Rosenfeld’s article, which was released by the American Jewish Committee, argues that “progressive” criticism of Israel is excessive and at times even anti-Semitic. The article, called ” ‘Progressive’ Jewish Thought and the New Anti-Semitism,” begins with a historical view of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and then looks at what Rosenfeld sees as a new manifestation of them that “has acquired the ability to leap across national, linguistic, and religious boundaries.”
Rosenfeld writes,
In some quarters, the challenge is not to Israel’s policies, but to its legitimacy and right to an ongoing future. Thus, the argument leveled by Israel’s fiercest critics is often no longer about 1967 and the country’s territorial expansion following its military victory during the Six Day War, but about 1948 and the alleged “crime,” or “original sin,” of its very establishment. The debate, in other words, is less about the country’s borders and more about its origins and essence. One of the things that is new and deeply disturbing about the new anti-Semitism, therefore, is precisely this: the singling out of the Jewish state, and the Jewish state alone, as a political entity unworthy of a secure and sovereign existence.
Rosenfeld criticizes such Jews as Jacqueline Rose, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Michael Neumann, and Tony Judt for embodying this perspective.
Professor Rosenfeld is the director of the Institute for Jewish Culture and the Arts at Indiana University. You can contact him at rosenfel@indiana.edu.
alvin, You used to be intelligent.
If throughout Jewish history zionism was not synonomous with Judaism, then after the holocaust and 1948– all Jews despite whatever historical or philosophical misgivings they might have had– jumped on board, why should they be of one mind meld in a democracy now? Why should a fundamentally rights loving people not feel and express pain– as all free people do– when they see the cost of their state’s cotradictions?
And this conflating on ROssenfelt;s part of anti zionism with anti-semitism is the tool of the true anti-semites, in europe and the middle east. that he takes it as his tool against progressives is a true horror.
Look where his right wing allies got us. By following a hawkish unilateral foregin policy with the Bush tean, Isreal has never been so existenially weak.
‘hawkish unilateral foriegn policy’
Oh please! Bush is as hawkish as Marcel Marceau!
The world is waiting for him to START with the hawkishness. Pussy-footing with the UN till Saddam was emboldened to fight back, always waiting for the UK to approve his actions, the only difference between Bush and Clinton is that Bush had the nerve to (eventually) put troops on the ground.
Where are the American hawks? The world is waiting to see them. Your troops are strong and brave but led by fractious whimsical pussies! And pussy-whipped Heinz-Kerry was to be your answer?
Poor little Israel with such defenders. Poor little Australia…
You were not man and strong to put what I said on your site. Because you know the truth.