Comments
GUEST COMMENTARY - Antisemitism has a long and ignoble history stretching back to the 4th Century BCE with the conquests of Alexander the Great and the tensions this created with local Jewish communities. Spikes in antisemitism have occurred at various times since, including Early Christianity, Medieval Europe, and the Modern Era. Founders of Modern Israel intended that the State of Israel serve as a protector against these long historical injustices committed against Jewish people. Sadly, Israel has now become a primary source of antisemitism and represents one of the greatest threats from which Jewish people must be protected.
Israeli founders intended Israel to be a secular and democratic state. Israel’s founders recognized the dangers of conflating religion and politics. When politics and religion intertwine, politicians undermine both the religious and the political spheres. As a result of this union, religious teachings no longer command moral authority. More ominously, virtually any political actions can be justified by invoking the inherently malleable teachings of a religion. Israel’s founders tried to navigate a virtually impossible course of having a secular but Jewish state. This impossible course has long failed.
David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, held that a Jewish majority was necessary to maintain the “character” of the Israeli state. Later leaders echoed the need for greater religious purity in the Israeli populace. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin embedded in the Oslo Accords the need to separate Palestinians from Israel, openly discussing the need to maintain a Jewish demographic majority. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon withdrew from Gaza to maintain a Jewish majority. Currently, Prime Minister Netanyahu pushed the controversial Nation-State Law (2018) citing the need for a Jewish majority and has been the principal architect of the genocide against the indigenous Christian and Muslim Semites. Thus, Israel has long pursued policies to ensure its religious purity is not obstructed by indigenous Christians and Muslims. Israel views the indigenous Christians and Muslims as a threat to Israel’s character as a the “Jewish State.” As such, Israel contends that its past and present policies of ethnic cleansing against indigenous Christian and Muslim Semites must be followed for the “safety” of Israel.
Few in the World continue to defend Israel’s genocide against the indigenous Christians and Muslims. The overwhelming evidence of genocide compelled the International Court of Justice to make a preliminary finding of genocide, despite the full-blown efforts of Israel to defend its actions and the unprecedented political pressure of the United States to prevent this devastating finding. But refuting the irrefutable evidence of genocide has proven too great. The International Criminal Court has gone further by indicting Israeli leaders for their war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite these realities, Israel presses forth with its genocide led by a Prime Minister under indictment domestically for corruption and internationally for crimes against humanity.
Israel bears responsibility for these actions and must be held to account for its crimes. However, rather than accept responsibility its criminal behavior, Israel contends that it commits these heinous acts in the name of all Jewish people. By doing so, Israel commits a vile act of antisemitism.
Judaism has long been a source of peace and coexistence in the World. The value of Pikuach Nefesh (Saving of Life) has long overridden nearly all other Judaic principles and underscores the high value Judaism places on human life. Deuteronomy 16:20 prescribes universal fairness and resolution of disputes, known as Tzedek Tirdof. Historical examples of peacefulness abound, including Medieval Islamic Spain, where Jewish scholars, poets and philosophers engaged with Muslim and Christian theologians to produce a rich interfaith exchange. In modern times, Jews have worked tirelessly to support racial and social equality within the United States and elsewhere.
Israel has highjacked this long and honorable religious history to shield itself from criticism for its genocide against indigenous Christian and Muslim Semites in the Near East. With estimates of killings ranging from 45,000 to over 200,000 lives, the past 14 months have witnessed the greatest number of Semites killed in political violence since the Holocaust. This level of Semite-on-Semite violence underscores the internecine nature of the conflict.
Israel has committed the overwhelming majority of the killings. This violence has also witnessed a sharp surge in acts of violence against Jews. Israel’s actions make this nearly inevitable. Every killing committed by Israel is done so in the name of all Jewish people, despite the very significant number of Jewish people that protest Israeli persecution of indigenous Christian and Muslim Semites.
The correlation between Israeli violence undertaken in the name of Judaism and the backlash of anti-Jewish violence is unmistakable. Since returning Gaza to the indigenous Christian and Muslim Semites in 2005, Israel has undertaken repeated attacks: Operation Summer Rains (June to November 2006), Operation Cast Lead (December 2008 to January 2009), Operation Pillar of Defense (November 2012), Operation Protective Edge (July to August 2014), Operation Guardian of the Walls (May 2021), Operation Breaking Dawn (August 2022) and the genocide commenced in 2023 after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
When Israel attacks in the name of Jews everywhere, the World has witnessed a demonstrable rise in attack on Jewish people. During the 2008-2009 Israel offensive against Gazans, the number of worldwide attacks on Jews increased by 300% over the preceding year. During the May 2021 attack on Gazans, the Anti-Defamation League reported attacks against Jews more than doubled. Since the commencement of the 2023 genocide, attacks against Jews have been even more pronounced. The Anti-Defamation League reported 2,031 incidents between October and December 2023 compared to 465 during the same 2-month period in 2022. In Europe, incidents in France have risen to 1,500. The examples are too numerous to list, but the conclusion is inescapable: as Israel commits violence in the name of all Jews, worldwide attacks on Jews increase significantly.
Far from protecting Jewish people, Israel has created a dangerous environment for Jewish people by committing violence and crimes against humanity in their name. The level of anger increases as people around the World see respected international tribunals hold Israel accountable for genocide and Israel retains a Prime Minister that joins the ranks of Vladimir Putin, Muammar Gaddafi, Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, and other indicted war criminals.
Many Jews have begun to refute the notion that Israel kills on their behalf. Organizations such as “Not In My Name” have rallied to separate Israeli violence from Judaism. Many Jewish communities throughout the world have risen to oppose the Israeli genocide. Nevertheless, Israeli leaders argue that opposing the genocide is antisemitic and that Israel’s actions are those of all Jewish persons.
The time has come for Israel to cease ascribing the blame for its behavior to all Jewish people. Israel acts as a political body and is not the embodiment of Judaism. Israel’s claim to act on behalf of all Jewish people is both a blatant act of, and a source for, antisemitism. Jewish people deserve better.
(J. George Mansour was born and raised in Missouri and has long been a student of political science and international relations. Mr. Mansour is now based in Austin Texas, where he remains an active investor in a variety of businesses.
