The Weeks Review

The Anti-Semitism of The Left

Remember when Israel and the Jews had no greater friends than "The Left?" I do, and I constantly wonder what it was that drove the Left from the side of the Jews.

Simply look at the "anti-war" protests and you will see exhibits of anti-Semitism at a level not seen since the 30s in Europe. Many, even going so far as to equate the Jews with Nazis. On its face this is so preposterous that it defies basic reason, then again, the Left seems to call anything they don't agree with these days either "Nazi", "Fascist" or "Hitler." They are blissfully (rather, purposefully) unaware the "Stalin" and "Communists" exterminated FAR more of humanity than Hitler and his band of miscreants ever did.

I have a thought as to why the left is no longer in the Jews' corner. Perhaps the Jews were simply more lovable to them when they were "victims" and were not so closely aligned with US policy. Beginning in the 60s, Israel made it clear that they were not about to take any more abuse from their adversaries and were fully prepared to go to war with the entire Middle East if that became necessary. War eventually did become necessary and Israel more than proved its mettle. They cast off the role of "victim" and became one of the major players in the region. They also emerged as, if not a client, then at least an extremely very close ally of the United States.

Therein lies the seed of the Left's dissatisfaction with Israel. To be a foreign policy ally of the US is to be an enemy of the Left. It becomes more apparent every day that the farther left one goes politically, the more virulently anti-American one becomes. Disagree? "The war" seems to be, as it was in the 60s, the thread that ties these disparate fringe leftist organizations together. Look at the signs these people are carrying (link via LGF) at a "peace protest" held in March of 2004 and you will find that the sentiments have as much to do with America/Israel hatred and a laundry list of sundry causes as so-called "peace." No concern for genocide, no concern for the hundreds of thousands of bodies in mass graves, just hatred for America as "oppressors" of the Iraqis, just calls for "peace" even if that peace means the death of innocents.

There was a time when the left was principled, but they become more unprincipled and shrill by the day. They can no longer distinguish between oppression and liberation, between war and mass murder or between Israeli military action against terrorists and Palestinian murder of random civilians.

The Left isn't just mistaken. They're wrong.