Prior to 9/11/01 I was very much a typical American regarding Israel/Palestine. As I was conditioned, I knew virtually nothing about what was going on in Palestine and I was reluctant to look into the matter, thinking that it was much too complex for me to even to begin to understand. And reflecting my typical American conditioning, I was sympathetic to Jews, although I had never in fact met any Jewish people in person, being from a typical mid-western town. I definitely was not anti-Semitic.
Heck, I didn’t know any Jews so the opportunity for being labeled anti-Semitic never came up. That didn’t happen until after 9/11/01 [when I was 49].
As the 9/11 attack was happening, it occurred to me that the attack had to do with what was happening in the Middle East and it was time to learn what was happening there. I was behooved to work through my conditioned barrier of not wanting to look into the matter because it was much too complex to understand and find out for myself what was going on.
I learned that the Palestinians were being kicked off their land so that Jews from anywhere in the world could live there. I attended a Middle East committee meeting and said that I didn’t think this was fair, that it didn’t matter what happened in the past to the Jews, that two wrongs don’t make a right, etc. After that meeting, I was considered anti-Semitic by the experts that apply the label: the Jews that attended that meeting. Thereafter I was treated coolly by everyone associated with the parent anti-war organization. Word had gotten around.
Holy cow! I never would’ve imagined myself being considered anti-Semitic: [growing up] an altruistic Catholic boy who defended little kids every day on the playground from older bullies, the exemplary server boy, the choir boy, the kid that the nuns and teachers considered a role model for others.
But there I was. An anti-Semitic, for being concerned for justice and equal rights for the Palestinians. Little did I know that being labeled anti-Semitic was so easy. It is so easy. In fact here’s the formula: You become aware that Jews are responsible for doing something unfair, like kicking Palestinians off their land so that Jews from anywhere in the world can live there and, boom, you’re instantly anti-Semitic! You don’t even have to complain about it. The labelers just have to know you know about it. It is that easy.
I’m outraged that Palestinians are being methodically genocided for Jewish apartheid. I can’t shut up about it. In fact should a group representing the anti-Semitic labelers want to pay me a visit and hang me for being anti-Semitic, I’d hang them instead. On the other hand, should a group of angry Palestinians ever want to hang me for what I as an American have enabled and allowed to happen to Palestinians, I’d plead for mercy.
The way I look at it, if you’re aware of what’s happening to the Palestinians and you’re not considered anti-Semitic, then I question your humanity. If you don’t say anything about it, you’re an accomplice to genocide. What would you rather be, anti-Semitic or a genocider? For me, there’s no choice. Yes, of course I’m anti-Semitic. Aren’t you?
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33 comments:
Wow, that is a super letter. It is a carbon copy of me; your experience. It was a really really good piece.
Good for you, my friend. But don't stop going to those meetings. They are rude to you because they fear you are right. Join interfaith discussion groups and be the one who speaks up about Palestine. May God make it easy for you.
Remember the definition of an anti-Semite: It's anyone that the Jews don't like!
I remember when I was working and
belonged to the union. It was
accepted that one has to leave a
paper trail to really prove that
they are doing something. By paper
trail the evidence builds up over
time and usually one will follow
a proven pattern. Case in point
is the Liberty Veterans. I don't
believe a one of them was called
anti-Semitic before the attack.
After the attack if you voiced
anything contrary to the accepted
results then you were without a
doubt that nasty name. I thought
about this for many years and I
would shrink back when anyone even
had that look that they would call
me such a name. Then one day it
occurred to me that I had left no
paper trail, that I was one of the
most trusted men in the U.S. Navy
by my own government. So the way I
see it, if you shrink from the name
then you must have a reason for doing so. I chose not to shrink.
Well said and well done. I wish not to think that your experience is unique. Other people, including myself, found themselves in similar situations. In my view, the American people are learning the truth about the rape of Palestine slowly but surely. I fear for Israel in the long run especially as more and more people get to know the truth about Palestine/Israel. Thanks for your insight and courage.
The only trouble I have with this post is that the Palestinians, are of the Semitic Race of people.
The Jews that lived in the Middle East for the last 1-2,000 years are also Semites.
The Jews from Europe are after all, Europeans.
Europeans are not Semites.
Chalk up another one for Orwellianism.
But the labeling of any disagreement with a Jew, or what Israel does to others that the world condemns when it was done to them, as Anti Semitic, is the driving though behind this article.
Anti Zionist, yes, Anti Semitic, no, I am not.
