Is Criticism Of Israel Anti-Semitic?

This is the second column discussing continued charges that any criticism of the Israeli government is anti-Semitic. Last week I briefly described the formation of the state of Israel flowing from the long history of anti-Semitism culminating in the Shoah. (the Holocaust). Jews who survived Hitler’s final solution were invited to relocate in this newly established homeland. Thus Israel was born as a creature of the United Nations. Over the next years, however, this same international body has raised serious issues regarding Israeli policies that violate the rights of the non-Jewish populations that for centuries had seen Palestine as their homeland.Since 2013, the state of Israel has been condemned in 45 resolutions by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Since its creation in 2006, the council has continually questioned Israeli policies and actions in its treatment of the Palestinians. These 45 resolutions were almost half (45.9%) of all country-specific resolutions passed by this respected body..

Resolution 181, passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947, called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, with the city of Jerusalem as a “separate entity,” to be governed by a special international body. However, this resolution has been ignored by all succeeding Israeli governments.

Later, The United Nations Security Council adopted Article 242 demanding that lands seized by Israel in the 1967 war be returned, but with that resolution Palestine would to be established in only 23% of the land, not 45%, which was the UNs original allotment.

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 was adopted on 23 December 2016. It concerns the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. The resolution passed in a 14–0 vote. Four members with veto power, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, voted for the resolution, but the United States abstained. The resolution states that Israel's settlement activity constitutes a "flagrant violation" of international law and has "no legal validity." It demands that Israel stop such activity and fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

And it must be remembered that the Balfour resolution of 1917 calling for a Jewish homeland included the words: it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine …

The United States has either abstained or vetoed every effort by the Security Council to confront continued Israeli violations. Without the military and the financial support of the United States, Israel could not continue to ignore the rest of the world and the United Nations sanctions.

Every U.S. administration, Republican and Democratic, has vowed to support Israel and its policies no matter what the rest of the world says. This position has largely resulted from the enormously powerful lobbying effort principally by AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and the support of a significant part of the Congressional delegation.

In addition, many American Christians still support Israel. There are two reasons. For more liberal Christians there is a continuity based on the historic continuum relating Judaism and Christianity. We speak of the “Judeo-Christian” tradition. In recent days, however, that support is beginning to weaken with resolutions boycotting industries doing business with Israel. And yet a significant number of conservative Christians see that the absolute support of Israel has biblical sanction. The survival of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is seen as essential in following prophecies about the “last days” and the return of Christ. These events are seen by many evangelicals as vital in the effort to convert the Jews and secure their salvation as Christians, and that is the real goal!

The criticism of Israeli policy and anti-Semitism are often seen as the same thing. Thus any criticism of the Israeli government, no matter what the rest of the world and the United Nations say, is called anti-Semitism. As a result, any political, religious or secular figure that in any way and with any intent criticizes Israel is tarred with an anti-Semitic brush.

But criticism of a government that is in continual flagrant violation of international law, and a prejudice against Jews and Judaism are not the same thing! The intractable problems continually resulting from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be addressed until the United States and its people see the distinction. Criticizing Israel is NOT anti-Semitic. Until that distinction is recognized, neither a one-state nor a two- state solution is possible. The result is the continuation of the present condition, which is nothing less than apartheid. Honest criticism of Israel must become American policy, since it is our support that continues to allow Israel to disregard international law.