In reading the melodrama of Rick Sanchez’ implosion in front of a national radio audience when he called Jon Stewart both a “white liberal,” “bigot,” and “Jew,” not necessarily in that order, I was reminded how racism is an equal opportunity employer. Just because you’re a discriminated-against minority doesn’t mean that you too can’t be racist. During a radio interview meant to plug his new book, Sanchez recounted his own history of being the victim of prejudice at the hands of a CNN boss who wouldn’t consider him as a news anchor.
Then he proved that despite suffering prejudice, he could dish it out as well:
Mr. Sanchez called Mr. Stewart a “bigot,” but later took the word back, calling the comedian “prejudicial” instead.
Prejudicial “against who?” Mr. Dominick asked.
Mr. Sanchez said, “Against anybody who doesn’t agree to his point of view, which is very much a white liberal establishment point of view.”
One of the co-hosts of the radio show brought up the fact that Mr. Stewart is a Jew, saying to Mr. Sanchez, he is a minority “as much as you are.”
Mr. Sanchez answered sarcastically, “Yeah. Yeah. Very powerless people.” He let out a high-pitched laugh.
“Everybody that runs CNN is a lot like Stewart,” Mr. Sanchez said. “And a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart. And to imply that somehow they — the people in this country who are Jewish — are an oppressed minority? Yeah.”
Of course, what’s ironic about all this is that Sanchez had his many detractors at CNN, but one of his supporters was Jonathan Klein, undoubtedly one of those white-liberal-Jew-Jon Stewart types he so despises. Contemporary society pits all minorities against each other in a dog-eat-dog world. It’s divide and conquer so The Man ends up always winning. So if Rick Sanchez doesn’t get his promotion it must be because of all those white liberal Jew CNN editors like Jon Stewart who disparage him because he’s Hispanic.
I know who will snatch up his contract: FoxNews. That’s a marriage made in heaven–or Republican National Committee headquarters.
Sanchez’ whinefest was a classic example of professional jealousy displayed in the most petulant terms. Stewart’s Jewishness doesn’t stop him from being highly critical of Zionist policies and Israeli/US hypocrisy – and he’s the most successful and popular guy on Comedy Central. I listened to as much of Sanchez’ rant as I could bear, and he didn’t say one thing that actually made any sense to me.
When Octavia Nasr was fired by CNN, I was disgusted; I feel no less disgusted by Sanchez’ firing simply because it’s overkill. He could have been asked to apologize and that would be enough. In a world where Muslims and others are routinely the butt of hate speech, it seems people only get fired when they attack Jews. This is more disturbing than anything Sanchez actually said.
I don’t agree. Nasr’s firing was ridiculous & repulsive. But Sanchez’ comments were revolting & entirely misplaced. I only felt sorry for him because he accepted the traditional notion that there had to be a fight bet. 2 ethnic minorities for dominance–a classic case of the social elite pitting us against ea. other to see who would win, meaning no one except the white power brokers.
Oh, the irony… “white” power brokers… 🙂
‘WHITE LIBERAL=WASP’?
Richard, the day when all badmouthing of Jews, Muslims, African Americans, Latinos, etc., is treated equally, I’d agree with you. But in the news media, this kind of thing seems to happen just a wee bit too often, and it’s distasteful especially when it’s coupled with cowardly reportage. Fox News, for its equivalent slandering of Muslims, would be shut down, or at least Bill Reilly, Glenn Beck and their ilk would be fired, if they were held to the same standard as Sanchez was.
I agree with Mary’s view on this and would also like to point out that the co-host’s bringing in the whole “Jewish” theme seems like an obvious orchestrated move of the worst taste. It is obvious in the interview that the one who was most insistent on bringing in time and again the the words “Jew” or “Hispanic minority” was “Stewart’s friend” as the co-host describes himself. The whole trio, Sanchez, co-host, and CNN watching from the sidelines, ought to go to the dogs for lack of professionalism and unfair practices.
“In a world where Muslims and others are routinely the butt of hate speech, it seems people only get fired when they attack Jews. This is more disturbing than anything Sanchez actually said.”
I have to agree with Mary, and then some. Whereas when it comes to Arabs or worse yet Muslims anyone can get away with saying (or doing) anything they want, whatever one says that may or may not be directed at Jews can be interpreted as anti-Semitic. As an example, I have been accused of anti-Semitism for criticizing Al Franken for speaking at a pro-Israel rally during the 2008-09 Gaza massacre. The fact that I was criticizing his appearance at that rally based solely on his claim of being a progressive was considered irrelevant. The fact that he is Jewish, which I have not and will never take into consideration, was sufficient to label me an anti-Semite.
I am truly baffled by Sanchez’s saying that Jon Stewart is “bigoted” or “prejudicial”. It makes about as much sense as Jonah Goldberg’s “liberal fascism”.
I wonder if Sanchez isn’t just envious of Stewart’s success. Or perhaps he was just channeling Glenn Beck.
At any rate, he seems to have some “issues” he needs to work on.
Even though Jon Stewart happens to be one of the few Jews in mainstream media that I can listen to…its a fact that Most media executives are reigiously Jewish.
I am sorry its the truth..
What utter stupidity. Even if you’d just said they were Jewish it would be a lie. But to claim they are religiously Jewish is even stupider since only 20% of American Jews are religious. Can you prove yr claim? No you can’t. But go ahead & try or you’ll be banned here. Come back with proof of this statement in 24 hrs or you’ll never comment again here. Sorry, but I don’t suffer this bullshit gladly.
Richard, I disagree with your analysis, which seems to adopt a very conventional but inaccurate view of what Sanchez said.
First, let me say that I am not a fan of Sanchez. I have seen Stewart make fun of him, and was unimpressed with the way Sanchez reacted — whining about his ethnic background, as if Stewart has ever shown restraint for WASPs or fellow Jews. And Sanchez did look like a buffoon in the Stewart clips.
On the other hand, I did not find his remarks, the ones that got him fired, to be so offensive. He did not bring up “Jewish control of the media.” He responded to the interviewer’s absurd remark that Stewart himself is from an oppressed minority. Sanchez’s ridicule of that assertion is well-placed. He acknowledged that Jews have a history of being victims of discrimination, but said, quite accurately, that being a Jew in America today is not a liability, especially in the broadcast media field, which directly answered Dominick’s assertion to the contrary. It’s about as absurd as saying that a Jewish lawyer in NYC (e.g., me)has had to overcome anything. Of course, a majority of judges are not Jewish, but my ancestry hasn’t been a liability.