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/zionism/herzl/index.cfm
And if some Palestinian Semite is doing what the Zionists did to the Jews, I’m anti them too.
The Semites of the Middle East have lived in peace since about AD 700 and have worked together to repel every European invasion of their land, many of them labeled as ‘Crusades’.
The Semites of the Middle East have allowed all pilgrims to come visit the origins of their races, as after all, the Jewish Old testament is the basis for them, Christianity and Islam too.
On the other hand when the Europeans have control of the holy land they always limit which and how many of each religion may come into ‘their land’ and worship at their holiest of holy places.
And on one other note, the troubles of those of the Jewish faith, has only been a continuous problem in Europe the last 1,000 years of their existence there, no where in the Middle East have the population of Semitic Jews undergone 1/10th what the European Jewish faithed peoples have in the last 2,000 years.
Scott
As an atheist, all this fighting for "holy land" and unproven mythology makes the violence and theft even more idiotic. I am anti-anyone who's behind it.
As has been pointed out, the term "Anti Semitic" is inaccurate as Semites are Arabs. The term has probably been hijacked by the Zionists in order to prevent it's proper use. Anti Jew or anti Judaism or even Judaiophobia would be more accurate, all of which describe a tendency that has to be resisted as the problem is not specifically Jewish but Zionist in nature. Jews themselves come under enormous pressure to stay within the group. Those who criticize Zionism are attacked.
THE INIVERSALLY ACCEPTED DEFINITION OF AN ANTI SEMITE IS A JEW HATER SO STOP BRAGGING AND BE ASHAMED...AS A CATHOLIC OF READMITTING HOLOCAUST DENIERS TO YOUR CHURCH THIS WEEK BE ASHAMED...
jews are leaving the world no choice. Zionists have simply exploited the holocaust as a means to make money or create fear or to at the least try and shut people up that start to question the motives behind jewish goals of total world supremacy. They couldn't do it with communism, so now they are going with Conservatism. The only thing standing in their way is the Christian church, and now even they have been slowly hi-jacked and turned into money worshipping houses. I can't remember the last time I saw a televanglist speak about the approaching anti-christ or world war3, as much as they want me to buy their CD's on how to become wealthy for Jesus and buying forclosed homes to make a buck or have sex with my wife for a week.
Jews have been kicked out of 47 countries and for good reason, they are gypsies. Lying, stealing, satanic worshipping rovers that only want revenge and blood, not peace. For a self-described "chosen people" of God, they sure do give the devil alot of competition.
I agree. If you're not antisemitic, you're immoral.
Very heartfelt, I concur and believe your post is the overwhelming sentiment and true representation of the American people, "We the People". Now let's get to work kicking the communist's out of the White House.
Anonymous stated: "I fear for Israel in the long run especially as more and more people get to know the truth about Palestine/Israel."
I would submit that if Israel ceased their various policies of scumbaggery, that Israel would not have anything to fear.
I agree with the sentiment, but bad grammar and mis-spellings taint the message badly (i.e. "ant-semitic, "groing up", Being an anti-semitic", "genocider".) Never underestimate the power of spell check. Sloppy writing damages the writer's credibility; readers will never be persuaded by his message, no matter how heartfelt. Especially important for anyone speaking truth to power to present their arguments with precision. Sorry to seem like a scold; I hope you continue writing!
its simplicity is beautiful ... conveying the lawful indignation of humanity, and longing for progress and justice, from which all true nations are built ... the question carries seeds of Truth within it (showing that contrary to denials of Jewish-Marxist reductionist philosophy ... there is such a thing), and I would predict it will reverberate louder and louder ... it is an arrow of truth and indignation that flies straight into the heart-fraud of the ADL. Simple ... Truthful ... Powerful ... Highest possible regards!
There is as much difference in being a person of Jewish Faith, and being a Zionists, as there is in being a Christian who follows the faith and a christian that uses their religion to do unspeakable things to any who are not of their particular brand of extremism.
If everyone could also see the protests that have gone on inside of Israel or reading, the papers that aren't RW Zionist genocidal war mongers, you'd see the situation in Israel resembles the war and peace movements here in the USA, the war mongers are in charge, and use any rhetoric necessary to get the unthinking portions of the population to react emotionally and do as they are told.
It is not the Religion, it is the anti religious actions of those that are hiding behind the religion that have created Zionism
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/zionism/herzl/index.cfm and the atrocities now attributed to all Israeli's just as the actions of the US government are attributed to ALL Americans.
