The Lobby. Convenient Lies

Criticism of Israel is not necessarily Antisemitic. Let’s get that red herring out of the way right now.

It’s a weird thing to have to state. Certainly, no professional member of the Israel Lobby to my knowledge has ever made the claim that all criticism of Israel is based on bigotry.

But when people play up classical stereotypes of the Jews into their description of the Lobby, that’s where concerns about Antisemitism come into play. Certain key phrases pop out.

“Wealthy Jews.” “Less than virtuous in their dealings.” “Manipulators.”

Suspicions of Antisemitism come up again when when these same critics of Israel are absolutely silent on the rest of the world’s calamities which are much graver and deadlier than the Arab-Israel conflict. Think Darfur. Myanmar. North Korea. Colombia. Even Mexico, in the drug war.

All of these conflicts and plenty more have unleashed far more human carnage than what is happening between Israel and the Palestinians, from both sides.

Critics purposefully distort all happenstances in the region to portray Israel and Israelis as viciously racist, colonial usurpers.

It’s much easier to throw around this baseless slander than recognize that while Israel’s got plenty of warts and bruises, it’s a democratic, liberal and tolerant place.

Let’s deal now with the bogus claims of Israel being a European, colonial, racist entity.

First, the majority of Jews in Israel are Mizrahi (ie, darker-skinned, undeniably semitic people) refugees and their descendants who were forced out of their ancient communities throughout the Arab Middle East this century. Jews are as indigenous to the Middle East as the Aborigines of Australia or the First Nations of Canada.

Next, Israel is by far the most tolerant country in the region respecting all minorities’ rights, including Muslims and Arabs of all stripes. Don’t take my word for it. If you’re a Sunni Muslim, try moving into a majority Shia neighborhood in Iraq right now. Good luck making it through the night without a bullet through the back of your head. Or a power drill.

Activists paint Israel as a racist, authoritarian, war-mongering, human rights-abusing and monolithic entity when all of the evidence, despite some noted and unfortunate disfiguration, point to a country which upholds the rule of democracy, law and order. It’s a multicultural country where over 70 nationalities and ethnicities are reflected in its citizenship. It’s a place where dissent is not only allowed, but is routinely experienced through fiery rants among people in the street; where the judiciary in the country is one of the most “activist” and accessible judiciaries in the world, constantly overturning or altering government decisions and policies; where media can openly and freely express pro-boycott sentiments, anti-settlement feelings, and feel entirely comfortable calling the leaders of the country out in the most fire-bellied rants imaginable.

It’s time for North Americans to wake up and look beyond these convenient lies and excuses made by Anti-Israel activists with whatever motivations they may have.

If you want to talk about a nefarious lobby, it’s certainly not the pro-Israel one, which strives to exhibit Israel as a democratic country and homeland of the Jewish people.

This is Part 5 in a six-part series of essays in The Propagandist confronting critics of the Israel Lobby. Daniel Schloss is a contributing writer and former Israel lobby insider.

• Read the previous essay, The Lobby, Part 4. The Big Picture