Sanchez feels that he’s had to overcome all sorts of prejudices to achieve his success. Maybe that’s true and maybe not. He certainly appears to be hyper-sensitive to his ethnic background, to the point where he unpersuasively accuses Stewart of bigotry. But you too seem hyper-sensitive to what Sanchez said about Jews. He may be a bit silly sometimes, but he was fired for very very mildly stepping on Jewish toes.
He said that all the editorial levers of power at CNN are controlled by people just like Jon Stewart, who he’d previously noted was Jewish. Then he pointedly used the term “Jewish” immediately following that, thus implying that those editors were Jewish. In the context of complaining about the CNN editor who told him he wasn’t anchor material, this was clearly an anti Semitic rant as it went right into “Jewish control of the media” territory, which you mistakenly claim he didn’t enter. Now, we can argue whether Sanchez is a malicious anti Semite or merely an anti Semite through ignorance. You could make an argument that Sanchez is just an ignorant fool on that score & not a deliberate out & out anti-Semite. But to claim what he said wasn’t anti Semitic is a losing proposition. It just can’t be credibly made.
And if you think being Jewish isn’t still a liabiilty in certain circles in this country, you’re naive. It’s true that Jews have made great strides in many areas, but there are still ones where being Jewish is a liability. There is still anti Semitism in this country. It’s not as bad as some other countries, but it exists.
He was fired for being anti-Semitic. Plain & simple. CNN understood that & most other people do too.
Too bad CNN doesn’t get as upset with racists like Dr. Laura Schlessinger – her notorious racist rant which she inflicted on a young African American woman didn’t cost her a thing. Do you suppose if she’d been fired, the Jewish community would have hollered “anti-semitism”?
With all due respect, Richard, anti-semitism isn’t a big issue in this country by any stretch of the imagination. Actually, I prefer the term “anti-Jew.” Semites include Arabs, and we know how they’re treated these days.
Not a big issue compared to what? And not a big issue for whom? And I didn’t say it wasn’t a “big” issue. But it is AN issue, and for Jews bigger than for others. Besides, once you or your people have suffered the prejudice & hatred that Jews have, prejudice of any sort against you is a big issue.
Richard, give me a break. I’m a Muslim. Does the Ground Zero Mosque ring any bells? That’s just one example.
I think what’s most important here is that the victim mentality needs to be put aside.
It really does no one any good to take on the attitude: “who’s suffered more–my people or yours.” I refuse to play that game. Unfortunately, you’re playing it as Rick Sanchez did as well. Again, I’m not saying my suffering as a Jew is any more than any other ethnic group. I’m not going to qualify who’s suffered more. All I can tell you is that Jews have suffered deeply during their own history & continue to suffer.
And I find it interesting that whenever someone not of your own ethnic group tells you to put aside your own victim mentality, they’re not talking about their own group, which is somehow still entitled to see itself as a victim. I refuse to allow anyone else to define my view of my own people’s suffering. Would you allow white Americans to decide for African Americans the question of whether or not there is still racism in America? Of course not.
Of course it is a game, but nevertheless it has relevance. We have a big problem with our news media, Richard – it has decided that anything remotely anti-Jewish must be chopped down like a diseased tree, without any discussion, but the other forms of racism and bigotry are flourishing and are actually being fed by an industry that thrives on pandering to prejudice and hatred.
I don’t think that I’m off the mark by making comparisons in how various incidents are handled. It is quite a relevant question to ask why, for example, Helen Thomas can be run out of town on a rail but Laura Schlessinger gets to “retire” at the end of her contract.
There’s a big difference between being upset for overhearing someone use the term “Jew down,” and having to deal with border police who pull you aside and lock you in a room for interrogation because you’re wearing a headscarf. There’s a big difference when crowds of thousands of people carrying signs saying “Islam is the Devil” and whatnot are marching all over the country and some malignant lunatic wins an election because of his anti-Islam rhetoric. There’s a big difference when you’re a cab driver being attacked by a guy with a knife who just asked you if you’re a Muslim.
I think the “suffering” of the Jews is in the past. I’m sorry if that offends you. But there is no concerted effort to keep Jews out of the US and Europe, to keep Jews from building synagogues. They’re a formidable political presence, as we all know. As for Rick Sanchez, he basically is a blithering idiot with a rotten case of professional jealousy and a petty, bigoted little mind. Wolf Blitzer has spouted some pretty racist stuff over the years – but has CNN fired him? Hell, no. Because some people’s sensibilities are more important than others. And Wolfie happens to have strong ties with AIPAC, doesn’t he? I’m not sticking up for Sanchez by any means, but I think this is one mountain being made from a molehill.
YOu of all people should know that when an entire people suffers, and suffers over a very long period of time, that suffering is NEVER in the past. That suffering is always in the present and it will always be in the present. Pls don’t insult me by saying you don’t understand that because I know you understand it in a Palestinian context, yet you deny it to a Jew. Not fair.
“my suffering as a Jew…”
Richard, without meaning any disrespect, how have you personally suffered as a Jew?
“whenever someone not of your own ethnic group tells you to put aside your own victim mentality, they’re not talking about their own group, which is somehow still entitled to see itself as a victim.”
Are you suggesting that Arabs and Muslims are not entitled to see themselves as victims given the abuses they are regularly subjected to at every level, and the fact that these abuses are considered normal and acceptable? Are you suggesting that Jews’ position in this country entitles them to their victim mentality?
And by the way, I do not see the victim mentality infusing the Arab and Muslim communities in the U.S. the way it seems to do the Jewish community despite the fact that Arabs and Muslims are daily being subjected to very severe prejudice, public and private hate speech, ridicule, and government oppression. Quite the contrary, in fact, Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. and elsewhere are too busy taking positive steps on various levels to improve their position to spend much effort on being victims.
Nor has Muslim or any other kind of “suffering” been exploited into an “industry,” which is what I think I’m seeing here. Finkelstein was spot on in his analysis of the perpetuation of holocaust suffering, especially where this suffering loses its meaning. There’s an unhealthy echo of “holocaust” when the Rick Sanchezes of the world make their silly little rants – the outrage against such doofus bloviations is way out of proportion. Sanchez’ noises about Jews in the media are not “Jewish suffering” by any stretch.
Experiencing the holocaust 65 years ago does NOT give any legitimation to claiming collective victimhood today. After so much exploitation of Jewish suffering by Zionism, it’s rather sickening to see so much kvetching over this idiot Sanchez.
“when an entire people suffers, and suffers over a very long period of time, that suffering is NEVER in the past. That suffering is always in the present and it will always be in the present.”
