Left-wing antisemitism: Right wing exploitation and dealing with reaction
Jan 14 2009 09:50
(Nota bene, this refers largely to what is happening locally; the situation where readers are may be different, although I assume and have seen that elements of this are similar.)
In some daily papers and influential right-wing journals some articles about left-wing antisemitism have appeared in the past two weeks.
The criticisms tend to be exaggerated and are simply convenient for killing two birds with one stone: criticizing the left while promoting pro-Israeli points of view. However, some of the criticism is valid, the result of some poor political choices of some left groups.
The right-wing in Poland is as diverse as the left; it has various tendencies. The antisemitic tendency of the right is widespread but the respectable mainstream has largely distanced itself for it. A new wave of both philosemitism and pro-Israeli sentiments gathered strength in right-wing discourse post 9-11. At this time, the Polish translation of Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations" became popular, as did some works / articles loosely based on the most superficial reading of the book. The basic presumption being that Western Civilization was being threatened. A long string of right-wing intellectuals arguing that the Judaic tradition is compatible, and even an integral part, of the "values of Western Civilization", came to the conclusion that we must be on the side of Israel in the middle east, against the Islamic world, which poses a serious threat.
(Of course the roots of this identification with "the West" have a much longer history.)
Much of the right in Poland, in fact, remains in the antisemitic camp- particularly the Catholic bigots around Radio Mariya. The philosemites of the right tend to turn a blind eye to this and only have got up in arms when they have observed antisemitism in the left. It is clear that their indignation is selective. Be that as it may, they have identified some problem areas which the left is avid to avoid.
The most clear example of this is to be found in a the reactionary support of Hamas. Reactionary, because it stems from the assumption that political forces from the "victim side" of disproportionate power should be supported. Even some anarchists, in reaction to mainstream portrayal of Hamas as terrorists, seen to be unable to distinguish people Hamas and ordinary people, and sometimes act in the role of Hamas terrorist, even showing Hamas propaganda films. Then there is always the quite unfortunately failure to make distinctions people Jews and the Israeli state, which the occasional comments about "Jews whole control the media" and "the Jewish lobby" - not to mention the boycott of "Jewish goods and shops". The latter is particularly well manipulated by the right-wing who refer to the old nazi boycotts of Jewish shops (but conveniently enough, never to the nationalist boycotts in Poland).
The worst right-wingers are enjoying this golden moment, never forgetting to spam our anarchist portal with reminders of Bakunin's antisemitic remarks.
It seems then that they have already occupied the niche of "criticising left-antisemitism". This means that those few who might be inclined to take to this task now are accused of being in the same ideological league as the right-wing critics, which is usually not even remotely true. Thus the discussion is deflected again and parts of the left fall into reactionary nationalist liberation politics.
Jan 14 2009 21:23
#2
Did you see about the action in Poznan today? They interrupted the speech of the ambassador - unfortunately during a ceremony awarding some family a "righteous amongst nations" award for saving Jews. I don't give a shit about the ambassador but maybe the timing was not too cool. The mainstream papers describe the scuffle and say that one Israeli guy landed in the hospital. Probably the right-wingers will have a field day with this.
Jan 14 2009 21:36
#3
In Germany, the center-right conservatives tends to be solidly pro-Israel, while the far-right and fascist right tends to be pro-Palestinian, often with anti-imperialist rhetoric that is indistinguishable from the "left".
But the criticism of leftist antisemitism tends to be an intra-left discourse, rather than something the conservative-right conducts. I mean, there are moments when that does happen -- the CDU sabotaging a parliamentary decree against anti-semitism by arguing that Die Linke (a composite of the former East German ruling party plus some disaffected West German trade union bureaucrats) should not be allowed to co-signed, by misusing (accurate) information about the GDR's support for Palestinian terror groups in the 1970s and 1980s.
In general, the extra-parliamentary left -- (post-)Autonomist, (post-)Antifa, etc. -- is already fairly reasonable and sensitive about this question. Only the statist left -- Stalinists, Trots, etc. -- have classical anti-Zionist positions. So aggressive interventions on this point to preempt the right are generally not necessary. What does need to be made an issue, though, is the sometimes vicious anti-Muslim racism that does exist in parts of the left. And I don't mean "anti-Muslim racism" as some smear term used by Trots, but truly vile, essentializing statements about Muslims made by many "critics of anti-Semitism".
Jan 14 2009 23:02
#4
All racism needs to be challenges.
Here the extra-parliamentary left is tiny and the statist left ideology dominates. The classical anti-Zionist positions are well-known. Then you can mix in a bit of ideological carelessness and seeing nothing wrong with certain remarks and stereotypes. The sensitivity is not built yet.
I found it interesting that the right are using this now.
I've seen in the States that some right-wing Jewish groups have used this issue but don't know if it has got much further than that. And a couple of years back Rush Limbaugh was apparently ranting about this.
You made mistake to put word "Poland" in text. Now it is too exotic for the people to talk about.
I see this point you make very clear. You should write anarchist critic of pro-Hamas anarchists.
Right wing are using this claims about antisemitism as attack for discrediting left. Some leftists discredit themselves. We need clear position for normal people, against all states.
Claims about jewish media are very convenient for explaining everthing you want. This kind of shit is for nazis movement but when war is happening, left start to say pro-Israel articles is proof of "jewish lobby" in "jewish media". What sense is that to use nazi argument?