4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful Look at Anti-Semitism, June 14, 2008
This review is from: The Socialism of Fools: Anti-Semitism on the Left (Paperback)
Although written over a decade ago, Rabbi Michael Lerner's concise, thoughtful look at anti-Semitism on the Left remains deeply relevant--perhaps even more so--in today's political atmosphere. The book is unique in that the author, founder of the progressive Jewish organization Tikkun and a critic of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians, is motivated by his concern for the Left rather than a desire to undermine it. Unlike some other commentators who have addressed the subject, Lerner's criticisms cannot be dismissed as a cynical attempt to silence criticism of Israel.
Lerner surveys the history of anti-Semitism in populist movements worldwide, from Eastern European peasant revolts to the Stalinist purges to the troubled side of black-Jewish relations in America. His thesis is essentially that throughout history, Jews have been placed in the role of the "middle man," where they have born the brunt of anger that would have otherwise been directed against ruling elites. While he strongly emphasizes that anti-Semitism is a far greater problem on the Right, Lerner contends that the Left has largely failed to understand the unique dynamics of Jewish oppression, and has resultantly failed to acknowledge and address Jew-hatred both among its own ranks and in the society at large. He also discusses Jewish anti-Semitism, a consequence of internalized prejudice, and the pressure on many Jewish Leftists to renounce their ties to the Jewish community and to vocally denounce Jewish comrades who "make an issue" of their Jewishness.
The book includes a thoughtful and astute section on the distinction between legitimate criticism of Israel and anti-Semitism masquerading as political criticism. Among the criticisms he deems "legitimate" are: 1) criticism of the occupation of the West Bank & Gaza; 2) human rights abuses against Palestinians in the context of the occupation; 3) economic discrimination against Arab Israelis; 4) the domination of the religious courts in issues such as marriage; and 5) discrimination against Israeli Jews from Middle Eastern countries (Mizrachim). "Illegitimate" criticisms include: 1) labeling Israel an "apartheid state" or a fundamentally racist state (unlike apartheid South Africa, Israel affords full political participation to minorities within the state); 2) singling out Israel as not having the "right to exist"; 3) labeling Israel the "worst" country while ignoring more extreme abuses in other nations. In short, he is suspicious of those who apply a double standard to Israel and those who ascribe some unique, fundamental "evil" to Israel that does not apply elsewhere.
While the book is a valuable contribution, there are some things I felt were missing. Lerner assumes the reader is already familiar with the presence of anti-Semitism on the Left and provides only a handful of actual examples of what he is talking about. The examples he gives are striking, but since he only gives a few of them, it might be easy for the reader to dismiss them as isolated incidents. Additionally, I was surprised that he doesn't really discuss the popularity of Jewish or Zionist conspiracy theories, one of the most obvious manifestations of Left (and Right) anti-Semitism today. This would have tied well into his thesis about anger being directed toward Jews instead of the real ruling class.
The book also contains some shameless promotion of Tikkun and the Committee for Judaism and Social Justice, but that didn't bother me that much.
In the wake of 9/11, the Iraq War, and the 2nd Intifada, I can vouch from personal experience that the question of anti-Semitism on the Left remains a pertinent one. "The Socialism of Fools" provides interesting insights, and crucially, begins the discussion on what to do about it from the perspective of a committed progressive.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Scorching Indictment of Leftwing Antisemitism, March 10, 2003
This review is from: The Socialism of Fools: Anti-Semitism on the Left (Paperback)
A few years ago it was claimed that anti-Semitism existed only in rightwing ideolgies. Two problems rear their head: (1) Soviet collectivism showed the same virulence of Jews as Hitlerian collectivism and (2) what is it mean to be "left" or "right"? One assumes that "left" refers to collectivism and group rights -whether Soviet adulation of economic status or Nazi worship of race. "Right" has usually been thought of as tending toward the individual which pretty much explains why the U.S. is and always has been a moderately conservative nation.
The slights and prejudices of Ivy League WASPS have given way to screams of hatred from "radicals". One cannot fail to notice a peculiarity of today's peace marches: the anti-war banners are almost smothered in the sea of anti-Israeli/pro-Arab flags / red radical flags. The transformation of the Left into an anti-Israeli/anti-Jewish (they are virtually the same) had its beginnings in Europe.
Th author notes this and adds that this is nowhere more evident than France, the origin of intellectual anti-Semitism. It is certainly not surprising - the vast majority of persecution occurred under Catholic and Orthodox rule and even if France has gone the way of paganism, cultural fossils remain. The longtime connection between Jews and moneyed interests almost guaranteed persecution in the Soviet empire and now that Socialism is the god of Europe, the Left has found a natural enemy.
After all, Israel is not only pro-Western but pro-capitalist, two marks against it in the eyes of the ideologue. The odd thing is that Jews have for centuries been on the liberal side of almost every social issue. As with most issues though, when one disagrees with the Left it is not just wrong but evil. Few thought they would witness Leftists in Europe marching for Arab dictatorships over the one democracy in the region. This book explains why this has occurred and why the media is so silent about it.
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