Seperating Antisemitism from being anti-Israel
Following Holocaust Memorial Weekend, I thought it would be important to talk about the issue of Antisemitism in the UK, and the continued trouble that the Jewish community of the UK face. I will not be broadly analysing Antisemitism but instead will investigate the issue within the specific context of the current circumstances between Israel and Palestine. This is due to the fact that there is an increase in acts of Antisemitism during periods of escalated tension in the conflict.(1) It is for this reason that I have chosen to explore what we mean by being anti-Israel and how a better understanding of that issue itself can hopefully de-escalate some of the tension that is horrifically directed at the Jewish community during these periods.
The best place to start will be to define what we mean by Antisemitism and anti-Israel. Although Antisemitism in name extends to the discrimination of all "Semetic" peoples, I will be accepting the convention that the term specifically refers to the Jewish community. In 2016, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance defined this concept as " a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities." (2) Defining the concept is important, as it is a race-based form of discrimination and extends beyond the religion to the people, who are sometimes termed "ethnic Jews," including those that practice and those that don't. Now we must turn to define what we mean by being anti-Israel. It seems straightforward to assume that being anti-Israel means that you support Palestine's claim or side in the conflict, but this blanket statement is not without consequences. It is this 'side taking' approach that leads to the unchallenged ethnic associations of Arab vs Jew, which creates the notion that Israel is an ethnostate and that Jews (as a group) are linked to the actions of the nation. Further forms of Antisemitic abuse are directed towards Zionism, which is often framed as a "colonial" or at least imperial desire to make Judea Jewish. As you can see, this can spiral into a rabbit hole of abuse that is based on prejudicial assumptions and misdirected anger. Inversely, we can consider the anti-Israel perspective as an immediate reaction to the actions of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) towards Palestinian civilians in their 'attempt'(3) to target Hamas. Whilst this moves past racism invoke by the ethnostate concept, it alone cannot be sufficient in tackling the complexity of this issue. In order to tackle this complicated ethnicity notion, we must turn back to the beginning of what created the state of Israel in the first to see if there is any other way to frame the dynamic here.
It is important to state that the treatment of the Jews in Europe was deeply troubling long before the Holocaust. The rhetoric of the Crusades began the stark polarization of Christians and Jews, presenting Jews as Christ-Killers.(4, Byrne 2017: 1) From 1096, Antisemitism was steadily ramped up by the crown and the people of England until 1290 when the Jewish population of England was expelled from the country.(5, Byrne 2017: 1-2) England was not alone in this Antisemitism as the Jews were expelled from France (14th century), Germany (1350s), Spain (1492) Portugal (1496), Provence (1512), and the Papal States (1569).(6) Jews moved to Eastern Europe where, whilst not being expelled, they were subject to more Antisemitism and periodic persecutions throughout Europe (7). In 1881, Tsar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated by a left-wing terror group, however, authorities at the time pinned the blame on the large Eastern European Jewish community. As a result, new legislation was introduced to further marginalise the Jewish population and many pograms (an ethnic cleansing riot) were carried out against the Jews. It is in this context that the ideology of Zionism is created. Zionism calls for the Jews to return to their religious homeland of Palestine (the region) and to make themselves a homeland that they (at the time) did not have. This was made a reality, as the Jews undertook the First Aliyah, buying land in the Ottoman Empire, with the true aim of settling a large Jewish population. This period, from 1882-1914, is the original starting point of any conflict between those inhabiting Palestine and the Zionists, as the Arabs wished to remain the outright majority in the land whilst the Zionists wished to become the majority and eventually gain full control (8 Hill: 2001: 49). This situation was the status quo, with another Aliyah occurring as the two sides took to wrestling control with the Ottoman Empire.
Following World War 1 and the fall of the Ottomans, the British Mandate took to supporting the creation of the Jewish homeland in Palestine. This incentivised another Aliyah and pushed Arab-Jewish relations to breaking point. The first High Commissioner was a British Zionist, Herbert Samuel, further antagonising the Arab population. From 1920, the two sides were effectively at war with each other. Arabs rioted in 1929 over a dispute at the Western Wall. The Arabs then waged an armed insurgency from 1936 to 1939 in an attempt to overthrow the British. By 1937, when the first talks for partition had begun, both sides refused to back down as the Arabs outright refused and the Zionists saw the partition as a foot in the door at the negotiating table. Whilst this may seem like a simple 2-sided issue with the British and the Zionists against the Arabs, British governmental information complicates this narrative. The British had been continually trying to limit the number of Jewish immigrants to better control the territory of Palestine. Furthermore, the British were playing favourites with certain Arab families, as the Sauds were given Hejaz and Arabia, and Churchill rewarded the Husseins with Transjordan that cut nearly 4/5 of Palestine.(9) Towards the end of the mandate the White Paper of 1939 (concerning Palestine and its future governance) had proposals to limit Jewish Immigration from Europe to Palestine and restrict Jewish land purchases. At the time, Jews had been fleeing Fascist regimes in Italy and Germany which only further complicated the situation. During World War 2, there was violence from both sides as the Palestinians were encouraged by the Axis powers and Zionists launched uprisings that struck against the British. Following the war, it was finally decided by the UN in 1947 that Palestine be partitioned between Arabs and Jews. This did not solve the matter and many more conflicts would follow but it serves as a stopping point for today's analysis.
