Those of you who know my political views know that I am someone who has no problem declaring my liberal leanings. I find myself being tolerant when it comes to issues that the more conservative of you find unacceptable. Be that as it may I am here to say that as a Jew and a Liberal, the one area where there is no room for tolerance is regarding the matter of anti-Semitism.
For starters I find it odd that any Jew who would argue the importance of fair and equitable treatment towards another would keep silent at bigotry directed at his or her own people. I pride myself in not having any unjust or bigoted prejudices towards anyone. However, I worded that last sentence carefully because the reality that exists is that there are some groups that are either predominately hateful or have their own prejudices that exist towards other groups, such as Israel and the Jewish people.
Muslim extremists hold opinions that are somewhere between predominately or entirely anti-Israel and anti-Jewish and have conducted such an excellent worldwide public relations campaign that this sentiment has spread to people in all walks of life . Most clearheaded and honest people know that today’s anti-Semitism and anti-Israel feelings are usually one in the same, as I discussed in a previous post in which I addressed former President Jimmy Carter’s blatant anti-Semitism titled “A Dishonor to the Jewish People”. To be very honest, I don’t care if one claims there is a difference, because to be anti-Israel is as much an affront to my sensitivities as being anti-Jewish. This is where the issue of being a Liberal, or at least using liberalism as a crutch comes into play.
Anti-Israel sentiment has reached a new level of worldwide popularity. There are many people, fools masquerading as Liberals, who look everywhere for their next “cause”. Some of these causes are real and justified. Others are not. The need to grandstand is one that exists with many people. Unfortunately, some Liberals will jump on the nearest bandwagon and show how much they care about a certain group. When these same people jump on the anti-Israel bandwagon, my question to them is very simply, “Why were you quiet when entire Jewish families, sometimes husbands, wives, and babies, were being murdered in vicious bomb blasts in a Jerusalem pizzeria? Why were you quiet then?” The answer is, because it wasn’t a popular cause. But as a Jew I am sadly aware that defending the Jewish people has never been a popular cause.
A few years back it was all Darfur. A justifiable cause. How many of these people even know what is happening today in Darfur? How many care? They will of course say that they do, but in reality, caring is more than just saying, “I care”. It requires at least some action or effort.
I am a Liberal. I am proud to call myself one. But I am just as proud to disassociate myself with anyone using the image of Liberalism as a misguided means of attacking the wrong people, particularly the Jewish people. And as a Jew, this is something for which I personally have no tolerance.
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