Saturday, January 09, 2016

Just how much of a difference between anti-semitism and anti-Zionism?

We are often told, sometimes with exasperation, by the critics of Israel that there is a big, big difference between being anti-Israel and being anti-Semitic. Without delivering an entire dissertation on the subject, I'll just say that the more virulent, committed, and tunnel-visioned your anti-Israel perspective, the less plausible the claim.

But some cases don't even require us to develop such general principles, as they wear the equivalence between the two perspectives right on their faces. Viz., here:

A Michigan woman posted a video on YouTube supporting Palestinian stabbing attacks against Jews and blasted Muslims who try to argue that stabbing is “haram,” or forbidden, under Islamic law.
The Middle East Media Research Institute translated the Arabic-language video posted on YouTube last week by Lina Allan, who MEMRI described as “a Palestinian-Jordanian activist who lives in Michigan.”
[snip]
Allan disparaged Muslims who claim Islam does not allow stabbing attacks, accusing them of trying to be “muftis” and telling them to “go back to watching Turkish soap operas.”
Throughout the video, titled, “Is Stabbing Jews Haram [Forbidden]?” she notably used only the word “Jews” to describe the target of stabbing attacks, not “Israelis.”
[snip]
“Nobody can feel the suffering of the Palestinian people but the Palestinians living in Palestine,” Allan said. “I wish that you would stop interfering. Spare us your views, and go back to watching Turkish soap operas. It would be better if you didn’t talk about something you don’t understand.”
“I, Lina Allan, do not support the Palestinian government or any party. I support the Palestinian people, and I support any decision made by the Palestinian people, in order to regain its rights and its land,” she said.
As she delivered her statement, hanging behind her on the walls were photos of ancient Petra in Jordan and a sign that read, “Calm and Proud to Be an Arab.”
Israel has faced a wave of nearly daily stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks since September, that has been widely encouraged in songs and videos on Palestinian social media. The latest attack was a shooting in Hebron on Sunday.
Well, yes, Miss Allan, that's very clear. Thank you for being so forthright.

When we're talking about going around stabbing people, of course (and car-ramming, etc.), the distinction becomes more or less moot. If I supported stabbing random Swedes, would that be better than my supporting stabbing random Scandinavians?

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