If I receive some type of communication from a god telling me I can have dominion over my neighbor's property, does that mean I can use whatever means necessary, including violence, to steal, I mean, "redeem" that land promised to me by a god?
Hot damn, time to load up on the ammo, as I think my neighbor will not peacefully accept the fact given to me by a god that I and I alone am the lord of what he thinks is his land.
I'll teach that ungrateful bastard a thing or two!!
Anyone who disagrees with me and my god will be labeled "anti-Semitic."
Even when we were children and told lies the truth always came out in the end and so it is today with the myth of the so called holocaust. The mask of lies is slipping to reveal more and more people who will question this myth. when i was younger i belived all that was told to me by my parents and teachers about this myth but began to question it when i heard people being described as holocaust deniers and anti semitic and so i started to read and do my own research and found so many contradictions i started to question the myth and years later i do belive that all it is, is a myth.To me this does not make me anti semitic as most of the jews in israel today are of european decent and look down on the real semites as second class people.
No one has ever called me anti-semitic. I've got a number of Arab and Jewish acquaintances. I've been best man in a Jewish wedding. I'm just waiting for some one to try to label me anti-semitic when I loudly and frequently sound off about Zionist/Israeli apartheid, land thievery and war crimes. I'm ready:
No, I'm not anti-semitic, but I sure am ANTI-*SSH*LE !!!!!!
'There is as much difference in being a person of Jewish Faith, and being a Zionists, as there is in being a Christian who follows the faith and a christian that uses their religion to do unspeakable things to any who are not of their particular brand of extremism.'
Statements like this are incredibly naive. The Jewish religion, which claims that Jews are a chosen race, separate from and superior to all other peoples, is a nutcase religion. Its lust to power is merely manifested in Zionism. Judaism, not Zionism, is the problem.
Good to see ignorance happens at such a ripe old age.Are you sure it's not feeble mindeness,or or Odin forbid Alzheimer's?Just like you I was raised catholick and like you was happy in my ignorance and then I too started to look into this Menace,The Crusades,The Inquisition,and The Salem Witch trials(or as I like to call it "The Inquisition comes To America.")So by the tender age of Seven I became an Athiest.But wait there's more, the anal rape of little boys!Remember not long ago the Christians accused Jewish people doing Horrible things to little christian boys ,and as it turns out you morons are doing to yourselves.Ha Ha Ha.
When you realise that the State Department defines "anti-semitism" as any unfair criticism of Israel (amongst many other defintions) then you have to admit 2 primary things:
1) It has nothing to do with religion or peoples, but rather politics and the Zionist State of Israel.
2) Same said Zionists from Israel completely control the State Department and the US government in general.
Our issues are not some successful jews reading the Torah in their homes and going to a local synagogue. Never has been. Our problem is the small group of Ashkenazi Talmudic Khazarian crypto-jews who are hellbent on World domination via media control, goyim degradation, political Zionism, satanic practice, pedophilia, pornography, white and black slavery, and more. Sure, they call themselves jews, but are as close to "semites" or "God's Chosen People" as my pet dog. Unfortunately, they have more power, money, political clout, and evil agendas than my dog, or any other hound from hell. That is our peoblem in a nutshell. Period.
I am proud of myself that I can engage in critical thought.
I am proud of myself that I have a heart and soul and conscience.
I am proud of myself that I know wrong and evil when I see it and have the audacity to speak out.
I am proud to be a human being.
I am proud to be "anti-semitic"!
Anonymous, you speak like a true peasant.
It should be noted, by definition, anyone discriminating against arabs is also a text book definition of an "anti-semite". The zionists are the anti-semites.
I've had similar experiences. Well, actually, it started back in the late 80s for me. I was young, impressionable, and had a hunger for learning.
I had always been a history buff, mostly war history, WWI,WWII, standard stuff. Then I started looking at what happened AFTER WWII, and how that led directly to the problems in the middle east.
But, like the author, I was brainwashed into thining I couldn't possibly comprehend it, so why bother. I had been taught, the jews are gods chosen people, the bible says as much, as they were promised this land.
Well, once I stopped playing with imaginary friends, I smelt an awful stench. Everything I had learned was a lie.
How did the number of holocaust survivors grow after the war? How come people are going to jail for RESEARCHING???? I tried to keep myself well informed, and because where I live has a large Lebanese population, i paid close attention to the conflict there.
Asking my landlord when he returned with his son, whom he had to hire mercenaries to help him find, ending with him pulling him out of a fox hole under machine gun fire.
I asked him, what is it like there? What's it REALLY like?
We have no clue people, but we're waking up.
