New York – An American Jewish author sparked a furious war of words on the Internet with British and Israeli opponents of anti-Semitism when he wrote that last month’s terrorist attack on Mumbai’s Chabad House was anti-Israeli and not anti-Semitic.
The Indian commando raid on…
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“Pakistani militants have been known to select prominent foreign targets within Pakistan, as the Mumbai terrorists did [in India] last week,” Seattle-based Richard Silverstein wrote on the Guardian’s “Comment is Free” blog.
“But few, if any, Pakistani militants have been known until now specifically to target Israelis. I say, Israelis rather than Jews because the single surviving terrorist noted that they chose Chabad House to avenge the suffering of the Palestinians. Therefore, the attack was anti-Israeli, though not necessarily anti-Semitic,” he continued.
Silverstein, who has a blog called Tikun Olam and is a contributor to Haaretz, the Forward and the Los Angeles Times, said the terrorists “were seeking redress for crimes against Palestine” as well as “revenge against India over Kashmir.”
He also attacked Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and the Israeli news site Arutz Sheva.
“So Livni and Arutz Sheva need to see the attack as emblems of Muslim perfidy and anti-Semitic hate,” he wrote. “It allows them to either win an election (in Livni’s case) or to argue that Israel must battle to the death with the Palestinians and never give an inch (in Arutz Sheva’s case). That is why we must deny them the opportunity by cutting through the fog of terror and laying bare the essentials of this case.”
Silverstein’s article triggered an immediate and widespread war of words. Posting on the Guardian blog, one of the first protesters, “Lipschitz,” said: “A non-Zionist rabbi and his wife lie dead, but it’s not anti-Semitic because one of the terrorists says they wanted to avenge the suffering of Palestinians?! … You give this wannabe mass-murderer the benefit of your doubt.
“How about I go out and murder a couple of black people because I’m angry with Mugabe? Or Congo? Or Rwanda? Would that be racist? Does that help you to understand the idiocy of your moral bypass? …
“Al-Qaida declares itself to be anti-Semitic. They go out and kill Jews. If you want your local terrorist group to be allowed into the al-Qaida franchise then you have to do likewise. That’s why this group kills Jews.”
A poster named “Geary” posted sarcastic approval, “I agree with Mr. Silverspoon. It was all an entirely justified reaction to the continuing brutal Israeli occupation of Kashmir.”
Alex Stein, an Israeli writer, posted on the Guardian blog: “In the midst of the maudlin clamor for explanation, one thing is clear: The terrorists wanted to kill Jews… And in choosing their target, they also gave the lie to the idea that this was some kind of proportionate response to the oppression of the Palestinians. If that was their agenda, they could have targeted the Israeli Consulate. Instead, they attacked a Jewish communal center and in the process killed a Satmar Hasid, known for its virulent anti-Zionism.”
The case was taken up by two popular British Web sites noted for opposing anti-Semitism, “Engage” and “Harry’s Place.”
Silverstein used his own blog to fight back with an article titled “Mumbai and the Jewish Jihadis.”
“Yes, I know, jihadis are supposed to be Muslim. After all, Islam created the concept. But I’m afraid that it’s somehow rubbed off on many right-wing Jews. They need to see all of Islam arrayed against all of Judaism in a holy war in which we will all fight to the death,” he wrote.
Using a similar tone, Silverstein addressed his detractors in a post on Engage:
“Chew on this, my little Jewish holy warriors,” before linking to an article that quotes the surviving Mumbai terrorist saying they “were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis to avenge atrocities on Palestinians.”
Writing on Engage, Israeli analyst and Jerusalem Post blog contributor Petra Marquardt-Bigman said it was important to counter Silverstein as “in addition to trying to claim he is the one to define what’s Jewish-left-progressive, he also tries to define what coexistence between Jews and Muslims requires.”
Silverstein brings the term “self-hating Jew” to a new level. He is the most vile and disgusting excuse for a human being ever.
streit out of the horse s mouth how true the moslem hate is caused only by the zionist s not by torah true jews
Those who read Haaretz, the Forward and the Los Angeles Times, know what they’re in for: garbage from some self-hating Jews sticking up for terrorists.
moslems can not be anti semites since they semites themselfs they are anti zionists
After all pain we all felt and still feel,about the tragic loss of these wonderful special people. We are so emotional and jewish spark in all of ignited about losing a fellow jew in such a brutal way. Understandingly anyone who ays anything that goes against our emotions is attacked. It is unfotunate but true the muslims hate jews today, but the hatred is not rooted in the fact that we are jewish or about our faith. We are hated because they hate israel and their policies. Before israel was founded the arabs and jews lived side by side with minor incidents. The hatered to jew is based that they associate every jew to the title Israeli. It is clear they were killed because of the Israeli’s actions. A revenge act nothis with the jewish factor. So emotions aside this writer is correct! And for the same reason halachakli they not called kedoshem, for they were not killed for being Jewish,
Before attacking think a bit you will realize how true it sadly is, thousands of jews were already killed due to the israeli gov.
