Anti-Semetic vrs Anti-Zionist

[Joe_the_Lion]

Can anybody explain the difference please, maybe an AB Jew?

Just seen an interview with Patricia Richardson, a Jewish BNP candidate. She maintains that the BNP is not anti-Semetic nor anti-Jewish but they hold strong views in the abolishion of Zionists in the UK.

I am confused.

[Buenchico]

A Semite is a member of a race which claims descent from Shem, the son of Noah. The word is generally used to refer to a member of the Jewish faith. So, it follows that 'anti-semitic' refers to people or ideas opposed to the Judaism.

Zionism is a movement, founded in 1897, that has sought and achieved the re-establishment of a Jewish nation in Palestine.

So, someone who believes that the founding of modern day Israel was a mistake, could be described as anti-Zionist. It wouldn't necessarily mean that the person held anti-semitic views. In fact, there are even some Jews who are anti-Zionist.

Chris

[kempie]

Not all Semites are Jewish and not all Jews are Zionists.

An equivalence may be drawn by stating

"XYZ is not anti-European nor anti-Christian but they hold strong views in the abolition of Basque separatism"

[Joe_the_Lion]

I imagine Ms Richardson is just one of those Buenchico.

In crude terms a Jewish anti-Zionist is the same as a British Royalist opposed to our involvement in Northern Ireland. Am I on the right tracks?

[jno]

an anti-Zionist would oppose the founding of the state of Israel (on what was someone else's land). He might or might not advocate its destruction. Some Jewish sects don't believe it should have happened either, as I understand it. They're still Jewish and still Semitic, but they're not Zionists.

Jews say anyone who doesn't like Jews is anti-Semitic. Ironically, Arabs are Semitic too; but Jews have sort of appropriated the word for themselves.

[Buenchico]

I think you're on the right lines, Joe.

Perhaps a classic example of someone who is extremely anti-Zionist, but not anti-semitic, is the current Iranian president. He openly advocates the destruction of Israel but, at the same time, defends the rights of Jews living in his country.

Jno correctly points out that Arabs are also Semitic. I have to admit that, until I referred to a dictionary to check the content of my earlier post, I was unaware of that fact. I decided not to mention it because i thought that it would only confuse things! (Hence my use of "the word is generally used . . .").

My reference to anti-Zionist Jews was based upon a recent item on BBC World Service about a group of Jews in the US who hold strongly pro-Palestinean views. (Many of them agree with the idea that the state of Israel should either never have created, or think that it should have been founded somewhere else in the world).

Chris

[maxximus]

the wall. http://www.auphr.org/thewall/

[Lonnie]

Hi Wardy,
As an AB jew, my particular view, and the members of my family who live in Israel, is that When the state of Israel was recognised internationally, Zionism died.

I believe Ben Gurion or Weizmann, not sure which, also said that.

As for people who dislike Jews, that is not anti- semetic, because as jno rightly points out, Arabs also are Semetic, its anti-Judaism or Jews, whichever way round you put it.

[NikkiB]

All parties have a spectrum of views. Some Tories want to clamp down on single mothers, some Tories ARE single mothers.

Some Socialists want to stop terrorism, some Socialists don't even agree on what terrorism is.

Some BNP'ers espouse anti-Jewish rhetoric, some decry homosexuality. Down to law of averages, I'm sure there are some BNP'ers who are gay and so it comes as no surprise that some may be Jewish.