It cannot be reasonably argued that Zionism is a colonial ideology. Although some have tried to frame the event in the context of the Scramble for Africa and the Rise of Nationalism (10, Sayegh 2012: 207) a key aspect of colonialism is missing from this phenomenon. The Jews did not have a home, to begin with, or return to. Regardless of what you believe in the ideology of Zionism, it is crucial that we recognise the historically deep-rooted Antisemitism in Europe as a causal factor in the decision of Zionists to create a homeland in Palestine. It is easy to look at more modern events and allow that to influence our understanding of the past, but without acknowledging and accepting that Europe's treatment of the Jews long before Fascism was abhorrent and inhumane, it is not possible to understand the actions of 1882 onwards. On top of that historic abuse, the Holocaust only further served to underline the need for security among the Jewish people. It cannot be understated that fear was a driving factor in their actions during and after the Second World War. However, we must secondly admit that the Zionists actively attempted (and ultimately succeeded) to displace the native population of Palestine. No matter the motivation, this is a fact that we must come to terms with if we are to fully understand the situation. We must acknowledge that both sides were clearly in unfavourable positions and that only further exacerbated the situation. How then can we take the stance of being anti-Israel whilst still acknowledging the troubled history of pre-Israel and the history of Israel from 1947 to the present day?
I chose not to recount the events of 1947 to the present day as I wanted to tell a different story from one that is often mentioned. The idea that the West supports Israel and the Arabs support Palestine is not even 100 years old and is treated like an entrenched default position by most. Although both the Jews and Palestinian Arabs were clearly oppressed peoples. Even after World War 1 as some Arabs were rewarded for their 'efforts' in dismantling the Ottomans by Britain and France, Palestine remained in limbo and the population was still ruled by a foreign power. Truth be told, the Palestinians never stood a chance. Even the partition was an insult to injury for a people that, 100 years prior, had been subjugated by the Ottomans and used as a buffer against Egypt. The Palestinians wanted freedom as much as the Jews and were ultimately marginalised by the British who did more harm than good during their mandate. Israel certainly did not have it easy. It was thrust into a war with a renewed Arab world that was clearly threatened by the existence of Israel but by then, it was too late for the Palestinians. It was this Arab attitude that built the Israeli national character. Now the Israelis are the dominant power and yet still remain ignorant of history. Their attempt to describe any Palestinian resistance as terrorism just optimises this. Once upon a time, the Jews were an oppressed minority almost anywhere they went, and now they are oppressing the Palestinians. Israel stands as a contradiction of itself, now looking to the West for support and legitimacy. Even one of the most liberal Israeli historians, Benny Morris, described the situation between Israelis and Palestinians as a clash of civilisations between the Arab world and the Western World. The same Western World that expelled the Jews from their lands, and (lest we forget) who turned away Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler and Mussolini due to the deep-rooted antisemitism in their own countries. Any binary distinction made cannot have any serious meaning. East vs West, Arabs vs Jews, and Israel vs Palestine are all flawed over-trivial approaches. Ultimately Israel shouldn't exist. It shouldn't exist because the Jews shouldn't have had to turn to Zionism in the first place. We must admit and accept that Israel exists because of centuries of European Antisemitism. Centuries of marginalisation and oppression at the hands of those that now proclaim to be the supporters of Israel.
No matter how uncomfortable it is, we must begin to acknowledge that Western support for Israel isn't built on mutual civilisation or even guilt for the tragedies that the Jewish people have suffered. I have a slightly more sinister belief. That the Antisemitism that forced the Jews away in the first place never really dissipated. Israel is a 'solution' for many of those that don't want Jews in their own country. It allows for the oxymoronic positions of conservatives that believe in deep-rooted Antisemitic conspiracy theories and yet publically support Israel. It also explains the recent rise in Antisemitism, particularly during the Israel-Palestine conflict's most tense moments. Antisemitism doesn't just come from pro-Palestinians, it comes from both the left and right wings. It cannot be defined by class, or even religion (Christian Antisemitism remains prevalent). I began this article with the idea that the existence of Israel is a complex issue that needs tackling head-on. However, following all of my research and writing, I don't believe this is possible without first beginning to comprehend the Antisemitism of our own country. No matter where you come from, I advise all of my readers to reflect long and hard on this challenge. As it is only when we all can challenge this Antisemitism that we can begin to separate it from Israel and the current crisis in the Middle East.
Bibliography and Notes
(1) https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/feb/10/anti-jewish-hate-incidents-hit-record-high-in-uk
(3) The extent to which the IDF's actions are a genuine attempt to stop Hamas is a matter of debate
(4) (5) Byrne, P. 2017. Why were the Jews Expelled from England in 1290.
(6) (7) https://www.britannica.com/topic/anti-Semitism/Anti-Semitism-in-medieval-Europe
(8) Hill, B. 2001. Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist Arab Conflict 1881- 2001 (New York: Random House Inc.)
(9) https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/british-restrictions-on-jewish-immigration-to-palestine
(10) Sayegh, F. 2012. 'Zionist Colonialism in Palestine' in Settler Colonial Studies 2:1 pp. 206-225.
Where to Start?
Jewish Relations in Europe and the First Aliyah
