Hate Mail - The Loopy Tape Loop Is Playing

The Working Definition of Antisemtism  of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defines antisemitism as:

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

Which is something I've never been guilty of as anyone who wants to look at everything I've written over several blogs would know.   I challenge you to come up with the places I am guilty of doing that, knowing that you won't find any place I have.  

In the illustrations published by the IHRA it says:

Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic.

I have never criticized the Israeli government nor the voters in Israel who have elected such people as Benjamin Netanyahu, Menachem Begin, Arial Sharon in terms I have not also criticized the governments and voters of the United States, Canada, including many state governments and a couple of provinces, Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Russia, China, Australia, really too many to keep track of.  I've certainly said much worse things about the American government and voters than I ever did Israel.  Good Lord, have you read what I've said about Republican-fascists?  

There is no reason for an American to hold Israel or any other country to a lesser standard than they insist their own country, its government, its voters, be held to.  I won't apologize to Israel or Russia or Saudi Arabia or Britain for holding them to that standard. 

That said, I think the impunity that Israel has enjoyed with many people is fading, especially as the last of the direct witnesses to the Holocaust die.  That was a situation I predicted would be extremely dangerous more than ten years ago as I watched my World War Two veteran parents aging and dying along with everyone else I knew of that generation.   Eventually the last witnesses to that will be dead and it's clear, neo-Nazis are making the most of that along with everything else.  

Unlike people like you who have accused me of antisemitism, I am entirely in favor of making Nazism, neo-Nazism and all of its false fronts illegal and forcibly removing all of their propaganda from all mass media.  Their genocidal, anti-egalitarian, anti-democratic ideology removes them from any right to protection of rights for Nazism etc. so they can work to deprive millions of others of all of their rights, including the ones they claim for themselves.  There is no rational reason to take the chance of them being able to do it again.  And I would say the same about all racist, sexist, etc. ideologies which have had a history of producing mass murder and the denial of rights.  And I hold the same about those who target Muslims in the same way.  

They want it to happen again.  A rote claim of antisemitism made against people who are not antisemites but who are critical of Israel and its policy and, since it has an elected government, those who elect those governments is dangerous and irresponsible.  That practice as a means of shutting down all criticism if Israel will have the effect of disempowering legitimate accusations of antisemitism, aiding no one but the real antisemites.  

So, I'm refusing to accept any other definition of antisemitism than that of the IHRA, especially one which guys like you just pull out of your ass.   That is I accept it with one big exception.   It includes as antisemitism:

Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

I would agree if that accusation is made on the basis of identity of all or most or unspecified people who are Jewish, but there are certainly cases when such an observation is not only justifiable but likely true.  I think it could certainly be justifiably suspected of many of those in the United States who moved the country into the disastrous and illegal invasion of Iraq.   I would certainly say it's true of at least some of those trying to foment yet another war favored by the Israeli government between the United States and perceived or actual enemies of Israel, Iraq in the past decade, Iran in this.  If a Saudi-American were trying to get us involved in yet another guaranteed moral atrocity and likely military and political , economic and diplomatic disaster while having ties to the Saudi government, I'd feel free to say the same thing about them.  I've grown rather tired of other countries lobbying and corrupting the government of the United States on behalf of other countries when it is a moral atrocity and a military, political, economic and diplomatic disaster for the United States and all of its people.

Update:  Rereading this, I would also notably include the ruling oligarchs in Kuwait who I think helped in the gulling of the politicians and some of the People of the United States into invading Iraq as well.  All of those oil oligarchies are corrupt as hell.  Though none of that would have happened without the Bush Crime Family  encouraging Saddam Hussein to invade Kuwait so Bush I could be a "war president" something which I certainly haven't forgotten.