When 9/11 happened, I stayed glued to the tv like most people, even after I received word my family in New York were safe. But I couldn't shake a few things, and it snowballed.
first, how did this happen in todays age? Why were there so many reports about israelis? Dancing in the street, filming the attack, later arrested and let free to go on TV at home and say they were hired to document the event. 9/11? Who hired you? How did you know?
Then I heard about the Israeli IM client people received early warning over. Then I learned that an Israeli firm was handling security at various attack points, as well as having a back door into the us and canadian phone system.
Then I read about the spy ring that was broken up.
Then I started asking hard questions. I'm sure you've all had similar experiences on sites and blogs.
But the day I was labeled an anti-semite, i will remember forever.
I said, first, the jews today aren't the jews in the bible, those would actually be the Palestinians. Second, the holy land isn't even the holy land in the bible. Third, why is 1 country allowed to invade and conquer lands from ALL of it's bordering countries?
Why is Israel sitting on a pile of undeclared nukes, and not part of the non-proliferation act.
Why is the US giving them billions in aid when they are one of the richest countries in the region?
Those questions, based against the deeds of the GOVERNMENT, by default makes me racist against jews.
Fun times
Not all Arabic People are Semites.
Those that now call themselves Palestinians, are still Semites, as are all of the Jewish people who lived in the Middle East over the last couple of millennium.
Being Jewish, of European decedents, don't make one any more Semite then me, with my family coming form Europe, makes me a native American. But being born here, I am an American in the same sense of the word that the indigenous first peoples are but can NEVER be of the same DNA as they are.
What a moving letter. You are so right!
I am a human being.
I am "anti-semitic" and proud of it!
I agree 100% with your statement. I too have received the label of anti-semite. I didnt personally consider myself anti-semetical, but rather anti-zionist. And due to this antagonistic attitudes from zionists I questioned my own thoughts
I was raised not to question authority, but after some deep soul searching, and researching the issues, I have discovered the true nature of Talmudic Judaism and I am disgusted with what I have learned. So yes I could now be called a anti-semite, and I will proudly acknowledge that fact.
Doug
I can't believe that there is not one anti anti Semitic comment here. By labeling yourself anti semetists you clearly don't know the whole story. I know you said you don't care about the past, but let me ask you this.
If you were a father and you had 3 sons named bob joe and Sam. Bob killed joe and then as you walked in the next week from your vacation, Sam is beating up bob for killing joe. Sam tells you that bob killed joe. (But you don't care about the past.) so would you punish Sam? Cuz you didn't see bob kill joe?
Exactly people have reasons for things that others don't quite understand. I know you will probrally think this comment is stupid why should I listen to you?
Without Israel (not palistine) we would not have cellphones, xbox, flash drives, solar power, the pill cam, soda stream, and many more. All invented in Israel by Jews!
Think about it catholic=cristans=Jesus=Jews!
By calling yourself anti Semetic
You don't realize how many religions branch off of jewdiusm including Islam.
Israel's mothers jump on there children to save them from bombs, and Palestinian mothers turn there children into the bombs.
Jews are people too.
They need somewhere to be just like you. What if we took away the vadacin city from you and never let any one in, including the pope. How would you feel and the pope being kicked out of his home and Muslims moving in and destroying the place. Than 200 years later you win back your land. But no one ever remembers them taking it because no one was alive. Therefore we could say we hate Catholics! They barge in and steal the (whatever they Chang the name to)' land! How would you feel!
By labeling yourself anti Semitic you are hating every single jew in existence! What if you son converts to jewdiusm, do you automatically hate him? Or if you get married and find out your wife is Jewish, do you hat her and divorce her immediately? Not all Jews did this. And even those who did where 100% correct for doing it
I'm not going to tell you every thing you proberly don't know about this because you don't care about the past and I would only be wasting my own time.
I hope you start to see in a different prospective and not be so hateful to over 15 million people!
Anonymous August 4, 2014:
You're right. I think your comment is stupid.
I'm actually anti-jewish. Jews and jewish sycophants give out the anti-Semitic label.
Anonymous February 9, 2009:
I agree with your sentiments 100%. Thanks for pointing out the errors. I cleaned up the grammar and typos... and created two new words: labeler and genocider.
Being true to oneself is the only thing that makes a free man. Thank you for the honest piece. Nothing is hidden anymore thanks to media. Time for us the people to put an end to this. Check Israeli product lists and boycott them. You can do that anywhere in the world without trouble. You can help the cause with consuming ethically. Long live justice! Long live Palestine!
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