Richard I have observed, and discussed and understand very well how parents’ trauma, such as that of Holocaust survivors, is passed down the generations, though it tends to take a different form in each generation. There is a point, though, at which perpetual eternal victimhood becomes a choice, and is used as a pretext for all kinds of behaviour that benefits nobody and harms everyone. And one cannot, of course, overlook the way in which genuine Jewish suffering has been systematically and cynically used by some to create a picture of Jews as eternal and perpetual victims. I don’t find this kind of wallowing in past pain to be good for Jews or anyone else.
“I know you understand it in a Palestinian context, yet you deny it to a Jew.”
Not a fair comparison at all. The Palestinians’ trauma is happening now, has gone on for many decades, and shows no sign of ending. On the contrary in many respects it is getting worse over time. While acknowledging that the effects of extreme trauma do continue for generations, it ended for Jews more than 60 years ago, and things have steadily improved since then.
Of course that’s true. But I hope you will acknowledge that there are ways to have one’s history always in the present including the suffering that is part of it w/o being twisted & dehumanized by it. That is my approach to Jewish history. It is always present to me (& in the present), but it never distorts my judgment such that I cannot see reality for what it is. Of course, there are others who are weighted down by their history & allow it to poison their approach to the present.
Again, I simply don’t accept the view that Jews should develop a case of historical amnesia just because they haven’t suffered a Holocaust of WWII magnitude in the past 60 yrs. Sorry, but I can’t do that. My history is too full of suffering going back more than a millenium for me to say 60 yrs. of relative peace means all is honky dory.
dr laura is not employed by cnn
dr laura is retiring from the air waves as soon as her contract is over as a result of her recent rant
so not sure what you mean that it didnt cost her a thing
“Semites include Arabs, and we know how they’re treated these days”
Semite does mean arabs as well, when something is called anti-semite it doesn’t refer to semite tribes.
Jews don’t like following generalizations:
1. Jews are all rich and powerful(not true)
2. Jews rule the world through organizations (not true)
Why the jews don’t like these because in the past those accusations have caused lot of trouble. Yes they first started as rumours. I can really tell you that people really believe in these fairy tales.
I have personally muslim, arab and druze friends and not one of them has belittled jews or their past. we respect each other. It is mary called tolerance.
I have never suggested that Jews, or American Blacks, or anyone else should forget about their people’s historical suffering. What I find objectionable is to continue to wallow in it long after it has ended, to cling to victim status in perpetuity, and to use it to justify a failure to move on and embrace the present-day reality.
Yesterday I ran into a family friend of forty or more years who happens to be a 1948 Palestinian refugee. He and his family suffered severe loss and trauma, and he has a lifelong commitment to the Palestinian cause, and at the same time does not himself play any kind of victim card. He has prospered in his life, an as he says, life has overall been very, very good to him, so while past and present injustices and abuses toward Palestinians, and the history of suffering of his family and his people is always with him, you will never, ever hear him whining about his own suffering. He is too busy living his life to the fullest.
“He was fired for being anti-Semitic. Plain & simple.”
Exactly. He was fired for making what amounted to some possibly mildly anti-semitic remarks that are nevertheless open to interpretation. OK, fine. Name one media figure who has been fired or even officially criticized for making even the most vile anti-Arab or anti-Islam remarks.
I hope that when Muslim Americans have been in this country as long as Jews have, and have as much political power as Jews have that this will change. In this blog I have often criticized media figures who have expressed racist views of Muslims & I will continue to do so. After time, I hope more Americans will be sensitized to this issue. It takes time & a lot of education.
Richard, I have news for you. Arabs and Muslims have been in this country at least as long as Jews have. But that is not relevant. Why should Arabs, Muslims or anyone else have to wait to be in this country as long long as Jews have, or have as much political power as Jews have in order not to have hate speech and mistreatment of them be at least as illegitimate and unacceptable as every little remark that can possibly be construed or misconstrued and labeled as anti-Jewish?
Yes, I know you have taken very strong issue with people who have made bigoted comments about Muslims, and I appreciate your views and actions on this issue. I also understand, given the history of anti-Semitism, Jews’ high level of sensitivity. On the other hand, I do not find it advances the struggle against anti-Semitism to frantically grab every excuse to label a remark or a person as anti-Semitic while at the same time ignoring consistently clear and frequently extremely virulently hateful speech against another group. Worse yet, some of those who are most ready to scream anti-Semitism are themselves guilty of some of the worst anti-Arab, anti-Muslim speech.
As I said earlier, I have been labeled an anti-Semite by the non-Jewish owner of one “progressive” American political blog for saying that as a self-described progressive Al Franken should be ashamed of himself for speaking at a rally supporting Israel’s 2008-09 three week rampage in Gaza. I guess it would have been fine for me to say that if Al Franken were not Jewish, given that he was Jewish I should have just kept my mouth shut. I have never seen that level of outrage on the part of this particular blog owner over clear anti-Arab, anti-Muslim comments.
But not in the numbers the Jews have been for as long as Jews have been. That is a relatively recent phenomenon which is confirmed by the relative inexperience & lack of funding which Arab-American organizations face. I didn’t say they had to wait for anything & you’re being quite uncharitable. But Jews and African Americans lived here a very long time before there were serious movements to liberate them fr the worst prejudices they suffered. If Arab Americans work on this issue & do it faster, go for it & I’ll be there to do what I can to help.
Saying a Jew “jews someone down” is not a ‘little remark’ to a Jew. I know it wasn’t to me. And I resent and resent increasingly the tone you are taking.
If you are talking about groups like the ADL then of course I agree with you & you know that rebutting such nonsense is one of the major themes of this blog. If you are talking about me, which I assume you aren’t, then that’s another story.
As your story shows, many pro-Israeli American Jews deliberately smudge the line bet. criticism of Israel and anti Semitism. The latter accusation is invariably a red herring used to render real debate impossible. I think you know that I decry this attitude.
Richard, as Robin has pointed out, there are and have been for some time extremely strong, and very well-funded forces in the media, in society, and in the government that are working 24/7 to sensitize American society AGAINST Arabs and Muslims, and to neutralize the efforts of Arabs and Muslims to overcome the stereotypes and beliefs that lead to abuses.
