Why the Left is Antisemitic, and Why that Will Not Change |
As someone who has been a liberal all my life, I am saddened by what has happened to the left in the last few decades with regards to the Israel-Arab conflict. The left was once sympathetic to Israel. That was when Israel was poor and weak, barely able to stand up to its Arab enemies. Now that Israel can defend itself, the left is highly critical of Israel, to the point where it is demonization, not reasoned criticism.
Such concerted and indefensible demonization of the only Jewish state can only be characterized as antisemitic although this type of antisemitism is relatively recent compared to classic antisemitism (consciously hating Jews). While classic antisemitism is probably no more prevalent on the left than on the right, the new antisemitism is far more prevalent on the left than on the right.
Glorification of Violence by the Left
The new antisemitism on the left follows naturally from a long tradition on the left of supporting and even romanticizing violence by what is seen as the oppressed against what is seen as the oppressors. The following is some of what was said on this subject by the founders of the modern left:
Karl Marx: “There is only one way in which the murderous death agonies of the old society and the bloody birth throes of the new society can be shortened, simplified and concentrated, and that way is revolutionary terror”.
Frederick Engels: “A revolution is certainly the most authoritarian thing there is; it is the act whereby one part of the population imposes its will upon the other part by means of rifles, bayonets and cannon — authoritarian means, if such there be at all; and if the victorious party does not want to have fought in vain, it must maintain this rule by means of the terror which its arms inspire in the reactionists”.
Vladimir Lenin: “The suppression of the bourgeois state by the proletarian state is impossible without a violent revolution”.
Leon Trotsky: “The revolution does require of the revolutionary class that it should attain its end by all methods at its disposal – if necessary, by an armed rising: if required, by terrorism”.
Mao Zedong: “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”.
Frantz Fanon: “At the level of the........