The Anti-Semitism of the LEFT
The Anti-Semitism of the Left
by Gene Comiskey
Anti-semitism has always been a tool used by unscrupulous leaders to misdirect people’s attention towards an enemy, an ‘outsider’, in order to harness the people’s energies in the desired direction and distract the people from the real problems. It takes advantage of bias and ignorance to gain and hold power or for economic gain. It has also been used by cynical or extreme religious leaders to maintain their control of communities or exercise influence over monarchs and political bodies. The ‘blood libel’ and ‘Jesus-killer’ slur have been wielded to cow leaders and populations into submission to the religious rule. It has also been used by secular leaders to control under a religious mantle.
Religious conflict, or conflict with a religious cover, has never been limited to persecution of Jews, although anti-semitism has often been a useful element , as in the Inquisition. From the conquests of Mohammed and the counter-campaigns of the Crusades to the persecution of the Huguenots or the pogroms in Russia , the rationalizations and justifications have been a mix of religious belief and self-interest. The Holocaust, the most egregious example, was essentially the use of a kind of ‘straw-man’ argument to blame the Jews for all of the problems suffered by Germany as a result of World War I, economic dislocation in its aftermath and the depression which followed. Hitler and the Nazi regime took advantage of prejudice and the vulnerability of a suffering population to attain total power over Germany.
The Zionist movement and the establishment of the state of Israel was a natural historical movement which gained momentum from the exodus of Jews from war-ravaged Europe and the horror of the Holocaust. Sympathy for the Holocaust survivors combined with the hope that the establishment of a truly democratic state in the Middle-east would provide a refuge for Jews and contribute to stability in the region. The experience of American soldiers, including American Jews, in Europe who were witnesses to the Holocaust contributed to the support for the state of Israel. The murderous reaction to the state of Israel by the Arab states was underestimated by many, although in hindsight it should not have been. The success of Israel , both in war and peace, and it’s alliance with the United States have ensured a continued vicious campaign of hatred for Jews, Israel and it’s ally. This is true despite the fact that Israel is still the only true democracy in the region and that all of its citizens, including Arab citizens, are afforded equal rights and participation in the democratic process.
We now have the spectacle of recently elected members of Congress pushing an anti-Israel, anti-semitic, pro-sharia law agenda. Leaders of the Democrat party , including announced candidates for President of the United States, have shown their true colors by refusing to condemn these policies or disavow apologists for the murderers of Jews and dictatorial governments which support them. While slave markets do business in North Africa, young Muslim girls and women are subjected to mutilation, homosexuals are thrown off the roofs of buildings by extremist Muslims and terrorism is practiced and supported by Islamic states, Democrat Congress members spew anti-semitic hatred while simultaneously accusing conservative Americans of hate crimes. While the vast majority of these alleged hate crimes have proven to be hoaxes, the progressive left continues its attacks on President Donald Trump and his supporters as deplorable bigots. The current Democrat party is determined to engage in identity politics which divides people by race, gender, sexual orientation or any other criteria which they feel it is advantageous for the Democrat party to leverage to their benefit. The anti-semitic element of leftist ideology is certainly despicable, but the overall anti-democratic thrust of progressive politics is a real threat to the freedoms which Americans have enjoyed. They have no qualms about an agenda which threatens our Republic and the future of our country. It is no small challenge to fight this progressive orthodoxy and stand up for our great country. It requires dedication and courage, but no more so than the Americans who have come before us and preserved our freedoms.