Shimon Peres' Funeral Proved That anti-Semitism Is Dead

[Little Tich]

Source: Haaretz, by Gideon Levy

The ceremony for Peres showed that the Western world would love nothing more than to welcome Israel into the fold. An end to the brutal occupation would end the country’s pariah status in an instant.

Anti-Semitism died on Friday — or at least, its use as an excuse by Israel. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah 5777, the world proved that while anti-Semitism remains in certain limited circles, it can no longer frame most of the world’s governments. Also, hatred of Israel is not what it is said to be, or what Israel says it is.

On Friday, the world made a very clear and resolute statement: we love Israel and hate the occupation; we love Israel and hate its policy; we love to love Israel, long to embrace it and admire it — just give us a sign, a hint, a signal. Show that you are headed toward peace, that at least you are doing something toward ending the occupation — a speech, negotiations, a conference, lip service, anything — and we’ll shower you with all our love, even more than you deserve. You won’t be pariahs.

You are currently pariahs not because you’re Jews and not because you’re Israelis — don’t believe your demagogic leaders, who tell you this to absolve themselves and you of the heavy responsibility and blame. You are pariahs because you are brutal occupiers. You are pariahs because you thumb your noses at the world and its institutions, as almost no other country would dare do.

The whole world is against us? Nonsense! It is Israel that is against the world. It’s not important what Israel does? That’s the only thing that is important. An end to the occupation will end Israel’s pariah status.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.745473

Note: Haaretz Premium article: Google title for access.

[oberliner]

1. Yair Rosenberg has the best Tweet on this insanity from Gideon Levy

(((Yair Rosenberg))) Retweeted Haaretz.com
I appreciate how Haaretz has stopped bothering to censor Gideon Levy's craziest material so that he can just discredit himself

[madaboutharry]

2. I was going to post something

but your post said it best.

[Little Tich]

5. So Israel's international status in no way connected to the treatment of the Palestinians?

Isn't it even remotely possible that there would be a tangible increase in support for Israel among the international community if the settlements and the occupation were removed?

Is Levy really insane in arguing that Israel's international status is connected to the treatment of the Palestinians?

[oberliner]

10. The headline says the funeral "Proved that Anti-Semitism is Dead"

This is insane.

A headline and article suggesting that Israel's standing internationally would improve if the occupation ended would be a non-insane assertion that could be discussed by reasonable people.

Claiming that "anti-semitism is dead" is not.

[Little Tich]

11. Levy refers to the killing of the imaginary spectre of the Zionist right-wing.

It's a common misperception among some Zionists that the whole world is against the Jews, and that Israel stands alone. This is of course complete BS, which is illustrated by the amount of support shown for Israel at Peres's funeral.

[oberliner]

12. Do you think that the funeral proved that anti-semitism is dead?

Or do you agree that such a statement is ridiculous?

The statement about the world being against Jews is not total BS. Some right-wingers in Israel do play up the extent of such anti-semitism for their own political benefit. However, it is pretty much an indisputable fact that anti-semitism around the world is a very real problem.

Here is a quote from one the leaders of Hamas in Gaza with respect to Abbas attending the Peres funeral:

“This man who claims to represent Palestinian public opinion is by religious standards a Jew. For the millionth time: He doesn’t represent us, he is a creation of Israel and I hope he joins Peres in hell,” Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior leader in the Gaza Strip, told Iranian TV on Saturday, the Times of Israel reported.
http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/hamas-call-abbas-a-jew-for-attending-shimon-peres-funeral/

And of course, in our own country (the USA), there has been a barrage of anti-semitic tweeting from Trump fans directed at anyone with a Jewish sounding name who is opposed to him. To say nothing of the recent attacks directed against Jewish targets (outside of Israel) over the past decade.

Anti-semitism is by no means dead - and anyone who claims otherwise is insane (or worse).

[Little Tich]

16. I suppose that the most obvious interpretation of the OP is unavailable to someone who assumes that

Levy must be insane.

The OP doesn't claim that anti-Semitism is actually dead, it's rather the idea that the world is against the Jews and Israel that is dead or at least refuted.

[oberliner]

17. Levy is not insane

He just likes to push buttons by saying crazy things.

In the past, Ha'aretz had tried to tamp down some of the crazier ones, but now they seem more comfortable publishing them - and providing crazy headlines to go with them.

Please note, that the headline specifically does say that anti-semitism is dead and that the funeral of Shimon Peres proves it.

It could not make that statement any more clearly and directly than it does.

You agree that such a headline is insane, do you not?

[Little Tich]

19. It's a catchy headline - "World leaders refute a Zionist lie" isn't as catchy, I suppose. n/t

[oberliner]

20. It's not catchy - it's insane/moronic

And it negatively impacts the credibility of Gideon Levy, as the tweet I posted points out.

The headline you propose is also false (though less insane).

There is no "Zionist lie" being refuted by world leaders.

World leaders attending a funeral do not reflect in any way on whether or not the people those world leaders represent harbor anti-semitic views.

