Yesterday, the State Department published a report in which it drew a long-ignored connection between anti-Zionism and/or opposition to Israeli policy, and anti-Semitism.
In its introduction, the 94-page report states:
“Anti-Semitism has proven to be an adaptive phenomenon. New forms of anti-Semitism have evolved. They often incorporate elements of traditional anti-Semitism. However, the distinguishing feature of the new anti-Semitism is criticism of Zionism or Israeli policy that — whether intentionally or unintentionally — has the effect of promoting prejudice against all Jews by demonizing Israel and Israelis and attributing Israel’s perceived faults to its Jewish character.”
There has long been a feeling among Jews, both pro-Israel and neutral (although not so much among the anti-Israel Jewish crowd), that opposition to Israel is in-and-of-itself anti-Semitism, or at least stems from it. The State Department report stops short of this, but it does conclude that anti-Zionism is dangerous as it LEADS to anti-Semitism. In addition, the report criticizes governments that sponsor and promote anti-Semitism, including Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Also on the list of governments that support anti-Semitism is Belarus. I was surprised at this, but according to the report, “In Belarus, state enterprises freely produce and distribute anti-Semitic material.” The report cites examples.
The report also draws attention to the manifestation of anti-Semitism, in the form of anti-Zionism and criticism of Israeli policy, within the United Nations. It states:
“Regardless of the intent, disproportionate criticism of Israel as barbaric and unprincipled, and corresponding discriminatory measures adopted in the U.N. against Israel, have the effect of causing audiences to associate negative attributes with Jews in general, thus fueling anti-Semitism.”
The report singles out the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab/Islamic states of other groups as being openly hostile to Israel, and criticizes the commissions and committees that have been established with the sole purpose of investigating Israel’s alleged human rights violations, such as the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories. These are well-deserved criticisms of a pattern of prejudice against Israel within the U.N., but even despite the evidence being brought to the fore, the report does not condemn the targeting of Israel outright. Rather, it merely says that “the distinction between legitimate criticism of the policies and practices of the state of Israel and anti-Semitism can become blurred in the UN context.”
The report does criticize the disparity between the number of resolutions and decisions passed against Israel for human rights violations by the UN Commission on Human Rights between 2001 and 2006 (26 resolutions and one decision) and the number passed in dealing with North Korea, Burma and Sudan (11 combined).
I applaud the U.S. State Department for its report – it brings long-overdue attention to two serious problems, namely the rise of Anti-Semitism around the world and its manifestation in the form of opposition to Israel and Israeli policies around the world and specifically within the United Nations.
However, I feel that the criticism of the U.N. specifically – a full chapter’s worth – despite being a great victory for Jews and for Israel, is really too little, too late. Even more disappointing, it is spoken from an important, but by no means authoritative mouth. Unfortunately, it is well known that the current US administration is hostile to the United Nations, leaving the US very unpopular, though still powerful, within that body. I would have to think that this would lead other nations to view this report with skepticism, which would indeed be very unfortunate, as it would limit both the scope and the depth of its influence.
I only wish that this report had gone a little further in stating outright that today, opposition to Israeli policies – and certainly outright anti-Zionism – is deliberately used by many individuals, governments and organizations as a mask to hide latent anti-Semitism; and that it had been published earlier, or at least by a State Department that wasn’t seen as a constant critic of everything U.N. I think then it would have more teeth.
The full report can be accessed here.
For a great video on the subject, watch this video.
