Dear Charles:
There are many types of prejudice against Jews: religious, ethnic, racist. Jews are not a single "race" whatever race means anyway, since it is a social constuct. But bigots are constantly asserting that Jews are a race.
The historical roots are in the Anti-Semitic Party of Germany in the 1800s. But in an effort to retain the historical continuity of the concept and term, many people now use the term "antisemitism" instead of Judeophobia. No dash, no capital letter, to signify an awareness of the problematic nature of the original term.
Now, Charles, groups get to claim the name of their oppression. You cannot assert the term is no longer appropriate, just like you cannot assert the term "Black" is not appropriate because it does not accurately describe a range of skin colors in an ethnic group labelled as a race.
You don't get a vote.
Antisemitism is a reality. The type of argument you make is frequently used by bigots to sweep the reality of antisemitism under the rug. I realize that was not your intent, but once in a while it would be nice if you were current on a topic before posting your opinions as if they were up to date. The result here is that you display an alarming insensitivity to an issue that is complicated.
None of this deprecates the harsh reality of Arabophobia and Islamophobia, not just among Jews in Israel, but also widespread among many different ethnic groups in the U.S. These terms are also the ones used by the targeted groups, and I cannot change them simply because I might argue that "fear of -- phobia" does not encompass all the aspects of bigotry against Arabs and Muslims. No does it dismiss alarming antisemitism current in some Arab and Muslim circles. The issue in the Middle East is more usefully addressed by discerning in which countries does which form of bigoted ideology have the power to assert dominance and create oppression. In Israel, Palestinians are oppressed. In Yemen, Jews are oppressed.
-Chip Berlet
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Charles Brown
> Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 12:35 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> Subject: Anti-Semitism
>
> first three groups are usually termed North Semites, in
> contrast to the Arabian group, or South Semites. But the
> classification of the Babylonian with the Aramaic and
> Chanaanitic Semites is not permissible from the philological
> point of view.
>
<<SNIP>>