ANTISEMITISM

Opposition to Israel’s invasion of Gaza and sympathy for Hamas is described as being antisemitic (antisemitism being defined as a hatred and persecution of Jews). Indeed it is, however one can divide antisemitism into four overlapping but distinct rationalities.

Firstly, there is the historical long-standing jealousy and mistrust against Jewish people that has, at times, spilled over into violence. The primary cause of this is that Jews were living in other peoples’ countries and the native populations resented and were suspicious of a wealthy, successful clique of those of foreign origin. It is a long time since this has been a problem in the West. But the lingering sentiment remains.

Secondly, building on the above, there is Nazism. This was an extremely violent, theoretical evil that led to the Holocaust. There are a few Nazis and neo-Nazis around, but they have little influence.

Thirdly, there is Islam. Antisemitism is an intrinsic aspect of Islam and Muslims are generally antisemitic stemming from Islamic teaching and the territorial dispute around Israel. This strand of antisemitism has spread to the West due to the mass immigration from the Third World, importantly, from Muslim countries. Many Western countries are currently experiencing street protests that began immediately following the Hamas atrocities of 7 October. Israel’s military action against Gaza began after the antisemitic hate marches.

Fourthly, not to be overlooked, is the influence of cultural Marxism (the ideology behind political correctness). Given that the Frankfurt School, who are credited with the development of cultural Marxism, contained many at a senior level who were Jewish, then it might seem odd to allege that cultural Marxism is a factor in present day antisemitism. That presumes that the hostility to the Israelis is based upon their Jewish ancestry, or their Zionism.

Front and centre of political correctness is race war politics and anti-Whiteism, with the accompanying mass immigration of non-Whites into the West. The Jews in Israel are perceived as White and Westerners. This leaves them open to attack for all the same reasons that the West itself is under attack for supposed past and present oppression of non-Whites, for example the slave trade, colonialism and the various empires. White people are routinely accused of being racist and Islamophobic.

Allegedly, since the wealth of the West was solely the result of the slave trade and colonialism, then non-Whites are entitled to reparations. In the same way, the success of Israel is allegedly solely due to the driving out and consequent impoverishment of innocent Palestinians, who should therefore have the right to move into Israel and take what they see as rightfully theirs.

It is the third and fourth forms of antisemitism that are dominant, although the first form will, no doubt, add a certain zeal for some perpetrators.