Thursday, August 21, 2014

Deborah E. Lipstadt on rising anti-Semitism in Europe: what actually happened in the demonstration in Berlin

Here is my take on this.  Anti-Semitism is a European invention and it has not been eliminated and it is still alive, even within the church (including the Maronite church in Lebanon).  But why suddenly this discussion of anti-Semitism during the Israeli war on Gaza? Is that to make Israel a victim of Gaza anti-Semitism? What is the link there, I don't get it. Or to basically maintain that anti-Semitism in the West is the reason why Israel needs to kill women and children in Gaza? And why in all those stats and cases of anti-Semitism no one mentions that there is also a parallel rise in Islamophobia.  And why the cases of Islamophobia in Europe don't generate much press and condemnation in the US?   Now let us take the highly dishonest article by Deboarah Lipstadt (and I have read all her books before).  Lipstadt begin her article by saying that there are worrisome signs that, despite the lack of applicability of the Nazi analogy, are reminiscent of the Nazi holocaust.  "And a pro-Hamas marcher in Berlin broke away from the crowd and assaulted an older man who was quietly standing on a corner holding an Israeli flag."  Now let us analyze this sentence. So she is here relying on ONE PERSAON to stigmatize the entire demonstration in Berlin?  But where did she get this information from? Let us go to her Israeli source:  "The more rowdy activists could not always be kept in line. Joachim Glauer was standing on the sidelines of the Kurfurstendamm avenue with a small Israeli flag in his hand. A row of policemen in riot gear stood between him and the rest of the protesters. Suddenly, a group of 7-10 youths burst through the barricade, pushed the elderly man down, and grabbed his flag. The police quickly stepped in and moved the boys away. One of the boys returned to the crowd and was cheered as the aged Glauer stood there, shaking."  Now how did Lipstadt determine that the man was "pro-Hamas marcher"? There is no evidence whatsoever, not that he has no right to be pro-Hamas, of course.  Also, regarding the act of removing an Israeli flag form the hand of a man.  Why would that qualify, according to an American expert on anti-Semitism, as an anti-Semitic act? If I decide to remove all flags of Israel from the US, that would be anti-Semitic, Lipstadt?  Since when?  And why does the act of "one man" by her counting quality to "stigmatize"--in her eyes, not mine--the whole demonstration when the same source admit: "The organizers kept this in mind. Large men with the word “Order” written across their white armbands aggressively kept back any members of the march that attempted to start scuffles or shout incendiary slogans. As the march proceeded past pro-peace and pro-Israel demonstrators, a youth burst forth from the Al-Quds Day contingent and shouted “Qassams on Tel Aviv!”  Within seconds, he was seized by one of the security personnel, held back and told to “shut up and make a peace sign!” Similar outbursts that were openly anti-Semitic were also quickly shot down by the organizers."  Now to shout "Qassams on Tel Aviv" is anti-Semitic?  How so?  And then Lipstadt elaborates on what she considers Muslim anti-Semitism:  "and a more leftist, secular form of anti-Semitism."  Where is this leftist secular anti-Semitism? Name me one leftist secular anti-Semite? Like who?