[Marxism] Anti-Semitism is a misnomer

[Lüko Willms]

On Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:27:21 +0000, D OC wrote:

> The problem is that many people assume that the 
> only Semites are the Jews. Of course, Semites 
> include all those who are claimed to descend 
> from the biblical character Shem - this includes 
> all the Arabic people also. 

  The term "antisemitism" was coined by the antisemites, and did not 
refer to Semitic peoples in general, but to Jews in the capitalist 
societies of Europe. 

> After the Nazis, the greatest anti-semites 
> are the Zionists. They have killed more people 
> of semitic origin than any other group.

  But there is a difference between general racism, directed towards 
"inferior" people, and the antisemitism coming out of the capitalist 
society of Europe. 

  The colonizer has racist contempt for the people he has subjugated to 
his will by conquering his land, or by making him a slave. 

  Antisemitism arose against a body of people who had constitued sort of 
a caste in the feudal society, where people had their place because of 
being born into it. In the christian-germanic feudal society of Europe, 
Jews represented the element of money and capital, forming a separated 
but intimately linked people-class, as Abraham Leon explained in his 
book. 

  This caste or guild, being a people-class, somewhat ethincally 
distinct, had more problems dissolving into the capitalist class society 
than the "regular" guilds of, say, carpenters, shoemakers, smiths, 
peasants, etc. This exposed position made them vulnerable for attacks 
which were a diversion from the attacks which should have been directed 
at the capitalists. Antisemitism has always also a feeling of 
inferiority and envy for the superior material or intellectual position 
attributed to Jews. One would not find the phantasy that Blacks are in 
reality directing society by some secret societies hidden behind the 
normal instutions (I once had debated a fool who proclaimed that the US 
Federal Reserve system is owned and directed by "the Jews" via the 
British Rothschild bank, the US presidency being just a pawn in their 
hands). 

  So, while antisemitism is certainly a form of racism -- "they" are 
different from "us", and "we" have to push "our" interests against 
"them" -- it has its own particular traits which one should be aware of, 
and one shold not dilute the fight against antisemitism in a general 
struggle against racism. 

  On the other hand, it is of course nonsense to reproach "antisemitism" 
to the resistance against the colonial settler state Israel, even if 
some people borrow from European antisemitic phantasies to find an 
understanding for what is happening to them. 

  Antisemitism opposes a phantasy of Jewish power and rule, while the 
Arabs in Palestine and beyond are really oppressed. 

  It is rather antisemitic to claim an identity of interests between the 
colonial settler state Israel and Jews. The interests are rather 
opposed. Explanation of this fact should be an important part of a fight 
against Israeli colonial racism. 


Yours, 
Lüko Willms
Frankfurt, Germany
--------------------------------
visit http://www.mlwerke.de Marx, Engels, Luxemburg, Lenin, Trotzki in 
German