Can the Arab world leave anti-Semitism behind?

by Richard Cohen

Published Tuesday March 1, 2011
from The Washington Post
republished Wednesday March 2, 2011

Egypt- and Tunisia-inspired protests spread through Middle East, North Africa

Motivated by recent shows of political strength by neighbors in Egypt, demonstrators in the Middle East and North Africa are taking to the streets of many cities to rally for change.

 

During World War II, the leader of the Palestinians lived in a Berlin villa, a gift from a very grateful Adolf Hitler, who clearly got his money's worth. Haj Amin al-Husseini, the grand mufti of Jerusalem and as such the titular leader of Muslim Palestinians, broadcast Nazi propaganda to the Middle East, recruited European Muslims for the SS, exulted in the Holocaust and after the war went on to represent his people in the Arab League. He died somewhat ignored but never repudiated.

Husseini might have been a Nazi to his very soul, but he was also a Palestinian nationalist with genuine support among his own people. The Allies originally considered him a war criminal, but to many Arabs, he was just a patriot. His exterminationist anti-Semitism was considered neither overly repugnant nor all that exceptional. The Arab world is saturated by Jew-hatred.

Some of this hatred was planted by Husseini and some of it long existed, but whatever the case, it remains a remarkable, if unremarked, feature of Arab nationalism. The other day, for instance, about 1 million Egyptians in Tahrir Square heard from Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an esteemed religious leader and Muslim Brotherhood figure whose anti-Semitic credentials are unimpeachable. Among other things, he has said that Hitler was sent by Allah as "divine punishment" for the Jews. His al-Jazeera program is one of that TV network's most popular.

I have read the assurances of scholars and journalists alike that the Muslim Brotherhood has mutated into the Common Cause of Egypt (Jordan, too) and that its anti-Semitism is merely an odd and archaic quirk, like the anti-fluoride positions of some American conservatives. I hope this is the case. But in truth, I put more faith in the staying power of anti-Semitism than I do in the forecasting gifts of my colleagues. If they are right, wonderful. If not, we all have something to worry about.

The trouble with democracies is that they tend to cater to the prejudices of the people - not just to their good sense. This explains why almost all the nations of Central and Eastern Europe turned rabidly anti-Semitic when democracy was instituted after World War I. Anti-Semitism was a popular sentiment and it was exploited by unprincipled politicians. The result in Poland, for instance, was the stated policy of declaring the Jews - about 10 percent of the country - personae non gratae. By then, they had been in Poland for only about 1,000 years.

There are nearly no Jews in Arab lands - they were kicked out after Israel was established in 1948. Nowhere in the Middle East is peace with Israel popular. Nowhere in the Middle East is anti-Semitism considered aberrant or weird. It is inconceivable to me that Arab politicians will not attempt to harness both sentiments, combining nationalism with anti-Semitism - a combustible and unstable compound. History instructs about what follows.

Israeli leaders are well aware that they face a new reality in their region. Whatever regime arises in Egypt, it is likely to chill even further what is already called a cold peace. The same might hold for Jordan. King Abdullah is secure for now - the Bedouin tribes need him to avoid chaos - but he, too, will have to listen to popular sentiment.

Consequently, now would be the propitious time for Israel to settle with the Palestinians. I am aware that resolution of the Palestinian issue will not satisfy anti-Semites or extreme Arab nationalists - Israel is not going to give up all of Jerusalem nor, for that matter, disappear - and both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza have only been emboldened by recent events. Still, the creation of a Palestinian state - the lifting of all the onerous restrictions on Palestinian movement - will take some air out of this particular balloon and, possibly, improve Israel's deteriorating moral standing in Europe and elsewhere. This is no small matter.

Israel's critics have a case. Yet they make no case when it comes to Arab anti-Semitism. The prominence of Qaradawi cannot be reassuring to Israelis. They know that words can be weapons and hate is a killer. Nonetheless, since the days of Husseini, a true Hitlerian figure, Arab nations have shamefully been granted an exception to the standards expected of the rest of the world, as if they were children. If I were an Israeli, I'd be worried. If I were an Arab, I'd be insulted. If I were a critic only of Israel, I'd be ashamed.

cohenr@washpost.com

Original piece is http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022805199.html

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My sentiments exactly ymr, and more. Audacious is the word that comes to mind. My question is; who exonerates the exonerator within their own establisment for the "sins of the father"s". Then I have to remind myself that whatever he binds on earth is bound in heaven and visa versa, so who are we mere mortals to question anything. Yes and they have diplomatic immunity too if that counts.

