tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061009.post4888010834450293752..comments2023-08-19T14:12:52.220+02:00Comments on Reflection & Inquiries: Anti-Semitism, left and rightGeoffrey Foxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04041450398780043453noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061009.post-77588824734052243612009-03-19T03:08:00.000+01:002009-03-19T03:08:00.000+01:00Gef,Am on a tenuous internet connection, from Mexi...Gef,<BR/>Am on a tenuous internet connection, from Mexico. The above comment was hasty. Any tracing the "roots" of anti-Semitism in Venezuela to anything even approaching a valid social-scientific inference probably isnt possible. So 2 things:<BR/>1) the way the discourse seems to blame ALL Jews for Israeli atrocity suggests that anti-Semites in Venezuela are confused--they're conflating Israel with Jews in general. This IS anti-Semitism, but it has at least, I think, the partial cause--that Israel's "defenders" in the Am. government and intellectual classes call all criticism of Israel anti-Semitic. Hence they conflate Israel w/Jews in order to fend off criticism of Israel. In the short-run, that works. In the long-run, it confuses people--if criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, that can only be because Jews = Israel and culpability for Israeli crimes can be laid at the door of the ethnic group as a whole. This IS anti-Semitism, but the blame, again, lies with intellectuals more than with common chavistas, confused (which is not to say they are blameless, just less blameworth).<BR/><BR/>And 2: Kozloff taking on Venezuelan anti-Semitism is not a problem, in my view. I think he's earned the right to sympathetically criticize things in Venezuelan society that he disapproves of. BUT: his evidentiary base was really weak. And he doesn't talk about responsibility--in this case lying a lot less with chavez than with the Dershowtzies or the Peretzes of the Karlins (Buzzflash's publisher) of the world who conflate anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the civility.<BR/><BR/>-Maxjewbonicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179220313237449896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061009.post-34583353610695714692009-03-18T15:25:00.000+01:002009-03-18T15:25:00.000+01:00Thanks for the comment, JB. But give us more: Why ...Thanks for the comment, JB. But give us more: Why do you think the "roots" of anti-Semitism in Venezuela have more to do with Israel (and if so, just what about Israel?) than with, so, centuries of anti-Jewish propaganda by the Catholic hierarchy and the mythology dating to at least 1492 (expulsion of Jews from Spain)? The "roots" of anti-Sentimism in this case are very tangled, with opposition to Israeli state policy being a late addition, difficult to assimilate to the older image of Jews as secretive and cowardly evildoers. But maybe you have some insight I'm unaware of. Let us know. Thanks.Geoffrey Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04041450398780043453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4061009.post-85217171796593106002009-03-18T06:20:00.000+01:002009-03-18T06:20:00.000+01:00I have responded to this Kozloff piece at my blog,...I have responded to this Kozloff piece at my blog, at this address:<BR/>http://www.maxajl.com/?p=626<BR/><BR/>I think Kozloff isn't entirely off the mark, and there is evidence of anti-Semitism within chavismo, which differs from Chavez. But it was irresponsible, I think, to ignore the roots of that anti-Semitism, which have a lot to do with Israel.jewbonicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179220313237449896noreply@blogger.com