Even when the media appear to be trying to dispel negative stereotypes, they often tend to have the opposite effect. 20/20 this last Friday was titled Islam, Questions and Answers. I only had time to watch a bit of it, so I recorded it, but the part I watched was quite appalling. They were going on about the ridiculous notion that somehow mainstream (aka “moderate”) Muslims have an obligation to publicly denounce the “extremists” or “Islamists” or whatever they called them in order, of course, to “prove themselves” to be worthy citizens. The anchors wondered why 2 billion Muslims worldwide did not take to the streets to protest the “hijacking” of their religion by the likes of Bin Laden, and made the absurd conclusion that what American Muslims needed to do was organize and hold a “Million Muslim March” against extremism. Of course, such an action would have exactly zero effect on bin Laden and his followers, but that’s not the real purpose in any case. What people who bring up this kind of idea are really demanding is that Muslims do something to prove to “real” Americans they are not with the “extremists”. This kind of demand is beyond offensive. Muslims do not have any such obligation any more than Christians should be obligated to take action to prove they are not like the people who bomb family planning clinics and murder doctors who perform abortions, or the Christian militia types. They have no more obligation to apologize for or publicly condemn the actions of bin Laden than Italian-Americans had to apologize for or condemn the Mafia.
And yes, I was referring mainly to the ADL and their ilk as well as some individuals who appear to be watching eagerly for anything they can latch onto and label as anti-Semitic.
By the way, the blog owner in my story is not a Jew, and he is quite capable of criticizing Israel.
How did we get from talking about a guy who got fired over something stupid that he’d said about Jews, to Muslims playing the victim, this turn? I thought you really hated that? Why does it always have to end with “they aren’t suffering as much as we are!”?
Pretty much every Jew I know has been a victim to anti-semitism. You would have to be delusional to say discrimination of Jews is in the past. I’m sure Muslims don’t enjoy hospitality everywhere they go, either. But both instances are cases of prejudice, racism, and hatred, and are problematic. This is not a competition.
By the way, Sanchez may be anti-semitic, but I don’t personally think his comment is.
“f you think being Jewish isn’t still a liabiilty in certain circles in this country, you’re naive. It’s true that Jews have made great strides in many areas, but there are still ones where being Jewish is a liability.”
Name one.
Now name the areas in the United States where being Arab or worse yet Muslim is NOT a liability.
The military, police. Plus, there are huge reservoirs of anti-Semitism in rural America, areas like the South, mountain west, etc.
I’m really uncomfortable w. this game of comparing whose suffering is worse. I’ve already said I don’t want to go there. So let’s agree not to–or agree to disagree on this.
I am not going to argue that anti-Semitism does not exist in this country. I am not going to deny that there are neo-Nazi militias even here in Southern California because I know they exist-they are there and it is undeniable.
What I am going to say is that law enforcement and the ADL are in place to deal with them. Speech is one thing that the government has to allow, actions are quite another. However, if you cannot concede that anti-Semitism is not politically correct or acceptable in our society as a WHOLE, that the ADL along with the Simon Wiesenthal Center and others have not made their way into the public school system with their educational programs (which BTW equate anti-Semitism with the need for a Jewish “homeland” in Israel which is funded primarily by the United States through their government and private donations) while Arab or Muslim groups are kept OUT of the public education system by way of a plethora of means then I don’t know what to say.
“After time, I hope more Americans will be sensitized to this issue. It takes time & a lot of education.”
Please explain to me when this miracle will be ALLOWED to occur? The recent Texas text book case is a prime example. Because Texas orders such a high volume of text books and states order what text books are available by the publishers, states all over our nation are also going to be buying these same text books which will affect how students are “educated” across the nation.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1001.blake.html
Revisionaries
How a group of Texas conservatives is rewriting your kids’ textbooks.
“The secular humanists may argue that we are a secular nation,” McLeroy said, jabbing his finger in the air for emphasis. “But we are a Christian nation founded on Christian principles. The way I evaluate history textbooks is first I see how they cover Christianity and Israel.”
And when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas rarely stays in Texas. The reasons for this are economic: Texas is the nation’s second-largest textbook market and one of the few biggies where the state picks what books schools can buy rather than leaving it up to the whims of local districts, which means publishers that get their books approved can count on millions of dollars in sales. As a result, the Lone Star State has outsized influence over the reading material used in classrooms nationwide, since publishers craft their standard textbooks based on the specs of the biggest buyers. As one senior industry executive told me, “Publishers will do whatever it takes to get on the Texas list.”
********************************
Now, it is one thing to teach the Holocaust which is vital to educating our youth. It is quite another to pick and choose as a supposed civil rights group that SUPPOSEDLY stands up for discrimination of all peoples to push the agenda of a STATE which discriminates against non-Jews! (witness again the educational programs put out by Jewish supporters of Israel-Wiesenthal and the ADL)
Zionism is TAUGHT in our public schools. There is no denying this while there is also no denying that the multiple entities such as CAIR and God knows any pro-Palestinian groups wouldn’t be allowed to cross the threshold of those same schools.
It is not a question of “when Muslim Americans have been in this country as long as Jews have, and have as much political power as Jews have that this will change.” it is a question of the entities in place who are denying them any power at every move! And give me a break, “When Muslims have been in this country as long as Jews have”
http://www.muslimsinamerica.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=4&id=13&Itemid=28
Pretty darn EARLY to have come over here!
Let’s just be more honest about this subject and say that the prejudice against Muslims started LONG before 911 and that all ARABS have been discriminated against and all lumped together because they are automatically assumed to be anti-Israel. The Holocaust occurred and it is TAUGHT-it is taught is a way that drums into children’s heads that Israel is the victory over victim hood.
Please please illustrate to me where the other side of this equation is taught in the public school system? Please please illustrate to me where anti-Semitism which has morphed into children learning that Israel was triumphant in creating a state that is in DIRE peril from it’s surrounding neighbors is NOT taught.
Again I am NEVER going to deny that anti-Semitism against Jews does not exist in this country, but there is a STRONG system in place. Saying that “when Muslims have been in this country as long as Jews have” doesn’t make a lick of sense because as time goes on according to this statement Muslims can NEVER be in this country as long as Jews have and it is Jewish organizations which are ALLOWED to fight for their civil rights while Muslim and Arab organizations are systematically NOT allowed to do the same because they allegedly have six degrees of separation from terrorists!
This is not a comparison of who is the more suffering victim. This is a comparison and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of who has the upper hand. And not only in our public school system but ALSO in our media–geeze Louise–Richard–you have acknowledged this yourself for years that the media does not cover the situation fairly. Is this because so many in the media are Eskimos and they aren’t concerned with advertisers and corporate sponsors pulling the plug because after all they are happy living the simple life in igloos?
Give me a break.