There’s no difference, because the entire “Palestinian” cause is itself antisemitic. They have no real grievances, because they have no just claim to the Land. They entire “Palestinian” nation was only invented in order to create a war against the Jews. So it doesn’t matter whether they claimed to be anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli — to them it’s the same thing.
… but obviously the person was under the mistaken impression that brains cost money so he refused them!
One might conclude the Chabad house was targeted because of it attracting Israeli backpackers etc. but that misses the point. While the horror of just 10 {for lack of better words} people bringing a city of 18,000,000 to a standstill defies words the situation at Chabad is distinct. The others were murdered in acts of senseless violence even those targeted because they were either Americans or British. The Kedoshim at Chabad were made to suffer before they died, the degree of evil exhibited against the Chabad House hostages was without a doubt exponentially greater.
As to needing a bogeyman around to justify my world view is an unfortunate conclusion. Unfortunately being vigilant and aware of others’ designs is easily dismissed as paranoia, how sad. Maybe if Mr. Silverstien were to think things through calmly he would know nobody is more desirous of peace and tranquility in their lives than the Arutz Sheva-types They are not Jewish Jihadists but Jews who wish to live and thrive in our ancestral homeland without limits enjoying the freedom the Mumbai terrorists and their fellow travelers, would deny the rest of humanity and especially Jewry.
I saddened NOT because of the emes the author spoke but rather because we dont have any representation amongst the Gedolim speaking this emes. We are too silent and passive on this issue. Since financial times are hard no one wants to speak publicly and say it was because of the Zionist state, for fear of financial reprisal. We NEED another Rebbe Yoel ZTL who wouldnt care if it was PC to tell the truth, one who cant be bought!..
On a related note, why do people assume that the terrorists knew that Rav Teitelbaum (May His BLood be Avenged) was an anti zionist? Thats part of the problem; there is NO havdalah between what a Jew is or believes and the medinah. To the goyim especially the muslims Zionism is Judaism and the Zionist state defines who we are and what we believe. So start to stand up for emes and say “Zionism is NOT Judaism and it does NOT represent me!”
It was ant-west not anti-semetic.
That’s obvious.
They killed over 170 non jews because they where westerners. Jews are veiwed as westerners.
“An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last” (Winston Churchill )
I personally do not hold from the Zionist State.
I personally believe they have done much wrong.
I personally believe we must wait for Moshiach to form a Jewish government in that location.
I personally also get sick from all those of us who are always crying “Anti-Semitism” every Monday and Thusday.
HOWEVER, we must NEVER aid or abett the enemies of Jews. We must NEVER do or say anything which could help people whose sworn goals are to kill Jewish people of any variety. EVER.
Just like when the holy Satmar Rebbe, ZT”L was alive, some politician came for a visit (trying to get votes, of course). When the “meeting” was over, the Rebbe ZT”L asked him, “So, how do you vote on Israel?”
The politician replied, “Rebbe, I can’t lie to you, I always vote PRO-Israel.”
The Satmar Rebbe answered, “Good.”
Chassidim asked the Rebbe after the politician left, “Why did you say ‘Good’ when he said he votes PRO-ISREAL?”
The Satmar Rov replied, “When Jews discuss the Medina, we are having a halacha discussion. When a Goy is against Israel, THAT is anti-semitism.”
The Satmar Rov was alsways against any chossid ever helping the Arabs or Muslims who wanted to kill the Jews.
Sure, there are some nut-jobs who do just that, but they are as ANTI-Satmar as they are anti-Israel. We NEVER help the enemy of the Jews.
To believe this barbaric act of Terrorism was not anti-semitic is crazy!
To believe that Ahmenizhad (sp.) is only against Zionism is being naive.
To believe that any of those goyim who want to push Israel into the sea are not out to kill Jews is foolish.
They are USING “We are not against Jews, only against Zionism” as an excuse to legitimize their murderous, anti-Jewish agenda.
This is my opinion.
So, though we are not permitted not support the Israeli goverment, we must also NEVER support those who want to kill our Jewish brothers. Remember, even the most strong Zionistic Jew, is our brother, a fellow Jew, whom we love.
We may hate what he is doing, but we love the person, we love the Jew.
To claim that that these murdering terrorists were not targeting JEWS is wrong, and is lending VERBAL aid to killers of Jews.
Yes, Israel as a govenment/country has done many things wrong.
Yes, they have even, to our shame, committed atrocities.
But, the terrorists who committed these horrific MURDERS did so to kill Jews.
THEIR atrocities are not in the same ball park.
The Jihadist Muslims who are out to kill Jews are outright terrorists who are out to frighten, murder, destroy and destabilize the world.
NEVER DEFEND THEM.