By David Chivo, Special to The Jewish Sound
The media is awash these days with coverage about the rise of anti-Semitism around the world. If we are to respond, we first need to understand that this situation is not new phenomenon, but the rehashing of the same old story.
Myth #1: Anti-Semitic sentiments are on the rise around the world
On one hand, the answer seems obvious. 2014 is turning out to be a bad year for world Jewry. Protests are taking place worldwide including in Berlin where crowds recently chanted, “Hamas, Hamas! Juden zum Gas” — “Jews to the gas.” Add to that the targeting of Jewish-owned businesses and sophisticated social media boycott and divestment campaigns that have rattled the likes of Starbucks. No wonder many worry about anti-Semitic resurgence reminiscent of pre-World War II Europe.
Yet, we must appreciate that we’re not seeing an ideological renaissance. Indices such as the Anti-Defamation League’s Global 100 point to 1 billion people worldwide harboring anti-Semitic attitudes. These feelings have festered for decades, if not centuries. Social media helps balloon these messages and wary governments worldwide have been rather ineffectual against anti-Semitic coalitions from vocalizing their views. Together, they’ve popped open the anti-Semitic genie for everyone to see, but the genie was always there.
Myth #2: The conflict in the Middle East is the cause of the current wave of anti-Semitism
Some protests related to Operation Protective Edge, the war that took place this summer in the Gaza strip, have spilled over into displays of anti-Semitism. Yet pointing at the Israel-Hamas conflict as a root cause misses the mark. Consider that in 2014 alone there are 10 other major wars involving Muslim populations. These conflicts span an area of 3.4 million square miles (roughly the size of the U.S.), impacting the lives of 572 million people and have killed (by conservative estimates) some 60,000 civilians so far this year.
Many pundits wonder why the plight of Gaza so often triumphs in the eyes of world opinion. Is it a case of Selective Sympathy Syndrome or does the Palestinian cause strike a raw nerve that others don’t?
Let’s be honest: The Hamas’ ideology is rather hard to love. Even for progressives and hard-core right-wingers alike, Hamas’s charter and practices are simply incompatible with their own views. What, therefore, fuels many anti-Israel movements — including boycott, divestment and sanctions campaigns — is the age-old dislike of the Jews. Peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, the Oslo Accords, and even the 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip have never assuaged Israel’s opponents. As such, the goal for many supposed advocates for Palestinians is simply to negate the legitimacy of the Jewish State.
Myth #3: There is nothing you can do to combat anti-Semitism
Anti-Semites can only win if we exhibit the following behaviors: Stay silent, stay on the sidelines, and neglect our community. As such, here’s how we can counter anti-Semitism:
Be an upstander, not a bystander: Through digital media for example, each of us is a blogger, a respondent, and an advocate. Make your voice heard.
Take action through Jewish organizations: Our advocacy groups and other Jewish organizations serve the interests of the Jewish people. They need our engagement, leadership, activism and financial support.
Help build the future of our Jewish community: Far too few people are involved in Jewish life. Involve yourself to create a Jewish community of meaning and value. No act does more to ensure a flourishing Jewish future.
Elie Wiesel famously said, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to act.” So it must be with us, and in so doing we triumph over anti-Semitism.
David Chivo is the North American director of the Tel Aviv-based Beit Hatfutsot: The Museum of the Jewish People.