Posted by Lynne Newington on 2011-03-04 00:45:05 GMT

Interesting analysis this of Mr. COHEN in the Washington Post... There has been no peace between Arabs and Israel because Arabs don"t want it just as simple as this and any aerial supersages believing in "peace", are as off their rocker as off one"s rocker might ever be, starting from the fact that to Arabs, the ME is what the Mediterranean Sea was to ancient ROME : Their "MARE NOSTRUM", in which there was no room for anything but Roman ships... Conversely, for Arabs the ME is theirs and there is no room there for anything but MUSLIMS, plus the fact that they consider THEIRS any land they ever set foot on, which is the case with "AL ANDALUS" (SPAIN).. And the establishment of a "Palestinian State", is just another stage of their ultimate goal of erasing Israel off the face of the ME... As to democratization of ANY predominantly Muslim country, it is just a worst case of wishful thinking whose most sad and patent example is none other than IRAQ... Furthermore, I"m sick and tired of the word ANTISEMITISM, given the fact that Arabs are Semites as well but the right expression should be that of JUDEOPHOBIA, which I read years ago in an article by GUSTAVO PEREDNIK, in which by the way, he cited a definition of Antisemitism by one Count EVOSZ, stating that an Antisemite is one who hates Jews....more than what"s neccessary... No: the democratization of ANY predominantly Muslim country depends on the radical elimination or total neutralization of their CLERGY, the most ignorant, biased and stupid (as we have been able to judge by ourselves when interviewed on TV)) the world is still to see and their sticking to the verbatum acceptance of anyhthing written in any of their "holy" books... If this is not accomplished ARMAGEDDON is just around the corner and sooner than later, the way matters look right now in the Muslim word, the handwritting is already on the wall and we will all be paying for the stupidity and foolishness of our so called LEADERS ....

Posted by Jacob on 2011-03-03 22:31:36 GMT

I don"t know about taking comfort. Let"s imagine that that a large group of people are harping on to you about what your ancestors did.. according to hazy evidence. But suddenly the leader of the harpers said, "Stop! Wait! You are not the people who did this historic crime." You just might think that since the Bible makes a big deal about not punishing children for sins of their parents (how much more so "ancestors") but since this retrograde blaming went on for many centuries...may be this exoneration,is mea culpa, is a small and very late utterance.

Posted by Ymr on 2011-03-03 19:55:10 GMT

Well, you can all take comfort in the Pope"s exoneration over the death of Jesus, explaining there is no biblical or theological scriptural basis to it. There will, albeit posthumously, be jubilation for those gone to their graves,who for centuries were labeled "christ killers" and suffered at the hands of the anti-semetism that it bred. My quiet thoughts are, who will exonerate the exonerater on other issues contrary to bibical teaching and on the former, what is the motive. Maybe the up and coming beautification of Pius XX11. Oh to have the power to rewrite history not only for justice but expediency.

Posted by Lynne Newington on 2011-03-03 17:04:20 GMT

Evidence of Adolescence in Arab society? Sure. I heard a researcher on the radio here in Israel a few weeks ago (I didn"t get her name) and I read Bernard Lewis about a week ago saying exactly the same thing: the recent Arab uprisings are partly fuelled by sex - or rather a lack of it. Because in Egypt (and elsewhere in the Arab world) there are masses of young people who have no employment prospects, meager incomes even if they do find jobs, and a dismal housing market, they simply can"t afford to get married. Because Arab society is fundamentally quite conservative, casual sex isn"t available, either. So, for some, the best hope lies in the promised 72 virgins in Shahid Heaven/Hell. For others, there is no hope. The corruption and misnagement by the Arab and Muslim tyrants is partly to blame for this situation and young people, driven by a lack of sex, are willing to risk dying so as to overthrow their dictators and maybe, just maybe, get that which they dream of. Is that evidence of adolescence?

Posted by Jake in Jerusalem on 2011-03-03 16:18:14 GMT