[JoshBB]

Originally Posted by Livia

Six million Jews were gassed long before Israel became a State. If people equate Jews with being Israeli it's just the same as considering all Muslims to be terrorists. Using the Israel/Palestine question in my opinion is making excuses for bigots who probably couldn't point to Israel on a map. Jews have been persecuted for centuries... millennia... but since 1947 there has been an excuse for it.

Yeah that's the point I was trying to get at, you've said it much better. I feel like a lot of racists use the Israeli state as a way to incite hatred towards Jews which is entirely unacceptable but that's the reason why it persists on the left possibly? Because of the only one-sided sympathy thing?

[Livia]

Originally Posted by JoshBB

Yeah that's the point I was trying to get at, you've said it much better. I feel like a lot of racists use the Israeli state as a way to incite hatred towards Jews which is entirely unacceptable but that's the reason why it persists on the left possibly? Because of the only one-sided sympathy thing?

Hitler wasn't a leftie... he was as far from being a leftie as you can get. I don't think any one group of people are particularly prone to anti-Semitism, unless you count stupid, ignorant people as being one group. I've had heated discussions about Israel and I do see things differently, probably, because I visit Israel often, I know the history and I am a Jew. But that doesn't mean I sympathise with the Israeli government because I don't, and neither do many Jews... nor Israelis, come to that. So yes, while people use Israel as an excuse to bash the Jews, before the State of Israel, they found other reasons to hate us.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

Hitler wasn't a leftie... he was as far from being a leftie as you can get. I don't think any one group of people are particularly prone to anti-Semitism, unless you count stupid, ignorant people as being one group. I've had heated discussions about Israel and I do see things differently, probably, because I visit Israel often, I know the history and I am a Jew. But that doesn't mean I sympathise with the Israeli government because I don't, and neither do many Jews... nor Israelis, come to that. So yes, while people use Israel as an excuse to bash the Jews, before the State of Israel, they found other reasons to hate us.

I always bow to your vast knowledge on this.
I have Jewish friends and they generally say much the same as you do.

I wish you would do a sort of blog on the issue really, it would be a fascinating, educating and insightful read for me, for one.

[JoshBB]

Originally Posted by Livia

Hitler wasn't a leftie... he was as far from being a leftie as you can get. I don't think any one group of people are particularly prone to anti-Semitism, unless you count stupid, ignorant people as being one group. I've had heated discussions about Israel and I do see things differently, probably, because I visit Israel often, I know the history and I am a Jew. But that doesn't mean I sympathise with the Israeli government because I don't, and neither do many Jews... nor Israelis, come to that. So yes, while people use Israel as an excuse to bash the Jews, before the State of Israel, they found other reasons to hate us.

I mean don't get me wrong, I do feel like anti-semitism is more aligned to the far-right than those on the far-left, however it is one element of racism that seems to have at least a tiny amount of backing on the left whereas the left tends to reject every other form of racism. I'd find it really interesting if you did a longer post on what you think about the whole Israel scenario too like Kizzy said, with your knowledge & experiences it would be really insightful to read.

[Merry Mockmas]

Originally Posted by JoshBB

Yeah that's the point I was trying to get at, you've said it much better. I feel like a lot of racists use the Israeli state as a way to incite hatred towards Jews which is entirely unacceptable but that's the reason why it persists on the left possibly? Because of the only one-sided sympathy thing?

I think the reason that the left has such an issue with Jewish people is because a lot of Jewish people are business minded so are more likely to be right wing, hence why I think some of the left has an issue with Jewish people.

And also there are your racist left (which I know isn't very common) but it does exist, but I think as the secondry thing to the usual right versus left scenario.

What can be ironic with the left though is that they probably defend one of the most right wing organizations out there.

And btw I'm on about in their day to day lives, not with terrorism.

[letmein]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mock

I think the reason that the left has such an issue with Jewish people is because a lot of Jewish people are business minded so are more likely to be right wing, hence why I think some of the left has an issue with Jewish people.

And also there are your racist left (which I know isn't very common) but it does exist, but I think as the secondry thing to the usual right versus left scenario.

What can be ironic with the left though is that they probably defend one of the most right wing organizations out there.

And btw I'm on about in their day to day lives, not with terrorism.

Jews are overwhelmingly left-wing.

[bots]

Originally Posted by letmein

Jews are overwhelmingly left-wing.

Livia, our voice from the left

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

Livia, our voice from the left

I almost choked on my falafel then

[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by JoshBB

Yeah that's the point I was trying to get at, you've said it much better. I feel like a lot of racists use the Israeli state as a way to incite hatred towards Jews which is entirely unacceptable but that's the reason why it persists on the left possibly? Because of the only one-sided sympathy thing?

You are correct about 'One-sided sympathy' Josh, but a much better phrase would be 'WRONG sided sympathy', because the greater majority who have sympathy for the Palestinians and who detest and blame Israel, are simply swallowing propaganda and do not know the truth or the history.