Is Anti-Semitism Back, Or Did It Never Go Away?

While many have believed that antisemitism had decreased dramatically in the last few decades, many recent events seem to indicate that it may be on the rise once again. One must wonder, however, did it ever go away, was it just being more carefully and subtly hidden? Even in the United States, where we pride ourselves on our rights and freedom, there has been a frightening increase in antisemitic incidents and/ or incidents that appear to have antisemitic tones or undertones.

Several months ago, there was an uproar because famous journalist Helen Thomas made certain intemperate comments about Jewish people who were unhappy. She stated that if these people were so unhappy, they were welcome to return to their "native" Germany, Poland, etc. These comments were in response to the American Jewish community's response to the reaction and handling of the news related to Israel's boarding of a vessel attempting to bring supplies to the Gaza. While videotapes seemed to indicate that the Israeli troops that boarded the ship were provoked and attacked, and responded, with the unfortunate response being injuries and fatalities, the "slant' given by most of the worldwide press was almost universally anti- Israel. Interestingly, very little was mentioned by this same press of the reasons for the Israeli blockade, but simply portrayed the blockade as being anti- humanitarian efforts. Very little was mentioned regarding the missiles and other munitions that have been repeatedly lobbed out of Gaza into Israeli populations. Very little was written or said about other anti- Israeli terrorist attacks, such as suicide bombing, etc. Yet, the press seemed to prefer to portray this unfortunate incident as evidence of Israel's atrocities. Is this a form of anti-Semitism, or sensationalism, or rooting for the underdog? I suspect that it is a combination of all of these, but that many people still resent Jews. We often hear jokes about certain prominent Jewish features (as a caricature), or of how successful Jewish people are in certain fields that evoke passion and/ or emotion, such as entertainment, politics, real estate, banking and finance, and industry. Yet, although there are fewer Jews than most "minorities" in this country, rarely are Jews given any favorable treatment afforded to other "minorities."

In recent years, even in the heavily Jewish populated New York metropolitan area, there appears to have been a significant increase in the number of what appears to be anti- Jewish "hate crimes." Within the last few years, swatzikas have been painted and graffiti has been written on synagogues and Jewish owned homes and businesses. There have been several reports of rabbis and other Jewish leaders being assaulted. Yet, these crimes, although reported, have rarely maintained much press attention. There have been numerous reported incidents of similar desecration of automobiles with New York license plates on and near college campuses throughout America. The antisemitic messages written on these cars have certainly been indicative of a frightening anti- Jewish sentiment. The outspoken and sometimes controversial radio celebrity and personality Don Imus, who lives in Manhattan, often states that he has seen evidence of more bias against Jews, even in New York City, than he has against almost any other minority, which claims to be persecuted. Yet. Mr. Imus claims, he rarely hears anyone bringing that up. Mr. Imus states openly that he has observed and heard about anti-Jewish profiling, particularly in certain industries and in housing, and feels it is outrageous how no one ever seems to stand up for the Jewish people.

While many minorities which are considered "underprivileged" have received numerous incentives and special treatments because of their status, being Jewish is not, and has not been treated as a minority, in terms of receiving any type of special treatment. It has appeared that much of the United Nations has been predominantly anti- Israel in its treatment, and statistics have indicated that there appears to be an increase in the number of individuals with pro- Nazi sentiment. It is frightening to notice how many Holocaust deniers there are, even today. When the Jewish community insists that they will never forget, and will be vigilant to assure that there will never be a recurrence of anything representing the Holocaust, why should that be surprising to any fair minded individuals.

Jews do not generally ask for any type of special privileges. The Jewish community merely seeks to be treated the same as other people are. While merely being a Jew, or being related to Israel does not and should not make it "right," it certainly also does not make it wrong! Bias and prejudice are always wrong!