32 Friday, December 31, 1982 Few ever lived to old age, and fewer still ever became distinguished who were not in the habit of early rising. —J. Todd rr 1, The SHE. ROTT ORCHESTRA Corteilirary—Big Bald Sands Featuring T.V. & Recording Artist VICKIE CARROLL Enterfalninont" "Protossiona/ 354-0110 35470111 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Anti-Semitism: New Wave of Old Curse By DANIEL J. ELAZAR (Editor's note: The author of this article is professor of inter- governmental relations at Bar - Ban University, Ramat - Gan, Israel, and son of Dr. and Mrs. Albert Elazar, who were associ- ated with Detroit's United Hebrew Schools for more than 20 years. This article first ap- peared in "Patterns of Prejudice" published by the Institute of Jewish Affairs in London.) The mid-1970s marked among other things the de- mise of the taboo against Jew hatred. Now, in the early years of the second METROPOLITAN KASHRUTH COUNCL„ of Michigan the producers & distributors of extend to the entire Jewish community Best Wishes for a HAPPY NEW YEAR 1983 Bring in the New Year with the best in Kosher Dairy products, available at your local FARMER JACK'S and other better neighborhood food stores: • Sour Cream • Cottage Cheese • Buttermilk • Ice Cream • Fruit Juice • Chocolate Milk - generation since the Holocaust, the Jewish people must come to under- stand that we face a new situation, one which will allow certain kinds of ex- pressions of anti-Semitism with relative impunity. Recent manifestations of anti-Semitism must be un- derstood in the light of this generational rhythm. To better understand that rhythm, let us take a step backward to a century ago. It was at the beginning of the last generation of the 19th Century, in the mid- 1870s, that anti-Semitism became a potent political force as such, particularly in Europe. The anti-Semitism of those days was part and parcel of a general ra- cism that swept the West- ern world, reflected in the relatively benign col- onialism of the "white man's burden," in the unpleasant discrimina- tion against Jews and southern Europeans in resorts and housing in the U.S., and in the more extreme denial of the human rights of blacks in various parts of the world. The anti-Semitism of that generation in Europe pro- duced Jew-baiting political parties whose core ideology and program were anti- Semitic. It led in the inter- war generation — the first of the 20th Century — to Nazism, which raised anti- Semitism to a new pitch and, as we all know, culmi- nated in the Holocaust. The horror of that event put an end to two genera- tions of racist domination of the world and indeed brought a sharp reaction which was translated into the new realities of the post-war generation. 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DANIEL ELAZAR states — many of which pro- ceeded formally to outlaw all forms of racist discrimi- nation — and the removal of anti-Semitism as a legiti- mate form of expression in conventional society. Jews, hitherto , mildly or comprehensively excluded from general society for racist reasons, were warmly embraced and found most, if not all, doors open to them. This extreme reaction to Nazism came to an end in the mid-1970s. The UN resolution equating Zionism with racism can be seen as the benchmark that signified a turning point, a new pattern. Racism in principle continued to be re- jected as abhorrent. But rather than being defined in a general and objective way, the definition of racism be- came subjective. Thus, in the tradition of Orwellian newspeak and newthink, not everything was what it seemed to be. Discrimination against "A" was racism even if the reasons for discrimination had nothing to do with "A's" race. Thus, any criticism of the Third World, however justified by objective criteria, was immediately labelled racist. Criticism of "B", on the other hand, was not racist even if "B" was attacked on the grounds of race. Thus, the Jewish aspira- tion for a national home and state of their own was, ipso facto, racism. This new dou- ble standard fits in well with the general change in thinking characteristic of the new generation — namely, a rejection of objec- tive measures of reality in favor of subjective ones in every field. Things are only what people feel them to be, according to this new way of thinking. There is no argu- ment from objectivity nor is it possible to describe reality in any objective way. So, if certain Palesti- nians and their suppor- ters believe the Jews are racist, there is no one to gainsay them that thought any more than one can challenge an- other's taste in music. How else could Noam Chomsky defend the right of the so-called re- visionist historians to deny the existence of the Holocaust except under the newthink that all is subjective? This new way of thinking has profound implications epoch which came to an for all of civilization; the end in World War II. fact that anti-Semitism