Debunking Antisemitism Studies and Yehuda Bauer in Particular
Antisemitism Studies has the potential to be a valuable field of research if it could, for example, elaborate and scrutinize Jewish culture and history in an attempt to grasp what it is that evokes anti Jewish feeling. It could try to establish if there is a Jewish ideological, political or cultural pattern that may be amended. In fact early Zionists(1) tried to dwell on the subject. They tried to diagnose the ‘cause’ of Antisemitsm so that they might learn why it invariably and repeatedly matured into host cultures regarding Jews as a parasitic force. Early Zionists insisted that Aliya would bring about a new productive, ethical and civilized new Jew. However, contemporary Antisemitism scholars have a very different agenda in mind. They build their research on the axiom that Jews are categorically innocent. They then try to understand why the Goyim behave immorally and even murderously.
But here is a clear embarrassing catch: considering humanity is comprised of Goyim, Antisemitism scholars who attempt to grasp ‘what is wrong with the Goyim’ actually ask ‘what is wrong with humanity?’ This is in fact a legitimate question, unless we leave one conspicuous group out. As things stand, in the new Judeo-centric ‘academic’ field namely ‘Antisemitism studies’, a Zionist is there to review the Goy as a pathological case. This is slightly odd to say the least. It is even peculiar that such departments exist in Yale and at a London University. However, since academic institutes thrive on corporate donations and other funding sources, we can no longer expect the academic world to lead intellectual discourse or even commit itself to any form of ethical integrity.
One of the leading scholars of Antisemitim and the Holocaust is Professor Yehuda Bauer of Jerusalem University and a director at Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum. Prof. Bauer is a world expert in the hatred and destruction of ‘one people,’ namely the chosen. I have recently found this video and I would urge every humanist to watch it. It is a lecture about the origin of Antisemitism given by Professor Bauer in Hawaii in 2005.
Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqo9HyFMGFI&feature=player_embedded#t=1003
(Bauer’s talk starts around 16 minutes and 30 seconds)
Bauer initially comes across as a charming and open minded person. He even makes some crucial observations. For the first twenty minutes it is possible to believe that one is witnessing a genuine authentic intellectual.
‘Antisemitism’, says Bauer, is a ‘wrong term' there is no such animal for there ‘are no Semites’. For Bauer there are no Semitic people and he acknowledges that the Jews are not exactly a homogenous racial group anyway. He agrees that the ideology that was brought to life by Wilhelm Marr in the late 19th century, is confusing. Antisemitism is nothing but ‘anti Jewish’ feelings or practice.
Where does Antisemitism start? Interestingly enough, Bauer goes back to the Book of Esther(2). He suggests it is an “allegory of fear of annihilation of the Diaspora Jew”. Esther, according to Bauer, is a tale of Jewish fear of their surrounding environment. “The origin of anti Jewishness is the fact that Jewish civilization and culture is different to its surroundings”. I myself would take it further and argue that the Book of Esther is where Jewish Lobbying and Jewish power matures into a vivid cultural paradigm. The moral of the story is rather clear. If Jews want to survive, they better infiltrate the corridors of power. With Esther in mind, AIPAC, Lord Levy and the Labour Friends of Israel look like an embodiment of a deep Biblical and cultural ideology.
Yet, Bauer, the exemplary Judeo-centric intellectual, fails to enlighten us on the specific ways in which Jewish civilization and culture is different. After all, if Antisemitism is a ‘unique’ form of hatred, then Jews must be ‘uniquely’ different from all the other ‘minorities’ that have endured prejudice across the centuries. I would expect an Antisemitism scholar to elaborate on this crucial issue and suggest some answers. Bauer fails to do so. The reason is simple. Bauer is a Zionist and Zionism is a solution for the Diaspora Jews. If you do not want to be different, just come home and dwell with us on Palestinian stolen land.