(and BTW my take on Sanchez being fired is that his behavior on the Pete Dominik program was that he was an embarrassment to CNN with his off the wall unprofessional behavior even though people are zeroing in on the specific statements, his sarcasm and sighs and overall rant was ridiculous. Should FOX employees be treated likewise? Of course they should be!)
I agree with most of what Robin says. At the elite level, any public expression of anti-semitism is the kiss of death for someone’s career or reputation. Which is as it should be, assuming, of course, we mean real anti-Semitism, not criticism of Zionism or the Israel lobby or whatever. (I don’t have any sympathy for Sanchez. ) But as a matter of fact, any public figure who criticized Zionism would probably find himself fending off the charge of anti-semitism.
In private, of course, Richard Nixon and Billy Graham and others have said anti-semitic things, but that was decades ago and even then they wouldn’t have dared say such things publicly.
Among non-elites there is anti-semitism, but in most cases it’s probably on the same level as any other ethnic or religious or even political prejudice. (We’re getting pretty tribal in our politics as far as liberals and conservatives are concerned, with both sides dehumanizing the other.) Evangelicals aren’t too fond of Mormons because of their theology, for instance (though they have the same attitudes towards most “moral” issues) and for that matter, I hear secular Jews saying pretty harsh things about the Hasidim and fundamentalist Christians who despise liberals (including liberal Christians) and liberals who despise and stereotype conservatives and so on. You do have rightwing extremists who hate Jews, but those are fringe characters and they fall under the gaze of law enforcement agencies–they don’t have radio and TV shows anymore. And there are people who are violent, but that’s the same sort of fringe that would, for instance, bomb abortion clinics. Dangerous, but not remotely mainstream. (In fact, abortion clinic bombers are probably closer to the mainstream than violent anti-semites).
Now, OTOH, if you show too much sympathy for the Palestinian side of the I/P conflict you’re already going to be suspected of anti-semitism. And anti-Muslim sentiment is not some underground fringe phenomenon that is shunned on TV and in politics and not even by all so-called liberals. People at Harvard couldn’t have run fast enough or far enough from someone like Peretz if he’d said one tenth the number of hateful things about Jews that he’s said about Arabs. But hey, he’s a good teacher, so what’s a little anti-Arab hatred? And Peretz is hardly the only Islamophobic liberal. The NYT in the recent past gave a very sympathetic account of Martin Amis’s disgustingly Islamophobic remarks a year or two ago.
I couldn’t find anything about discrimination against Jews in the military police, and it is difficult to imagine what form that might take.
And yes, there are pockets of true anti-Semitism in the United States. At the same time anti-Semitism, unlike anti-Arabism and anti-Islamism is considered completely unacceptable in mainstream America, and sensitivity to it is so extreme that some people are fearful of uttering anything that they think could possibly be construed as being negative about Jews, or even an individual Jewish person.
“He said that all the editorial levers of power at CNN are controlled by people just like Jon Stewart, who he’d previously noted was Jewish.”
I believe it was the interviewer, not Sanchez, who pointed out that Jon Stewart is Jewish. My impression from what I heard of the interview was that when Sanchez said that about the “levers of power” at CNN, he was referring not to Jews but to “white liberals” from well-to-do families. In fact, his prejudice seemed to me to focus not at all on Jews, but on people from what he saw as “elite” backgrounds where people made their livings based on intellect as oppose to physical labour.
Jon Stewart is “prejudicial”? Mr Sanchez needs to invest in a dictionary, and more importantly, to actually use one.
This is so silly…….if you are jewish…….. (drumroll)……you are not white. Maybe they fired Sanchez for not understanding this.
On the U.S. Census I have to call myself Caucasian. There is not “Jewish” ethnicity listed. But I certainly don’t consider myself white.
Arguably Ashkenazi Jews are racially “white” since they are Europeans who for the most part can only trace their ancestry back to Europe. However, if it makes you feel any better, Arabs have traditionally been classified as Caucasian at least in the United States.
I don’t consider myself white nor do I consider myself of European origin.
You have a right to self-define as you see fit, of course.
This year for the census the Arab-American community there was a nationwide campaign to educate Arabs to write in Arab rather than checking Caucasian. No reason Jews can’t do that too.
Yes, sometimes if I’m feeling uppity I mark “Jewish” instead of Caucasian. But most of the time I just say to hell with it & accept Caucasian for the sake of statistics & reports. But I would never self-define as Caucasian.
That implies that a non-religious Caucausian (like my mother — never went to church in her life) who converts to Judaism is not a “true Jew”, because Judaism is a racial category.
Alright it’s more complex than that (e.g. Obama; white mother but self-identifies as black). BUT — Bernie Sanders, Carl Levin, Alan Grayson, Barbara Boxer — to the American public these are white politicians. White AND Jewish, in the same way Romney is white and Mormon. Or Keith Ellison is black and Muslim.
Surely we aren’t claiming that all Ashkenazi Jews are 100% descended from the ancient Hebrew tribes in Canaan, and that all gentiles worldwide have absolutely no Hebraic ancestry? Is it coincidence that European Jews resemble European gentiles more than the Semites in Palestine and Arabia?
I have no idea what this means. Judaism is not JUST a racial category since you can convert to Judaism & be fully accepted as Jewish for doing so.
What does “resemble” mean? Do you mean to say that Jews do not have Semitic traits? Of course many do. You only have to walk through synagogues in the U.S. or Israel to see that this is so. It isn’t universally so of course. Many Jews look just like others in the nations where they live. But many don’t.
I listened to the entire interview and have to agree with David Samel above. Sanchez came across as hypersensitive to criticism, not realizing that his daily 2 hours on CNN has given the Daily Show team plenty to work with. Jon and his writers may have excessively targeted Sanchez, but that had (to my mind) NOTHING to do with his ethnicity, and everything to do with his somewhat clownish antics. Stewart has also mocked Wolf Blitzer for his blandness, Megyn Kelly for her sorority-sister condescension, Beck for his lunacy, … the list is long.
HOWEVER — his actual statements about CNN, setting aside the misplaced assessment of Stewart, did not strike me as “anti-Semitic”.
Here’s my transcript:
“Please, what are you kidding? … I’m telling you that everybody who runs CNN is a lot like Stewart, and a lot of people who run all the other networks are a lot like Stewart, and to imply that somehow they — the people in this country who are Jewish — are an oppressed minority? Yeah.”
And I largely have to agree with him, at least as regards the 21st century. At this point Jewish Americans strike me as being no more an oppressed minority than Polish Americans or Norwegian Americans. That may not have been the case when Stewart’s generation was growing up, but for Millenials being Jewish is less exotic than being Mormon (outside of Utah, that is).
