few
people in Germany, in Israel or anywhere else know about the extensive
collaboration between the Zionists and the Nazis before and during World
War II. I am not a historian and the question of whether 6 million or rather
5,500,000 Jews died in the Holocaust is not really my major concern. For
me, the act of killing is a catastrophe and 'state organised serial killing'
is an unbearable and colossal catastrophe. Accordingly, the form of Holocaust
denial that really bothers me is the denial of the on-going Palestinian
Holocaust. This Holocaust is documented and covered daily by the western
media. The turning of residential Palestinian cities into concentration
camps; the deliberate starvation of the Palestinian population; the withholding
of medical aid from Palestinian civilians; the wall that tears the holy
land into isolated cantons and Bantustans; the continuous bombardment of
civilians by the IAF - are known to us all. This Holocaust is committed
by the Jewish state with the support of world Jewry. This Holocaust, despite
being well documented, is largely ignored. This is the most serious form
of Holocaust denial. Moreover, I would suggest that the Zionists promote
the issue of Holocaust denial so as to spread heavy smoke in an attempt
to hide their own atrocities. The Zionists are the ones to be blamed for
committing a holocaust and being the first to deny it.
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- Israel and the Zionist venture are principally responsible
for any anti-Jewish outrage. It is time for Jews to stand up against their
nationalistic movement. It is time for the world to stand up against the
Zionist crime. As we learn from a recent EU poll, 58 per cent of Europeans
regard Israel as the biggest threat to world peace. They are right. The
Jewish state must be stopped and the sooner the better.
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- At this point some Zionists would try to revise their
argument and claim that real anti-Semitism is in fact a form of blind hatred
towards Jews regardless of their politics and misdoings. They would say
that a Jew is hated just for being a Jew. My response would be that though
such hatred might exist it needn't be labelled 'anti-Semitism'. It is xenophobia,
defined by the Oxford Dictionary as an 'intense dislike or fear of foreigners
or strangers'. Perhaps Jews aren't so unique after all.
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- http://www.gilad.co.uk/html%20files/onanti.html
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- http://www.aljazeerah.info/19%20o/On%20Anti-Semitism
%20By%20Gilad%20Atzmon.htm
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