The Politics of Anti-Semitism

by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair

How did a term, once used accurately to describe the most virulent evil, become a charge flung at the mildest critic of Israel, particularly concerning its atrocious treatment of Palestinians?

Edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair, the print and online journal CounterPunch has become a must read for hundreds of thousands a month who no longer believe anything they read in the mainstream press beyond the sports scores...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1902593774
• ISBN13: 9781902593777
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: AK Press
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Honest, Varied, and a Must-Read

Finally an honest discussion about a controversial topic! Each chapter is written by a different contributor, and about half of the writers are Jewish - in fact, prominent Jews. There is so much misinformation and mudslinging regarding this word (anti-semiticism) that its refreshing to have some truth and reality come back to the debate. The problem is that there are essentially two kinds of people who say negative things about Israel - genuine crazy Jew-haters and normal, thoughtful people who care about injustice all over the world. Supporters of Israel, either through stupidity or more likely on purpose lump these two groups together as if they were one. If you speak up when Israel violates the Geneva Conventions, about 100 UN resolutions, agreements with the US on the use of cluster bombs, etc - it doesn't mean you hate all Jews. There is "right" and "wrong" no matter if the war criminal is Christian, Jewish, Muslim or other. And in the case of Israel, since its inception by terrorist thugs who killed British peacekeepers and Arab civilians, this has been going on for almost 60 years. Its actually in the interest of all Jews to stop this criminal behaviour by Israel because it casts a negative shadow on all Jews all over the world. When justice comes to Palestine, the world will be a better place for everyone - including Jews. The first step is to read this book, and get a balanced viewpoint.

Useful stuff

The book has some relatively brief instructive stuff about the history of anti-semitism, anti-semitism in Europe, the Israeli Disinvestment campaign and a moving article by Yigal Bronner about Palestinian suffering. One of the longest essays is by Alexander Cockburn. The latter gentleman has been involved in plenty of combat over the years with Zionist intellectuals and their libels, from the Commentary crowd to the New Republic. He discusses an article about him in TNR by an individual named Frank Foer. Comrade Foer discussed Cockburn's recent discussion of various stories circulating around, including that of the Israel Spy Ring and the harassment of an Arab scientist by a Jewish scientist, Dr. Philip Zack. The latter has been suspected in the post 9-11 anthrax scare which he, the scientist, may have perpetrated in order to blame it on Arabs. Foer allowed that Cockburn didn't exactly endorse these stories but since there wasn't even any credibility to them, it proves Cockburn is an anti-Semite because he spread them. Foer claimed to have done a Lexus Nexus search about the allegations against Dr. Zack and found nothing. Cockburn notes that such a search actually reveals articles on the subject from the Hartford Courant, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Salon.com. Anthrax samples and other biological agents had gone missing, about the same time Zack was videotaped sneaking into the lab after hours. He and another scientist voluntarily left Fort Detrick after they constructed and sent a poem to the Arab Scientist, filled with racist stuff and a drawing of a camel with various sexual appendages on it. On the Israeli Spy ring, Foer implied that only the right wing libertarian site Antiwar.com was spreading it, but in fact that story was covered in a four part series by Carl Cameron on FoxNews, also covered by Le Monde, and Jane's Defense Weekly. Cockburn makes an interesting point about the reaction to the 1989 revelations of Billy Graham's conversations with Richard Nixon. In one of them, the two men agree that Jews are bringing down the nation because they are producers of immoral tv shows and movies and incline towards the left. This sparked great outrage but in the same revelations Graham was quoted as arguing for the bombing of all the dikes in North Vietnam, which would completely obliterate the North Vietnamese economy and kill about a million. This advocacy of war crimes gained no outrage. Arthur Seys Inquart was hanged at Nuremburg for implementing such policies in Holland. Of course, Cockburn notes, the U.S. did such a thing during the Korean war, bombing dikes in order to flood rice fields in order to induce starvation. Jeffery St. Clair writes about the U.S.S. Liberty attack by Israel, of June 8th 1967.. 34 U.S. sailors on that vessel were killed in the attack, and 170 plus wounded, many seriously. That attack was very notable in that Robert McNamara and his lieutenants blocked any plane from the U.S. sixth fleet from coming to defen

Just read it

This facts listed in this book clearly illustrate the countless contridictions and complete hypocrisy of the state of Isreal. The biggest travesty is the level of fear of discussion and debate in this country of the Isreali-Palestian "situation." You can say "France Sucks" and receive a hearty pat on the back. Try saying "Isreal Sucks." The ADL will be on you like Bradley tanks on a Palestinian refugee camp. The term "anti-semite" also gets plenty of attention in this book. The book demonstrates how this term has almost completely lost its meaning due to laborious overuse. It has almost become a compliment to anyone slapped with it who has the "chutzpah" to criticize Isreali's unilateral policies. A badge of honor, if you will. It's become embarrassing to be an American living in a country which completely stifles debate with regards to Isreal. When did this happen? The book references a number of occasions where politicians made seemingly neutral comments about debating the Middle-Eastern issue only to commit political suicide. They were publicly dressed-down by colleagues from their own parties, then ousted by no-names with the help of AIPAC money. This type of behavior should put a pit in the stomach of every American.

It is about time

Excellent book that explores the differences between race based hatred of Jews and legitate criticism of Israel and Zionism. Half of the authors are Jewish, also known as "self hating Jews" to the Israel can do no wrong crowd who dismiss this book, and anyone who questions or criticizes Israel, as racist and anti-Semitic. By refusing to differentiate between legitmate criticism of Israel's racist, apartheid policies (which are openly discussed in the mainstream Israeli press but not in the mainstream U.S. press)(...), these short sighted critics are giving a good name to anti-Semitism.

More then ever, a needed discussion of an important issue

Poor Howard Dean gets practically called an anti-semite by Joe Lieberman on National TV for daring to suggest America ought to have a 'even-handed' policy toward the Israel/Palestine conflict. And then he gets a nasty letter from Nancy Pelosi warning him NEVER to utter such a remark again. Such is the pathetic nature of the Democratic Party and the American Left.This is in response to the review by the Jewish-American from New York City who claims he can support Israel without supporting the policies of Israel toward the Palestinans. Such whining hypocrisy is typicial of the double-speak that is really causing the problems. Such attitudes carry over to the anti-war Left dominated disproportionately by ethnic (but not religious) Jewish "Left-overs". In this context, the 'war for oil' nonsense by the anti-war Left is merely another example of the political correctness of the Democratic Party/American Left (what's the difference?) that NO-ONE can criticise Israel under any circumstance. In this time of Neo-Conservative control of the Republican Party that is leading us to war and disaster, the Left must break through the self delusion that support for Israel is different from support for Israel's policy of repression of the native people of the land now called "Israel". Read this book and be armed to challenge the notion that a 'even-handed' policy toward the Israeli/Palestinan problem is 'anti-semitic'.