James Kirchick
The Anti-Neocon Fervor
Parsing the new political discourse
6 November 2007
Not long ago, while visiting a friend at Oxford University, I found myself in a heated political discussion with a Scotsman. The subject of our dispute was the Iraq war, but the conversation turned toward the rise of latent anti-Semitism in once-respectable quarters of British opinion. Two years earlier, a story entitled “A Kosher Conspiracy?,” illustrated by a gold Star of David plunged into the heart of the Union Jack, graced the cover of Britain’s most prominent left-wing magazine, The New Statesman. Since then, the intellectual climate had only worsened. In response to my remark that many use the epithet “neocon” to describe Jews, my interlocutor replied, “I’d rather be an anti-Semite than a neocon.”
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4 comments:
I've never understood anti-semitism. It was a curiosity, though, and in all honesty, I didn't really think about it much. Didn't think much about islam either.
Since the war in Iraq started, I've learned a lot about islam - most of it unfavorable - and has become increasingly aware of Judaism. I'm RC, so of course, we share roots religiously, different though Christians are from Jews. But Jews and Arabs also came from the same area geographically...and both are tribal cultures - at least originally. So how is it that Jews went one way, and islamists went a totally different way? How can they have the same roots - seemingly - and bear such different fruit? I've learned some, but obviously there's much more. One thing I've learned is a great admiration for the Jews and what they've accomplished in the 2000 years since Christ. Our world without them would be a much poorer one.
One thing that really puzzles me is why some people insist on identifying themselves as "non-religious Jews". Why would someone identify themselves as Jewish, is they don't believe in Judaism? I don't understand that... Especially because anti-semitism can be such a problem.... Why set yourself up for antagonism if you don't hold with the underlying religious principles?
Suek,
Thanks for visiting and leaving comments. Regarding your question on Jews and Judaism: there is a very basic and fundamental difference between Jews and Christians. You say you are a Roman Catholic (RC). You can change your denomination and become one of various branches of Protestantism or even become an atheist and your heritage would not follow you. In other words, you can cease being a Roman Catholic.
Judaism doesn’t work like that. It is a tribal identity. In that respect it’s much like racial identity. A person can’t stop being Caucasian or “black” (even though people like Michael Jackson have tried).
You will find that many members of the Jewish “tribe” are atheists even while active in their synagogue or Jewish social organizations. When I first discovered this I found it hard to believe, because Christians find their religious identity on a personal rather than a social level, but it’s completely true.
The only way that I have observed Jews become “non-Jews” is for marriage outside the “tribe.” The children then have the option of becoming “non-Jews.” It’s also the reason that most Jews marry inside the “tribe.”
"'''you can cease being a Roman Catholic."
Heh. You're joking, right? How many people have you met who say "I'm Catholic, but I don't go to church (believe, practice, whatever). So...why do they say they're Catholic? Got me.
Still I understand what you mean about race...but I'm English, Irish, French and German. Pretty mixed up, so you're right in the sense that as long as children are "pure" within the tribe, they might have an awareness of identity through culture as much as bloodline, but when the background is mixed, it tends to disappear.
It does seem odd that one would be an atheist Jew and maintain social activity in their synogogue...but I guess that where there's life there's hope. Maybe the rabbis figure that as long as people identify with Judaism there's still hope that they - or their children - will become practicing Jews one again.
I have a friend who was a non-practicing Jew. Married a Jewess, divorced her a few years later. Married an atheist from an Eastern block country, had a child, and now both are taking instructions and becoming active in their local synogogue. Life is strange.
I think my lack of understanding is just based on the anti-semitism that exists, and why someone would hang onto that identity when there seems to be no benefit - in fact, a penalty - for that identity.
"'''you can cease being a Roman Catholic."
Heh. You're joking, right? How many people have you met who say "I'm Catholic, but I don't go to church (believe, practice, whatever). So...why do they say they're Catholic? Got me.
Well, there may be something in what you say regarding non-practicing Catholics. But I am aware of a number of people who were brought up as Catholics but who became atheists. In fact, a lot of the most outspoken atheists are people who are rebelling against the “faith of their fathers.”
That does not make them non-practicing Catholics, it makes them atheists. They would not claim to be Catholics.
With Judaism it’s different. Practicing or non-practicing a Jew is a Jew. That is what he is regarded by other Jews and that is what he regards himself. For an outstanding example, look into George Soros. He was born a Jew, claims to be a Jew and says he hates Jews.
Dennis Prager has a very good explanation of this issue and references other Jews who fall into the same category. His essay begins: What do Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, Noam Chomsky and George Soros have in common?
Read it; its good.
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