POLL: Are You Anti-Semitic if you Disagree with Israel?

[Infohawk]

This comes up time and time again on this forum. Apparently people genuinely believe that those who oppose Israel's actions and policies are anti-semitic.

I couldn't disagree more. It just does not logically follow that you are anti-semitic if you oppose Israeli actions. Sure, most anti-semites oppose Israel. However, this does not mean that all those that oppose Israel are anti-semitic. These types of arguments are just emotional nonsense that distract from the real issues.

 

[Jaskalas]

Short answer: No.

Though such people who oppose Israel are often very quiet on Islamic terrorism.

 

[Tristicus]

Is Ant-Semitic the new Racist?

 

[nageov3t]

there are some people/groups/countries who seem to knee-jerk oppose anything and everything having to do with Israel while seemingly indifferent if other countries perform the same or similar or worse actions. in their case, it's hard not to question whether there is a root of antisemitism in their motives.

but of course it's possible to have disagreements with Israel without being an antisemite, sorta like how it's possible to not like Barack Obama without being a racist.

 

[JS80]

By definition if you are anti-Zionist you are anti-Semitic.

 

[Jhhnn]

By definition if you are anti-Zionist you are anti-Semitic.

Why is that?

 

[Schadenfroh]

This the equivalent of anti-illegal immigration = racist?

 

[Infohawk]

This the equivalent of anti-illegal immigration = racist?

I think they're definitely comparable and both poor arguments.

 

[SandEagle]

By definition if you are anti-Zionist you are anti-Semitic.

what about jews against zionism? are they self-hatin? i'll be attending the Jews Against Zionism gathering in detroit next week. feel free to join. i'll be wearing the red,white, and blue yarmulke

http://www.jewsconfrontapartheid.org/

 

[rchiu]

Let's see, does disagreeing the killing of women and children make someone anti-semitic?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

If you hate religious people you therefore hate practicing Jews. If you hate them are you anti Semitic? If you only hate practicing Jews, are you half anti Semitic?

 

[ProfJohn]

Let's see...

On one side we have a democracy with a large amount of civil liberties and freedoms and which also lives side by side in peace with most of its neighbors.

On the other side we have essentially military dictatorship that kills people who oppose their rules and whose sworn goal is the destruction of its neighbor.

And yet somehow a bunch of people on this forum are in favor of the later when it comes to its conflict with the Israel. I think a lot of this is based on anti-semitism, even if people don't realize it.

BTW there is nothing wrong with questioning Israel for some of its actions, especially the settlement issues and the overly harsh embargo. But you have to wonder about the people who watched the video from the flotilla and scream over and over about an 'illegal blockade' and about how Israel 'attacked' that ship.

 

[SandEagle]

i believe arabs and palestinians are semites too. too bad, all of u are now antisemites

 

[woolfe9999]

If you hate religious people you therefore hate practicing Jews. If you hate them are you anti Semitic? If you only hate practicing Jews, are you half anti Semitic?

I would classify the hatred of religious people in general as anti-religious bigotry but not specifically as anti-semitism if you are an equal opportunity hater.

- wolf

 

[woolfe9999]

I would have put additional options in the poll.

3. Those who oppose Israel are often, but not always, anti-semitic.
4. Those who oppose Israel are only rarely anti-semitic.

Painting the extreme dichtomy the way you have included the "necessarily" makes the answer almost pre-determined to be "no."

- wolf

 

[Infohawk]

Painting the extreme dichtomy the way you have included the "necessarily" makes the answer almost pre-determined to be "no."

- wolf

Apparently not.

 

[Infohawk]

By definition if you are anti-Zionist you are anti-Semitic.

No. Zionism calls for a Jewish homeland. You could like Jews but not believe they have a right to a homeland. For example, you could advocate that Jews be welcome in all countries.

 

[woolfe9999]

Apparently not.

Well that "yes" position - that anti-zionism automatically and necessarily equates with anti-semitism - is an extreme position. You've got 23% so far agreeing with that extreme position and I'm betting it doesn't get any higher than that, more likely to get lower with more votes.

