Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Sunday 3 November 2013

Sore Sizer Flails EUMC Working Definition of Antisemitism

Recently, the notorious anti-Israel campaigner Ben White (CIF Watch has his measure here) claimed on the abominable Electronic Intifada site that the European Union Monitoring Centre (EUMC) Working Definition of Antisemitism, adopted in 2005, is "an abandoned draft text" and drew the attention of his followers on social media to his article.

CIF Watch has demonstrated here that the Definition (which it reproduces in full) has not, in fact, been abandoned.  While it has not been as widely accepted as might reasonably be wished, it is accepted as the litmus test of antisemitism by a number of organisations and agencies.

Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the Definition, which shows its essence:


 And here is the part of the Definition immediately ensuing, specifically alluding to Israel:


 Observes CIF Watch inter alia:
"Though most manifestations of antisemitism included in the Working Definition of Antisemitism shouldn’t even need to be pointed out (such as ‘calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion’), many who oppose it do so for the following reasons:
1) It defines as antisemitic the equating of Zionism with Nazism.
2) It defines as antisemitic calls for the end of the Jewish state.
It is of course no coincidence that this recent attack on the Working Definition of Antisemitism was leveled by a commentator [White] who continually promotes the second charge at a site which has endorsed the first.
Yet, despite the protests from a few marginal, extremist voices, the Working Definition continues to represent a widely respected, useful tool for understanding modern manifestations of antisemitism ..."
Evidently still smarting from his recent bruising by the British Board of Deputies, Stephen Sizer (whose latest Facebook comments include the phrase "Zionism's awful anti-Christian legacy"!) has now added his ten cents' worth regarding the EUMC Working Definition, in promoting White's article:

1 comment:

  1. I shouldn't worry what Jew haters think is an appropriate definition of antisemitism is. Last time I checked I didn't ask a wife beater what he thought domestic violence was.

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