Bauer then moves on and asks: what are the types of crisis that lead towards Antisemitism? Christian Antisemitism is not too problematic to grasp. “Christianity had to differentiate itself from Judaism” says Bauer. However, Christianity is not a major problem. “Christianity doesn’t like Jews, it discriminates against Jews yet due to its theology, it prevents genocide.” In fact, according to Bauer, the genocidal tendency in Europe emerged with the secularization of Christian communities. One is left with Christian Antisemitism but a version lacking the theology that curtails murderous inclinations. Again, in Bauer’s trivial world, the Jews are innocent. It is always the Goyim who fail morally and ethically.
Racism wasn’t born in 19th century Europe says Bauer, “there is some evidence of racism in the Iberian Peninsula from the 15th century”. Someone better remind Bauer that, as far as Judaism is concerned, he can trace evidence of racism in every religious source whether it is the Torah or the Talmud.
“Racism turned against the Jews” says Bauer “because we are a different race” because we are the “paradigmatic Other”. But then contradicting himself, he also insists on dismantling the notion of race in general. “There is no such thing as race, humanity comes from Africa, we are all Africans.” Let’s for a second agree with Bauer that race is a “pseudo scientific concept”. Yet, the problem with race is not the attempt to divide the world into racial groups or trace people's anthropological origins. Race becomes a problematic issue when racism is introduced. Racism is the belief that one group of people is better than another. Devastatingly enough Judaism and Zionism are both saturated with racism. Bauer is right to argue that Jews are not a race, but Jewish ideology, both secular and religious, is racist and supremacist to the bone.
‘The Israeli Palestine conflict, how important is it’? ‘Very important’ says Bauer. Would a resolution of the Israeli Palestinian conflict decrease Antisemitism? Yes concludes Bauer, yet, Antisemitism won’t disappear. Bauer is probably correct. According to his philosophy Antisemitsm is the product of Jewish otherness and this fact may never change. As long as Jews maintain their chosen tribal identity they will always preserve their ‘difference’.
Bauer is rather concerned with the “Antisemitism of the chattering classes, the media, intelligentsia, universities, the doctors". He contends that we have seen a “sudden rise ‘of it’ along with the 2nd Intifada”. Obviously, the chances of Bauer winning an argument in intellectual circles, is rather limited. However, it is pretty reasonable that rthinkers within the media, intelligentsia and academic circles would oppose the Jewish state, especially when evidence of Israeli genocidal barbarism is mounting.
It takes a few good minutes before Bauer, the proud owner of a rabid Zionist mind, shows his real colours. ‘Is it okay to criticize Israel’? Yes, for sure says Bauer. The Israeli press are the first to criticize Israeli politics. Condemnation of Israel is not Antisemitic unless one describes Israel as a ‘Nazi state’. This is exactly where Bauer relinquishes his last drop of intellectual integrity. Are there any rules that we must employ when criticising the ‘Jewish State’? Is there any intellectual obligation that we have to take into consideration when referring to a racist Jew-only, expansionist, murderous state? Surely, the 45% of Europeans who regard Israel as an exterminatory state do so for a reason. Israel and the Zionists better learn to take responsibility for their actions. They may then understand why almost half of the Europeans equate them with Nazis.
Bauer says political criticism is legitimate yet when you turn the attack on the people and the state you then shift into “genocidal territory”. The truth of the matter is very simple. Within the Palestinian and anti Zionist discourse no one I can think of suggests annihilating any Jews. Many of us argue that the Jewish state doesn’t have the right to exist at the expense of other people. Yet, we do not talk of or suggest the ‘extermination’ of anyone. We are talking about a change of political setting that will mature into a “state of its people”. We believe in equal rights. We believe in the Palestinian right of return. If Jews want to form a Jew-only state, they should find a ‘desert island’ to do so, or even better a different planet.
How do you fight Antisemitism? “The ADL and the AJC are doing excellent work”, says Bauer. But what about a hypothetical case of rising Antisemitism in a different territory, for instance the USSR? Could the ADL influence the Soviet Union? Bauer thinks not but Jews could make an impact “together with non Jews”. Things changed in the Soviet Union because the USA mounted pressure on the USSR. “The Jews have to find allies and the allies will come when they understand that Antisemitism just starts with the Jews”.
