A few weeks ago, I received a screener copy of Defamation, a documentary about anti-Semitism that was planned for theatrical release in the U.S. in the fall. The film, by Israeli director Yoav Shamir, looked at Abe Foxman and the Anti-Defamation League in the states, and at educational trips for Israeli high-school students to the death camp at Auschwitz in Poland.
Using the confrontational techniques associated with Michael Moore (Roger and Me, Bowling for Columbine, etc.), Shamir leads the viewer to conclude that while there may be occasional expressions of anti-Jewish sentiment at the street level, anti-Semitism is no longer a serious threat to Jewish well-being in the U.S. or Poland. It seems that Shamir also wants viewers to believe that the educational system in Israel and the ADL in America has a vested interest in maintaining a kind of anti-Semitism industry. These organizations need to work hard to keep the specter of anti-Semitism alive in order to justify their existence.
Yesterday's fatal shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum seriously undermines the basic thrust of the film.
It doesn't prove that virulent and potentially violent anti-Semitism is pervasive in American society. But it does show that there are still people among us who are willing not merely to harbor prejudices in their hearts or promote crackpot theories of history, but also to take a gun and shoot a stranger simply because they symbolize a perceived cultural threat.
I cannot address Defamation's claim that ADL national director Abe Foxman exaggerates the extent of the threat in order to maintain his place as schmoozer-in-chief with Israeli dignitaries and wealth Jewish patrons. Foxman can slug that out with Yoav Shamir.
But I can say with confidence that the American ideal (based on biblical ideals) is to welcome the stranger into our midst - especially the stranger who is fleeing violence and persecution. My mother's mother was one such, fleeing the threat of Czarist Russian violence against Jews in her native Lithuania. In 1905, she and her parents were welcomed into the United States and given safe haven from the threat of pogroms. (It was not the Russians, but the Nazis who in 1941 eventually wiped out my grandmother's village.)
We should not let our American free-speech ideals lead us to shrug off the kind of anti-Semitic propaganda that was propounded by yesterday's shooter in his self-published book and on his website. We should clearly denounce such incitements for the poison they are and never leave the impression that "It's a free country" means we can ignore racism.
Posted by David Neff on June 11, 2009 11:43AM
Comments
good article by david neff here!!
speaking about finkelstein there is a new film about him and
his escapades
www.americanradicalthefilm.com
Posted by: ssand at June 11, 2009
The darkness always hates the light!
David
www.redletterbelievers.com
Posted by: David at June 12, 2009
The antisemitism above of Jason aka James aka Jack punctures Defamation as well.
Posted by: Yvonne at June 13, 2009
David,
Yesterday’s fatal shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum does not undermines the basic thrust of the film.
Posted by: Karl Kroger at June 16, 2009
David Neff said:
Yesterday’s fatal shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum seriously undermines the basic thrust of the film.
Alan says: Not really. It's one person that is part f a very small minority of hate groups that will always be with us. Much like Jesse Jackson, NAACP, etc. operate, there needs to be this continuing strain of claims to racism and "keeping the (Fill in race or religion here) down" in order to continue to hold power, influence and money over said groups of people. Democrats have been doing this for eons to the black community and now the hispanic community. Without those communities, the democrats have little chance of gaining any kind of power because they have nothing else going for them.
Posted by: Alan Paul at June 17, 2009
Karl Kroger and Alan Paul, if you are correct in affirming the film's basic thrust, then why were demonstrators at Gaza rallies held earlier this year comfortable with shouting, "Jews to the ovens" or "Hitler didn't finish the job"? This was witnessed in multiple American and European cities. Or why is it that Jews feel threatened enough with attacks on synagogues and the like in Venezuela that about half have departed since Chavez assumed power? Or why is it that Jason can espouse overt Holocaust denial in the comments above and neither one of you take him to task?
Posted by: Yvonne at June 17, 2009
This guy was a classic C.I.A. set up man. All his tendencies were liberal but they portrayed him as conservative. Perhaps this was done to discredit this film and distract the country form the abuse of Palestine by Israel and this country in the middle east dragging us into there wars ? The war mongrels have created an environment where if you oppose the middle east or war you are anti simetic. ridiculous
Posted by: port austin at October 28, 2011
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