The grotesque and antisemitic comments of Mahmoud al-Zahar (the co-founder of Hamas and Foreign Minister under Haniyeh) that I posted upthread are at least equally representative of the views of the Palestinian people than anything Abbas may have said.

I get that some people like to promote the lie that anti-semitism isn't a world-wide problem (and a particularly acute problem in the Middle East), but one would think that intelligent people would be able to quickly see that for what it is.

Claims that Jews exaggerate the extent to which antisemitism exists internationally is part of the problem.

[Little Tich]

21. I dare say that your POW is dominating this thread.

I personally think that if there was a just solution to the I/P conflict, it would be a crippling blow to anti-Semitism worldwide. Imagine - no justified reason to criticize Israel, and no way to camouflage hostility towards Jews. The anti-Semites would have to crawl back under their rocks to hide.

Levy is right - Israel is a pariah state because of the Palestinians and nothing else.

[MADem]

3. There are still some diehard members of the Persian ulema who want to -- and this is a quote --

"push the Jews into the sea."

So I can't really say antisemitism is dead. And if I can't, from my perch halfway round the world, I imagine I'm not alone in this view.

That said, I'd love to see an accord with Palestine.

[still_one]

4. bullshit. Anti-semitism is alive and well

http://www.adl.org/press-center/press-releases/anti-semitism-usa/2015-audit-anti-semitic-incidents.html

[Little Tich]

6. It's a complex issue.

I believe that some of Israel's unpopularity in the world can be explained by its treatment of Palestinians. Then there's this idea among some that "the Jews" are somehow responsible for what Israel does, which I think is just another form of anti-Semitism.

But the issue is really complex, and there's no "standard" anti-Semite. Some anti-Semites use Israel as an excuse to hate Jews, some anti-Semites don't really care about Israel, and then there are even some anti-Semites who support Israel.

Either way, I think that the Israeli right-wing is actively cultivating the idea that the world is against Israel and the Jews, which is of course a lie - if sane people were in charge of Israel, there would be fewer insane policies to criticize.

[Igel]

13. Yes.

And anti-Russianism will finally be dead when Russia has devolved complete independence to all non-Russian ethnicities and the territories they traditionally held--this includes the Crimea, Russophone parts of Belous', and everything from the Urals east.

And pays reparations for that and for what it did to Poland, the Baltics, Ukraine, and Central Asia. And the Jews.

And fixes the Aral Sea.

And let's not forget it needs to dispose of the Bolshevik nationalists Limonov and his ilk have formed (sort of like a hybrid vampire x werewolve) and dump the atavistic quasi-fascist thinking that produced the Great Putin who sits on the 7 hills, to produce a fairly free and non-oppressive press and society.

As soon as they do that, I know we'll all be happy to welcome Russia into the fold of civilized nations and it can take the position that it's economy, military, and resources make it worthy to hold.

Of course, at that point it'll be just another largish European country, dependent on others for energy and resources and racked by the economic devastation that decoupling itself from the rather large remains of the tsarist empire would inevitably produce, but it'll still have nuclear weapons. (One must remember that Russia really is mostly empire, one in which paranoia and forced assimilation is on-going.)

Same sort of conditions for Israel: Do something that will render you weak and possibly all dead, and, sure, we'll think of you as okay. Gotta remember who the best nation is and be subordinate to them ...

[Little Tich]

18. I don't believe in the all or nothing approach to a problem.

If Israel only had leaders who weren't borderline fascists and Arab hating racists, there would probably be less criticism of Israel's policies. I don't think that institutionalized racism and oppression of Palestinians in the occupied territories are necessary for any reason - not even security.

I think that the fact that so many world leaders are ready to drop everything just to go to an old man's funeral, shows that there's support for the kind of Israel he stood for. I can also imagine that every single one of them also tried to tell Netanyahu that he was on the wrong path, and that he should stop treating the Palestinians like shit. All they want is a sign, anything that indicates that Netanyahu and the rest of Israel's leadership have changed for the better. They're all waiting in vain of course.

When it comes to Russia, the solution is simple - just give back Crimea, and stop acting like the evil empire it once was, and all will be forgotten. This sad mishap in Ukraine can still be turned around.

[Israeli]

7. K&R

[leftynyc]

8. Tthe title if this OP

Is the most ridiculous thing I've read this week...and that's with Donald trump melting down all week. Levy is an imbecile.

[6chars]

9. Levy fails logic

Last edited Sun Oct 2, 2016, 11:40 AM - Edit history (1)

We can easily.accept the warrant that going to Peres' funeral is not an anti-Semitic thing to do. So, then some people going to the funeral did something that wasn't antisemitic.

This DOES disprove by counterexample the hypothesis that all people are always antisemitic. It DOES NOT prove that no one is ever antisemitic.

Levy's faulty logic circuits might explain how he comes to the illogical views and conclusions he does about all sorts of things.

[aranthus]

14. Denying antisemitism is like denying the Holocaust.

The deniers just seem to want to give them a chance to succeed.

[shira]

15. Idiocy from a vile racist Gideon Levy who incites & justifies terror vs. Jews.

Racist:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134132251#post22

Justifies Terror:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=131390