And while I can’t comment on the accuracy of Sanchez’ assessment, I wouldn’t surprise me if a significant percentage of producers and executives at CNN are either of Jewish heritage, or at least grew up on bagels and pastrami and can throw around a few phrases of Yiddish.
Frankly the attitudes surrounding Judaism in the US strike me as mirroring feminism; the boomer generation remembers growing up surrounded by blatant prejudice, and hasn’t adjusted to the current “on-the-ground” conditions of the last decade when close to 60% of college students are female, and Adam Sandler, Jon Stewart, David Cross, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Harvey Weinstein, Steven Spielburg, Bette Midler…. (the list is long) have made Americans of Jewish heritage entirely mainstream.
You have no idea what it’s like to be Jewish in America. One of my TA’s in grad school after too much drink joked that I’d “Jewed down” the cost of a t shirt I’d arranged to be made for our summer language course. This person is now a faculty member at a major American research university. And the thing is he’s actually a nice guy! So what do you do with that??
But don’t tell me there’s no anti-Semitism in America. There is. If you don’t know there is you don’t know how to find it. But most Jews do or have.
Whether there are Jewish producers at CNN isn’t the point. There is nothing in their Jewishness that informs any decision they made as an editor; & to lump all CNN editors together as Jewish, privilged, prejudiced or whatever nonesense Sanchez is peddling is noxious & anti-Semitic.
BTW, I can almost as easily argue that jazz, Black music, culture, hip hop etc are part of mainstream American culture & hertiage. Does that mean that African Americans themselves are mainstream? No, of course it doesn’t I’m not arguing that Jews are in the same position in U.S. society as African Americans. But using popular culture to judge whether an ethnic group faces prejudice is a big mistake.
Yeah but unlike white jews as a Black american I can’t hide..White jews unless they make it known are white I don’t have that luxury..Many of my Black jewish assoicates have even suffered racism in the venues of some white jews RACE always trumps religion and class in our country where the contempt for Black Americas was codified and legal..
“One of my TA’s in grad school after too much drink joked that I’d “Jewed down” the cost of a t shirt I’d arranged to be made for our summer language course.”
No question that is an offensive thing to say, but are you seriously saying that one unfortunate comment made as a joke while in a drunken state makes the guy an anti-Semite?
“This person is now a faculty member at a major American research university. And the thing is he’s actually a nice guy! So what do you do with that??”
What I do with that depends on whether or not that remark was part of a pattern of behaviour and attitudes, or whether it was simply an unfortunate lapse of judgment based perhaps on an misplaced exaggerated sense of familiarity. If it really bothered me I probably would have said something to him about it later to let him know I found it hurtful or distressing. What I would NOT do is add it to my victim’s catalog.
Your TA was an insensitive jerk who might or might not have been an anti-semite. I say “might or might not”, because there are people who love that sort of ethnic “humor”. The rule of thumb to use is whether they love it when it is against their own group–if so, then one could say they have poor taste, but they aren’t necessarily bigots (unless they use the jokes against their own kind as cover). If OTOH they like to put down the “Other”, then it’s probably bigotry.
But a lot of people are bigots about one thing or another (and are totally unaware of it–some liberals can say some pretty nasty things about various “Others” and never realize what it says about them). It doesn’t have any great significance unless it leads to actual discrimination. For instance, I grew up in the South with a family of northern and southern roots and I saw plenty of bigotry between white northerners and southerners. But it didn’t mean much (unlike, say, in the 1860’s) except on a personal level where feelings would get hurt. I also saw lots of anti-black bigotry and that did mean something–you knew that this form of bigotry was still acted upon in hiring practices and in deciding who got to rent apartments and buy houses in certain areas of the city. There were periodic newspaper investigations which would demonstrate this.
A generation back anti-semitism meant real discrimination against Jews in hiring practices and so forth. Your TA’s comment would reflect a larger social reality. Nowadays it just reflects someone who is either a bigot in his personal opinions or someone with very poor taste and judgment. If he acts on those prejudices in his student grading or in who he wants to hire he’s going to get into real trouble if anyone catches on.
“Your TA was an insensitive jerk who might or might not have been an anti-semite.”
I’m not sure he was an insensitive jerk, though perhaps he was. It depends on the intent behind what he said. I have a colleague at work who sometimes makes joking comments to me, such as asking me whether I wore my explosive belt today. Taking those remarks in the spirit in which they are intended, I am not upset by them. These comments are his way of acknowledging the existence of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim stereotypes and trying to disarm them by ridiculing them. I have another colleague who is Latina, and we tease each other with stereotypes all the time, again, as a way of making fun of them.
I don’t know what moved the TA to make that remark. It could have just been a misjudgment on his part and no indication at all of any ill feeling or ill will toward Jews. Or maybe it was.
He is a decent human being who, after having a few beers, allowed his Jesuit education replete w. anti Semitic stereotypes to rear its ugly head. And yes, he was a jerk. He had no idea how disgusting his comment was. He really hadn’t a clue. Probably wouldn’t even remember it now.
In America the majority of jews are white ..I have a number of Black jewish associates many have told me that white jews constantly remind them they are white…
Jews areindeed a religious minority but not a racial one…Of course minorities are bigots and racists in our country that also applys to white jews…
Some not all white liberal jews love to indict WASP’s and the usual white redneck yet get very defensive when the get indicted..Stewart as a bigot unlikely but not impossible…..
What remains a sore spot for many minority groups in our country is the internal racism that exists within minority groups often instead of having authenic dialouge about its presence to many people within these groups engaged in denial, deflection and defensive posturing..
During the aparthied era in South Africa where after WWII many nazi’s fled to SA after Mandela was released from prision despite the relationship between Israel and South Africa from arm sales to trading relationships Mandela often spoke of how the white jewish groups in South Africa were critical to end of aparthied..Mandela was correct about his misgivings with Israel but he did not demonize white jewish citizens of SA who were like white jews here in the states during our jim crow era benefited from white privledges but were powerful forces during the civil rights battles here in America..
Sanchez no doubt deserved to be terminated I hope this does not strain the Jewish and hispanic communites like the Black and jewish communities are.. We don’t need more tension between minority groups in our country..
Here’s something really interesting. There is a new VP in charge of programming at CNN. This is the guy who fired Sanchez.
Hmmmmmm, he’s also the one who FOUND Glen Beck
http://www.thewrap.com/media/column-post/ken-jautz-cnn-future-21202
LOLOLOL from Variety there is this
The firing of Rick Sanchez is the first high-profile dismissal of Ken Jautz’s tenure as head of CNN, and appears to rep a strict message to talent at the cable net: stay in line, or go elsewhere
OMG, do I have permission to hold onto my chair before I fall off? Sanchez out Glen Beck in. Go figure.
