How should antisemitism be viewed?
As one example of a much larger group of social pathologies,
a form of intolerance not unlike such other manifestations of
group bias as racism, anti- Catholicism and xenophobia?
Or as something distinctive and unique, different from other
forms of bigotry not only in degree but also in kind?
This was the burning question beneath the seemingly placid
surface of the recent international conference on
"Antisemitism and Other Forms of Intolerance" in Cordoba,
Spain, at which the 55 nation-members of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) patted themselves
on the back for their outstanding efforts in dealing with the
haters in their midst. In the main conference center the
delegates were busy exchanging carefully worded platitudes
and pieties — while in the side rooms and corridors
there was heated discussion and debate over whether
antisemitism deserved its own special focus.
In one corner stood Governor George Pataki, head of the
American delegation to the Cordoba conference — of
which I was privileged to be a part — forcefully
arguing that the long, tragic history and seemingly
intractable nature of antisemitism demanded that it be
treated as a subject unto itself. The governor pointed out
that antisemitism, more so than any other ideology of hate,
has shown itself to have a unique propensity to lead to acts
of violence; and that the documented rise in antisemitic hate
crimes in Europe and across the globe made it necessary for
the nations of the world to devote special energy to
combating this alarming development.
But in the other corner stood others who took a contrary
view. They agreed, of course, that antisemitism is a
deplorable phenomenon and must be combated vigorously. But,
they cautioned, let us not confuse opposition to the State of
Israel and its policies with antisemitism; it is not fair to
label someone an antisemite simply because he objects to the
way the Israelis are treating the Palestinians in the
"occupied territories." And, they further argued, while
antisemitism is surely a problem, it is no more of a problem
in today's world than other forms of group hatred —
indeed, probably less of a problem than, say, Islamaphobia
— and should be addressed as part of the much larger
phenomenon of intolerance and bigotry.
These two views wrestled with each other in a variety of
contexts throughout the Cordoba conference. In fact, the very
title of the gathering — "Conference on Antisemitism
and Other Forms of Intolerance" — reflected an attempt
to accommodate both perspectives: the singularity of
antisemitism on the one hand, and its place within the larger
pantheon of intolerance on the other.
By the time the conference concluded, both sides were
bloodied but could claim some measure of victory.
Those, led by the American delegation, who emphasized the
unique nature of antisemitism could point most notably to an
apparent commitment extracted from the Belgian Foreign
Minister, who is slated to become the next chairman of the
OSCE, that the existing position of the OSCE "Personal
Representative" on antisemitism would be retained for the
foreseeable future, and would not be consolidated with that
of the Personal Representatives on anti-Christian and anti-
Muslim activities. They could also celebrate the inclusion of
a sentence in the "Cordoba Declaration" issued at the
conclusion of the conference that declared "international
developments or political issues, including in Israel or
elsewhere in the Middle East, never justify antisemitism."
At the same time, proponents of the one-approach-fits-all
philosophy of intolerance could point with pride to the
potpourri provision in the Cordoba Declaration that
"condemn[s] without reserve racism, xenophobia, antisemitism,
and other forms of intolerance and discrimination, including
against Muslims and Christians, as well as harassment and
incitement to hate crimes motivated, inter alia, by race,
color, sex, language, religion or belief, political or other
opinion, national or social origin, birth or other status."
(Yes, that's the way professional diplomats express
themselves.)
Frankly, I was disappointed that the American delegation's
perspective was not firmly embraced by the larger OSCE
consensus. But perhaps my expectations were unrealistic.
After all, hatred of Jews, to the modern secular mind, is a
bad thing because it violates the moral principle of
egalitarianism, the notion that all human beings are
inherently equal and entitled to equal rights under the law.
Hatred of blacks, or Gypsies, or immigrants, or any other
identifiable group, is also a bad thing because it violates
the very same moral principle. Seen in this light, why indeed
should antisemitism be singled out from all other forms of
intolerance and bigotry?
Jews sensitive to the Jewish religious tradition, though,
view antisemitism as something much deeper than a breach in
egalitarianism. It is, above all else, and unlike anything
else, a Message from Above.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote (Lamentations, 1:17) that
the Jewish people are besieged by enemies because G-d has so
commanded. The antisemite, said Isaiah, is merely "the rod of
My anger" (10:5), the means by which G-d prods His nation to
recognize that they are indeed His nation. As the renowned
Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk makes clear in his classic
Meshech Chochmoh (Vayikra 26:44), Jew- hatred is G-d's
way of reminding us that we are a nation apart, a chosen
people with a special mission on this earth.
Needless to say, the fact that G-d may allow those who hate
us, and Him, to act on their hatred in no way absolves them
of their evil. Even though our enslavement in Egypt was
preordained and told by G-d to Abraham, Pharaoh and the
Egyptians were rightly punished for their choices. Nor are we
absolved from fighting antisemitism wherever it rears its
ugly snout; ours is a world in which G-d expects us to deal
with tangible symptoms even as He expects us to contemplate
underlying causes
But the fact remains: antisemitism is not merely one of many
forms of human intolerance. It is special, because it
emanates from a special Divine concern for over the Jewish
people.
The nations of the world gathered in Cordoba may not have
recognized this — but at least we Jews should.
Rabbi Zwiebel, Agudath Israel of America's executive vice
president for government and public affairs, was a United
States representative at the recent Conference on Anti-
Semitism and Other Forms of Intolerance in Cordoba, Spain.
This essay appears in the current issue of Coalition.