In some very simple words Bauer explains the current Zionist ideology. Jews must find new allies. They must bond with emerging powers. It is almost amusing that Bauer, an expert on Antisemitism, fails to see that this is exactly the root cause of resentment to Jewish power. This endless seeking of influence and domination is exactly where Jews buy enemies.
Bauer ends his talk with a fierce attack on ‘radical Islam’. “Radical Islam is not just Antisemitic, it is Antisemitic in a genocidal way.” He then reads the famous Hamas Charter (3). He brings to life the quotes about Jewish Power, world domination and so on. Some of the quotes are facts. Others sentences are accepted views. Some ideas are slightly over the top. But there is one thing Bauer fails to do: provide a single genocidal quote.
Bizarrely enough Bauer ends his talk saying “since 1982 I have tried to convince the Israeli government to find allies to fight that thing. Only now things start to happen.” In fact Yehuda Bauer himself proves that the Hamas Charter is a genuine description of Jewish tribal activism. The ‘seeking allies’ which Bauer pushes for is exactly what the Hamas Charter refers to in the following lines:
“They took advantage of key elements in unfolding events, and accumulated a huge and influential material wealth which they put to the service of implementing their (Zionist) dream” (Hamas Charter 1988)
Is not finding ‘new allies’ a reference to seeking influence via media and political movements? The Hamas Charter describes it eloquently indeed:
“..take over control of the world media such as news agencies, the press, publication houses, broadcasting and the like. [They also used this] wealth to stir revolutions in various parts of the globe in order to fulfill their interests and pick the fruits.” (Hamas Charter 1988)
Considering the lecture was given in 2005, four years into the ‘war against terror’, and 2 years into the Iraq war where American and British soldiers ended up fighting Zionist wars, combating the enemies of Israel, I think that by now we all have a glimpse of understanding of what Prof. Bauer refers to when he talks about ‘allies’.
Prof. Yehuda Bauer is an academic adviser to the Israeli Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem. Maybe, Bauer should reflect on the fact that the Holocaust Institute he represents, is located on Mt. Herzl on the lands of the Palestinian village of Ein Karem, 1,400 meters south of the Palestinian village of Deir Yassin, the scene of a Jewish atrocity against the native Palestinians. If Bauer contemplates this fact alone he will understand why as many as 37.4% of Europeans would find it hard to buy an old car from him, let alone his disingenuous Judeo-centric, pseudo academic ranting. (4)
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(1) Here are a few examples of Early Zionists take on Antisemitism: Theodor Herzl, Max Nordau, Ze'ev Jabotinsky
(2) http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/purim-special-from-esther-to-aipac-by-gilad-atzmon.html
(3)“The enemies have been scheming for a long time, and they have consolidated their schemes, in order to achieve what they have achieved. They took advantage of key elements in unfolding events, and accumulated a huge and influential material wealth which they put to the service of implementing their dream. This wealth [permitted them to] take over control of the world media such as news agencies, the press, publication houses, broadcasting and the like. [They also used this] wealth to stir revolutions in various parts of the globe in order to fulfill their interests and pick the fruits. They stood behind the French and the Communist Revolutions and behind most of the revolutions we hear about here and there. They also used the money to establish clandestine organizations which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies and carry out Zionist interests. Such organizations are: the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs, B’nai B’rith and the like. All of them are destructive spying organizations. They also used the money to take over control of the Imperialist states and made them colonize many countries in order to exploit the wealth of those countries and spread their corruption therein. As regards local and world wars, it has come to pass and no one objects, that they stood behind World War I, so as to wipe out the Islamic Caliphate. They collected material gains and took control of many sources of wealth. They obtained the Balfour Declaration and established the League of Nations in order to rule the world by means of that organization. They also stood behind World War II, where they collected immense benefits from trading with war materials and prepared for the establishment of their state. They inspired the establishment of the United Nations and the Security Council to replace the League of Nations, in order to rule the world by their intermediary. (Hamas Charter Article 22 http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/www.thejerusalemfund.org/carryover/documents/charter.html )
(4) According to new research conducted by Bielefeld University “about 37.4% (Europeans) agree with the following statement: Considering Israel’s policy, I can understand why people do not like Jews.” (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3815828,00.html)
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