I have read this post in its entirety and am confused and at a loss….. Richard, you wrote above: “And if you think being Jewish isn’t still a liabiilty in certain circles in this country, you’re naive.”
Is “being Jewish” (as an object of prejudice) having a certain kind of name? How do others know if you identify as Jewish if you have surname like “Jones”? Or even a name ending in “stein” (because I know “steins” who do not identify themselves as Jewish). And if those in “certain circles” don’t know who identifies themselves as “being Jewish”, how is it a liability?
Sorry if I seem naive, but “being Jewish” is not an identity factor as a physical trait, like skin color, handicapped, female/male or elderly. Is there a simple answer?
Indeed a good point. Pursuant to federal law, a potential employer can’t ask an applicant their ethnicity/religion/race/national origin. I’m still wondering where, in western society, being Jewish is a serious liability, anyway. I’m not talking about the fringe element hate groups; I’m referring to mainstream American life.
I just don’t see Rick Sanchez’ remarks rising to the level of anti-Semitism. And I do see that he’s getting too much attention. And I do see a reaction based on the perpetual victimhood of being Jewish, which I feel really needs to be dispensed with.
You’re not Jewish. How would you know? And the fact that you refuse to concede there is anti Semitism in Sanchez’ remarks indicates there is a residual refusal to recognize the prejudice that Jews face. I don’t deny Muslim suffering & I see no reason why you should feel the need to deny prejudice experienced by Jews.
Your reaction is: “get over it.” Which is precisely what Israeli Jews say to Palestinians & whites say to African Americans. Sorry, but we won’t be “getting over it” anytime soon & it won’t be “dispensed with” (what an annoying locution anyway) either. And I would NEVER say this to anyone who suffers prejudice whether they be African American, Muslim OR Jewish.
You’re being insensitive.
[comment deleted for violation of comment rules–it is anti Semitic to say that Jews control the media & I will not tolerate such statements–if you don’t understand or accept this that’s not my problem, it’s yours]
You are not only naive, you’re disingenuous. They are thousands of ways to tell anyone’s ethnicity no matter what it is, no matter what one’s skin color, etc.
You are obviously not a Black person nor a person of color..Clearly you’re disingenuous if you do not know and understand the legacy of the ‘one drop rule” in our nation with regard to Black Americans..
Unlike you I don’t have the skills nor racial instruments that defines for me the ethnicity of another human being… Please do share with us your talents in this area..
Many of my Black jewish comrades often are on the end of white racist comments from other jews in their temple of course since they are Black cannot hide thier hue nor would anyone need your special skill set to be identified..
Mandela was correct about the racism within the jewish community your comments confirm that..
Here is the unexpurgaed blatantly racist personal e mail message that Greg Thrasher (Orinocle) sent to me which violates the rules of behavior for this site & results in his being banned:
I wonder why he didn’t have the courage of his convictions to add the blantantly racist portion of his personal msg. to his public comment?
For anyone who cares to know a little bit more about the insufferable Greg Thrasher, take a look at this WDET public media comment thread:
And this comment from another station listener:
Apparently, he runs a self-appointed “public policy institute” of one along with his own community TV show, & a blog read by almost no one. Good for you Greg, speaking into the echo chamber. But not here.
The relationship between Blacks and White Jews( In America there is a small percentage of jews of color ) has been under strain since the end of the civil rights era..Part of this disconnect is due to the white privledge arrogant ethos present in the liberal wing of the jewish community here in America..
Sanchez’s insights as crude as they are reveals this same pathology of contempt, arrogance and bigotry is present between Jews and Hispanics…Yet rather that flush out this discourse we get defensive posturing from elitist people like Richard who seek to demonize people like Sanchez for not being pc..
Truth is at end of the day this mash up offers an opening ..Maybe now we have have a real conversation among minorities as well as the usual suspects ( whites) about all the issues of race and class in America not just the agenda by privledged whites like Richard Silverstein
Sanchez had an “insight?” What trash. I have no patience for garbage like this.
In reality, I suspect you’re a troll who doesn’t believe a word of what you’re writing.
[comment deleted for violating comment rules]
Then I will shorten it to this:
In 1996, reprinted in the May 27th issue of the New York Times, by Ari Shavit, an Israeli columnist describing his feelings on the killings of a hundred civilians in a military skirmish in southern Lebanon. Shavit wrote:
“We killed them out of a certain naive hubris. Believing with absolute certitude that now, with the White House, the Senate, and much of the American media in our hands, the lives of others do not count as much as our own.”
He was using poetic license first & the statement was not meant to be taken literally. Ari Shavit is a right wing pro-Israel Haaretz columnist (who has moved quite far to the right fr. the days when he made this quoted statement) & I assure you he doesn’t believe that Jews control the White House, Senate & American media. IF you believe he does, you’re off your rocker.
Oh goody it’s Michael Santamauro the Holocaust denier who USUALLY puts in a website when registering to comment places that goes straight to Holocaust denial books and literature,
Goody goody, this is Michael Santamauro too
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/13/nyregion/13ROOM.html
Obsession about “Jews” is a hmm, isn’t it sort of a sign of anti-Semitism? No matter how many “facts” one can cite?
Done.
Now Richard you can expect for Michael to post a different link about him which was in the Forward.
An antisemite condemns people for being Jews, I am not an antisemite.–Michael Santomauro
You condemn Jews for controlling the media which is not only false, but anti-Semitic.
I deleted his comment. I have no interest in debating how many Jews can dance on the head of a pin in Hollywood or the U.S. media. I’ll leave that for Sanchez & Santamauro.
Richard, you wrote: “They are thousands of ways to tell anyone’s ethnicity no matter what it is, no matter what one’s skin color, etc.”.
I deny being disingenuous. Given that ethnicity is not a physical or biological marker, how do you tell someone’s ethnicity? How does one tell one’s own ethnicity? I have a Jewish ancestor about 3 generations ago. May I identify as Jewish?
If there is a subjective element or election to “being Jewish”, how can a stranger know that to, say, deny you an opportunity or advantage? I was raised Catholic….. but I didn’t have a marker as a Catholic and, upon introduction to a stranger (or prospective employer) I did not make a point to say “By the way, I’m Catholic”. In most settings it wasn’t relevant.
Which, by the way, is what I would have said most determinedly to that co-host who steered Sanchez into things Jewish: “It’s not relevant”.
