Antisemitism still thrives

MEMRI - the Middle East Media Research Institute - are well known for exposing the virulent  anti-semitism that can be found in the Arab and Middle-Eastern media. They're controversial of course: Norman Finkelstein compared their style to the propaganda techniques of the Nazis. Ken Livingstone doesn't like them. They do have Israeli connections. Nevertheless, despite the occasional accusation of inaccuracy in translation, there really isn't much doubt about the general truth of what they show. As for the charge that they're selective; well of course they're selective. If someone rants on TV about Jews being the sons of apes and pigs, and a cancer that needs to be cleansed from the face of the earth, that's worth knowing in itself; never mind if the next programme is a weather report, or the Arab X-Factor, or if those are the only anti-semitic words spoken during the whole day's programming. No one believes that the Arab media are one non-stop anti-semitic rant. But the anti-semitism is there, and needs to be shown.

Yes, they're well known - but perhaps not well known enough. So what happens when people in the West are shown MEMRI clips? Surely it gives them a better understanding of the kind of rhetoric that Israel faces from its neighbours. Doesn't it? Well....here's a test.

PZ Myers - a man who makes Richard Dawkins seem meek and mild - posted yesterday at his Pharyngula site under the title "Antisemitism still thrives". He has a video from Henrik Clausen of a selection of MEMRI clips put together under the title "New trends in Arabic Anti-semitism", which, apparently, was presented to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva back in September. It's a kind of MEMRI greatest hits, including some truly demented anti-semitic material.

PZ, as everyone calls him, is a scientist - a biologist  - but Pharyngula is best known for its denigration of creationists, intelligent designers, and other such religious nutjobs, to use a favourite phrase of his. The politics of his commenters, as far as one can characterise such a thing (he gets lots of comments) is liberal left, with a strong dislike of the GOP.

PZ is of course horrified by the contents of the video:

I'm not a fan of Israel's policies — they're becoming what they oppose — but there's clearly no possibility that they could simply stop fighting for their existence and live in peace and tolerance with neighbors who promote the kind of hate shown above.

Quite what "they're becoming what they oppose" is supposed to mean I'm not sure. I'm guessing that it's some kind of Gaza-as Warsaw-ghetto type comparison. Still, he gets the point.

So...the comments. It starts off with a mild "Would you mind elaborating on the policies of Israel you disagree with and what you mean by "they're becoming what they oppose"?", but from then on it's pretty much all downhill: MEMRI's totally unreliable and biased...What the Israelis say about the Arabs is much worse...Any hatred of the Jews is purely a reaction to what the Jews are doing. There's no criticism of Islam beyond a constant repeating of the view that all religions are equally bad, and Christianity is a whole lot worse. Even those trying to resist the flow of the comments - and there are a few - preface their remarks by saying how they're no friend of Israel, but, or yes, Israel commits terrible crimes, but.

By about 100 comments in, all pretence has vanished:

"Jewish asshole. Can't spend time thinking about how much of an asshole you are, can you, jew."

"Fuck Israel".

Or this:

Professor Myers, you have my respect, gratitude and admiration as an atheist. However, the Israeli's treat the Palestinians the same as the jews were treated by the NAZI's.
Is it possible that your job is on the line if you say anything against Israel, Zionists or Jews. I think you may have been notified because you seem to favor Israel.
Sir, please show a similiar video of Israeli's insanity so we will know you are against all hate and villifacation.
Keep up the good fight and thank you.

Antisemitism still thrives? You bet.

[I should perhaps make clear that I'm not holding PZ responsible for the comments on his site. He's said before that he's not interested in censoring or deleting them, and anyway I think he's off in Mexico at the moment]

Comments

[Noga]

"— they're becoming what they oppose —" is a convenient meme.

"Fascism is a regime in which there is no freedom of the press and the regime controls the media. Fascism is a regime in which there is no multiplicity of opinions and every book, newspaper and play is subject to censorship. Fascism is a regime in which there are no independent courts. Fascism is a regime in which concentration camps can exist. Fascism is a regime in which anyone who doesn't agree with the government is thrown into prison - without a trial - or is murdered or disappeared.

Fascism is a regime in which someone who refuses to serve in the army can be executed. Fascism is a regime in which there is one educational system that dictates the reigning ideology. Fascism is a regime in which the secret police keep citizens under surveillance. Fascism is a regime in which there are restrictions on travel abroad. Fascism is a regime in which anyone who is interviewed by a foreign correspondent may find himself in prison. Fascism is a regime in which Haaretz would have long since been closed and its editors and writers thrown in jail.

And here? Exactly the reverse. Not one party but many; not one "leader" but a disturbing lack of leadership. Here in Israel, someone who received stolen classified documents isn't sitting behind bars; rather, law enforcement authorities negotiate with him. And here in Israel, an MK who fled the country after being accused of espionage continues to receive his pension. Fascism? Don't make me laugh. "

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-is-the-opposite-of-fascist-1.324727

[tolkein]

PZ Myers and Pharyngula are horrid. The hate and anger on that site is too uncomfortable to bear for any length of time. And why am I not surprised to find that a (US) left liberal anti religion site is also full of foaming-at-the-mouth anti-Israel, anti-semites?

You mentioned Dawkins as meek and mild compared to PZ. But he runs around with some pretty rum ones himself.In the God Delusion RD quotes approvingly from an article entitled "Love Thy Neighbour: the Evolution of In-Group Morality"by John Hartung. You can guess where he's going from this quote by him "The bible is a blueprint of in-group morality, complete with instructions for genocide, enslavement of out-groups, and world domination..."http://www.lrainc.com/swtaboo/thoughts/t_moral.html
You can read the essay in full at his website
http://strugglesforexistence.com/?p=article_p&id=13
Mr Hartung gives grateful thanks to Noam Chomsky, Lalla and RD on his home web page.
I wonder where he's going with this?

In case you can't guess, you should know that Mr Hartung (an anaethesiologist, not an historian or student of Hebrew or ancient Middle Eastern societies) warmly reviewed a book by Professor Kevin MacDonald called "A People That Shall Dwell Alone: Judaism as a Group Evolutionary Strategy". Prof MacDonald is a psychologist (and expert witness for David Irving in his libel action against Deborah Lipstadt in 2000)and argued, according to Hartung, "that the worldwide, age-old phenomenon of anti-semitism is not a disease state vectored by myths, but is instead what should be expected given the nature of human intergroup competition and the competitive attributes of Judaism."

Get that? According to MacDonald (and Hartung, I suppose)anti-semitism is understandable. Where have we heard that kind of apology before?

I'm not surprised to see that left liberal atheists are linked to anti-semites, but I am surprised that you are surprised.

[Fabian from Israel]

The heritage of Voltaire. Too enlightened to care for human beings. Especially Jews.

[Becky]

Interesting stuff, Mick. When I first came across PZ Myers' blog I'd never even heard of him before and I assumed that he was some sort of extreme right-wing KKK guy - which got me shouted at, banned - and as a transwoman - called an 'it' or sometimes a 'he/she/it' and finally a 'man called Donald' by the blogfather himself.

There do seem to be a lot of Nazis on his blog though many of whom, by contrast to me, he sees fit not to raise his famed 'Banhammer of Thor' against in the name (according to his eminence at least) of good ol' All-American 'free speech'.

Whilst PZ may not himself be another Hitler (or at least he says he's not) since he apparently harbours so many extreme right-wing Jewhaters is not the jury still out on him being the 'Juan Peron of the Internetz'? Hmmmm...

http://beckytranssexual.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/of-mice-and-rats/