is What we are left with for one of its more gross man- the moment is really a mat- ifestations only testifies ter of extremists versus rea- once again how Jews con- sonable people, with the tinue to be at the forefront of presumed ideological orien- every battle for civilization tations of the former bear- — either leading the charge ing little or no relationship or caught in the crossfire, as to their extreme acts. Thus, the case may be — as they for Jews as well as for most have been since the begin- other peoples, there is no nings of the Jewish people. real difference between ex- tremists of the left or the The increase in violent right. Again, subjectivism anti-Semitic incidents, the is the rule of the day. growing militancy of right- Extremists given over to as well as left-wing ex- tremist groups, the rise of acts of terrorism do so for subjective reasons, not be- the new intellectual right cause of objective political with its racist ideas and the ideologies, even if they oc- efforts to falsify history by casionally try to rationalize denying the Holocaust are their acts in objective terms all aspects of this rhythm as — e.g., anti-Zionism. it moves into high tide. How In that connection, I else can the violence of both extreme left and extreme think that we must look right, presumably on anti- upon most contemporary Zionist grounds, be ex- forms of anti-Zionism as synonymous with anti- plained? The anti-Semitism man- Semitism. In principle, ifested in these acts was al- this is not so; in practice, it ways there, latent and is. There remain some ready to bloom. Any social scientist knows that even in principled anti-Zionists the most benign society a (some within the Jewish normal bell-shaped curve people) whose anti- will produce some five per- Zionism stems from tra- cent highly philo-Semitic at ditional or modern one end and some five per- sources — that is to say, cent highly anti-Semitic at either a rejection of the Jews' efforts to bring the other. Indeed, the University about their redemption of California study of through political means anti-Semitism sponsored instead of waiting for di- by Bnai Brith in the 1960s rect Divine intervention, demonstrated that just or an undiluted commit- such a bell-shaped curve ment to an ecumenical existed in the U.S. at that universalism that denies time. The question is not particularisms of all the existence of anti- kinds (although it is in- Semitisnv$ but whether it teresting that even is manifest or latent. among many univer- There is little question salists, only Jews are de- that after a generation of nied their particularism.) But the new anti-Zionists latency, it is becoming are too subjective for some. more manifest today. Curiously enough, Arab The present level of inci- dence of anti-Semitic acts is terrorism against Jewish not, in itself, much more institutions and individuals than a nuisance. True, it is a outside Israel may be less nuisance in which people anti-Semitic than the acts of sometimes get killed, and other terrorist extremists, that should not be undere- in the sense that they do not stimated. But open anti- reflect a pathological hatred Semitism still remains the of Jews but, rather, the response of a fringe and con- shared Middle Eastern tinues to be repudiated by understanding that peoples the opinion-molders of con- and states are not temporary civilization and synonymous. Arab recognition of the most of the public. However, because of the Jewish people as one people trends outlined above, I be- parallels Jewish recogni- lieve that even these nui- tion of the same reality. sance manifestations must While this cannot justify be treated with great seri- Arab terrorist attacks, it ousness because, if I am does put them in a different right in my analysis of the context from the pathologi- situation, they are harbin- cal anti-Semitism of non- gers of much worse to come. Arab extremists. In the last analysis, this In short, the disease is not yet virulent in its present may be a distinction manifestations. But without a difference. Cer- society's immunization is tainly, it should be of no rapidly wearing off, and the comfort to anyone. But, incubation of the germs is in waging our unremit- likely to lead to the ting war against such at- emergence of a virulent tacks, we had best under- stand their context. strain. The fact that much of What is worse about that the new anti-Semitism context is the fact that comes from what is de- Arabs still believe that any fined as the extreme left Jew is fair game because no as well as the extreme one is a civilian in the Arab - right is a reflection of an- Jewish war. Again, this other aspect of the gen- need not be an anti-Semitic erational rhythm, the loss view, but it certainly is the of meaning of the terms kind of totalist approach to "left" and "right" char- warfare more suitable to an acteristic of the modern earlier age than to our own.