Not a physical marker? I can tell someone who’s Jewish seven times out of ten just by looking at them. No physical markers, you say? It is also often relatively easy to identify someone physically who is Irish, Scandanavian, Slavic, etc. No physical markers?
I haven’t a clue what this means & I don’t give a fig how you identify yrself or what reason you use to justify doing so.
So the above comment was yr last on this subject. No more. If you attempt to continue this ridiculous line, you’ll be moderated. I don’t have patience for this narischkeit.
Jews are not a race, any more than Anglicans or Catholics. Part of the persistence of anti-Semitism lies in the thoughtless assumption that there is a race of people known as Jews, instead of a collection of individuals who have certain beliefs. Even a child can notice this. Just because many Jews are descended from a common certain genealogical heritage, does not mean that the Jewish group is a race. It is as absurd as claiming that Mormon Christians are a race since they are nearly all white Caucasian Americans.
For starters, Jews encompass a vast range of ethnies –yes Ethnie NOT ethnic. Jews hold a common belief system, not a common ethnicity. Jews do not have any kind of geographical isolation. I can think of no reason to label Jews a race, other than to give them a false and unquestionable status –something all religions desire! It is a belief system, and nothing more.
Maybe it just takes an atheist to notice how farcically religious people can behave, and how weak their reasoning is.
The definition of race is indeed quite ambiguous, but it cannot be stretched to include a religion, nor must we allow religions to claim defense under racism. The difficulty in criticising religion due to alleged “racism” is a massive barrier to social progression.
I want to engage in this discussion as much as I want root canal. If you publish another comment on this subject you’ll be moderated. Consider yrself warned.
Stewart strikes back at Sanchez
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jon-stewart-strikes-back-at-fired-cnn-host-who-called-him-a-bigot-1.317293
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000209904432&v=wall&story_fbid=156869591003207
That is Rick Sanchez’s wife’s Facebook page:
Suzanne Sanchez rick apologized to jon stewart today.they had a good talk. jon was gracious and called rick, “thin-skinned.” he’s right. rick feels horrible that in an effort to make a broader point about the media, his exhaustion from working 14 hr days for 2 mo. straight, caused him to mangle his thought process inartfully. he got caught up in the banter and deeply apologizes to anyone who was offended by his unintended comments.
Yesterday at 1:29pm
8 people like this.
Karie Houston It’ll all be forgotten in no time – you know how people are! This is so lame!!! Hope you’re hanging in there 🙂
Yesterday at 1:32pm
Christopher- N- Patty Kent Love ya…cuz!
Yesterday at 1:42pm
Geri Lynn Dowling-Mirabal Hang in there, my friend.
Yesterday at 1:51pm
John Hamill Your friends are here for you and Rick-this will pass and things will be made right-you guys have our support
Yesterday at 2:05pm
Coleen Culleton Scott We are team Rick. Hang in there. I’m hoping you get back to S Florida. Like I said when one door closes another one opens.
Yesterday at 2:19pm
Sunnidawn Stahler Anderson I think it’s a mountain made out of a molehill. This too shall pass–and you’ll be stronger for it. And yes, these are the times when you learn who’s got your back. We got your back, and you guys are in our prayers:)
Yesterday at 2:25pm · 1 person
Sara Ingram If people truly love you and are truly your friends, it is already forgotten!!!!!
Yesterday at 2:39pm
Angela Johnston Keep hanging in there and one day you’ll be able to say “remember when”. 🙂
Yesterday at 2:59pm
Lynn McSwain Lawson Hang in there!!
Yesterday at 4:21pm
Cheryl Hark Hamill Xoxo you know whatI feel about you and Rick Hang in there I can def tell you better days ahead!!!!!!
23 hours ago
Maureen Williams Love ya! Won’t be long before we’re playing Ninja again 🙂
23 hours ago
Brandy Floyd This too shall pass….hang in there!
23 hours ago
Maureen Williams ….or letting the surf take over our beach chairs 🙂
23 hours ago
Ginger Gosney Eldridge Love you guys!!! It’s all going to work out. I just know it.
22 hours ago
Joy Luke In time this will all be over. God gives you strength when you think it is all gone. Keep smiling!
19 hours ago
Lyli Lopez Dunbar I’m asking God to open up doors for your husband. Hugs
12 hours ago
It took Rick Sanchez an entire week to realize he should apologize to Stewart?
The evangelical Christianity in this Facebook thread makes me sick. No wonder Sanchez thinks Jews run Hollywood & his life.
This is perhaps the most important and revealing exchange on this blog. it pits against each other people who otherwise have generally agreed on many points discussed here before. … i would very much like to see this subject (anti semitism or by any other name) continued … the comments here are a treasure trove for a researcher of historical discrimination against jews and other minorities … richard, this seems to have hit a nerve, yet untouched, on both sides of the issue … and perhaps we should continue the discussion and expand on it. … let’s talk about what happened to the jews at the hands of the christians long before islam saw the dawn of day … about saul of tarsus (aka Paul) and his … or was it something else? … about the dreyfus affair in france … richard, perhaps you can lead a move towards using the more proper term “anti-yahoodi” or “anti-yahoodism” and disposing once and for all with the misnomer “anti-semitism” concocted in europe around 1870 to whitewash christian hate of jews (look at poland now) “because jews killed our christ” and “jews won’t accept christ as their savior”. … perhaps “anti-semitism” is a purely christian-european construction that european-christians preferred to obscure their hate of jews, their “anti-yahoodism”, and that later zionist pro-greater-israel jews found expedient to lay on muslim arabs … who at their core have not been theologically and/or historically anti-yahoodi … and who on many occasions in ancient and modern history offered the jews protection from all those christian-european atrocities and massacres that jews habitually suffered at the hands of those who wanted them to disappear from the face of the earth and erase the memory of all those jews who don’t believe in Paul’s “concocted” christ. … is this a possible subject for discussion? … or will it ruffle more feathers than we can afford here in america … ? heaven bless you richard for all the good-faith contradictions we find on your blog … they make us think and help us open our eyes and hearts to each other. … shalom v’salaam …
Thanks for that comment. I agree with much of what you say. Yes, I think it would be far better to use terms like anti-Jewish than anti-Semitic. The latter does tend to obfuscate.
And yes, it’s a very difficult discussion & I’m sorry I have had to disagree with some of my friends here. I only hope that this disagreement won’t make them lose sight of the our commalities in this long term struggle for justice.
I too think we hit on some core, & very sensitive issues. It’s amazing how incendiary this discussion is.