The trouble is that you're failing to distinguish shades of opinion in the much larger "no" bloc of voters.

- wolf

 

[GTaudiophile]

Am I a racist if I disagree with Obama?

 

[Infohawk]

Well that "yes" position - that anti-zionism automatically and necessarily equates with anti-semitism - is an extreme position. You've got 23% so far agreeing with that extreme position and I'm betting it doesn't get any higher than that, more likely to get lower with more votes.

The trouble is that you're failing to distinguish shades of opinion in the much larger "no" bloc of voters.

- wolf

Thank you captain obvious. The point is to see who and how many people are extremists.

 

[Infohawk]

Am I a racist if I disagree with Obama?

I don't think so but according to the logic of some here if you consistently disagree with him you might be a racist.

 

[woolfe9999]

Thank you captain obvious. The point is to see who and how many people are extremists.

Yes I get it, colonel pointless. The thing about extreme positions is that they are like low hanging fruit in a debate forum. Debunking them is like hitting the broad of a rhetorical barn. I know people love to do that sort of thing on internet discussion forums, but isn't it more interesting to discuss positions which differ, but are at least arguably plausible?

I know it's your poll and so that's fine. I'm just saying, I can debunk the "yes" position with 2/3's of my frontal lobe tied behind my back.

-wolf

 

[cliftonite]

Am I a racist if I disagree with Obama?

Outside of a few idiots, no one is saying you are.

 

[Infohawk]

Yes I get it, colonel pointless. The thing about extreme positions is that they are like low hanging fruit in a debate forum. Debunking them is like hitting the broad of a rhetorical barn. I know people love to do that sort of thing on internet discussion forums, but isn't it more interesting to discuss positions which differ, but are at least arguably plausible?

I know it's your poll and so that's fine. I'm just saying, I can debunk the "yes" position with 2/3's of my frontal lobe tied behind my back.

-wolf

Sounds like you're saying that I should ignore the dumb extremists on this board. I chose not to do that. P&N is inherently a waste of time.

 

[Jhhnn]

Let's see...

On one side we have a democracy with a large amount of civil liberties and freedoms and which also lives side by side in peace with most of its neighbors.

On the other side we have essentially military dictatorship that kills people who oppose their rules and whose sworn goal is the destruction of its neighbor.

And yet somehow a bunch of people on this forum are in favor of the later when it comes to its conflict with the Israel. I think a lot of this is based on anti-semitism, even if people don't realize it.

BTW there is nothing wrong with questioning Israel for some of its actions, especially the settlement issues and the overly harsh embargo. But you have to wonder about the people who watched the video from the flotilla and scream over and over about an 'illegal blockade' and about how Israel 'attacked' that ship.

Israel a democracy? well, kinda, except for the millions of palestinians they've kept under their boot for 40 years...

Peace with their neighbors? Tell it to the Lebanese, OK?

Syria is a dictatorship, but then Jordan is a monarchy, a hereditary dictatorship, and Egypt is every bit as much a dictatorship as Syria...

Gaza? Gaza has a democratically elected govt, unlike the rulers of the west bank, who regained power in an Israeli sponsored coup...

Or would you prefer to overlook all of that?

The whole anti-semitic schtick is innuendo, and an attempt to shame and silence Israel's critics with the memory of the holocaust. In modern America, it's worse than being called a baby-raper.

Anti-semitic is as anti-semitic does. Jews are not Israel, except when it suits Israeli propaganda purposes, and Israel does not speak for all jews.

My best friend of 30 years was jewish, until he died. My wife works for a jewish lawyer, who's treated her extremely well for over 20 years. My dentist of 21 years is jewish, and a moyel. If jewish people want to be my neighbors, they're welcome. If their daughters want to marry my sons, they'd be welcome to do so, with all that it would mean. If the entire jewish population of Israel wanted to immigrate to the US, I wouldn't mind a bit...

Go ahead, insinuate that I'm a jew-hater and a holocaust denier because I oppose many of the policies of the state of Israel- you'll only discredit yourself.