Does being anti-Israel mean you're anti-semitic? (Moses, followers, prophet, worship)

[mcteethinator]

I personally do not think so, however, a lot of people think differently

Does being anti-Israel and anti-ZIonism mean you're anti-semitic? Does being anti-Israel mean you support the terrorists? Why or why not?

[UnityNow101]

Absolutely not. One quick glance at Zionism will reveal that it is as far removed from the pure teachings of the Prophet Moses as it could possibly be. Many followers of Judaism are against Zionism and have been since the advent of its corrupt inception. Under Islamic rule, the land now known as Israel was a place of peace with the followers of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam living side by side. Enter zionism. Now peace cannot even be spoken of as people were driven from their homes and even now are being caged in as animals in the local zoo. To stand for the Palestinians is to simply stand for justice and for the rights of every human being. No person deserves to be driven from their home.

[Comprehend]

Originally Posted by mcteethinator

I personally do not think so, however, a lot of people think differently

Does being anti-Israel and anti-ZIonism mean you're anti-semitic? Does being anti-Israel mean you support the terrorists? Why or why not?

No. but anti-semites often hide behind this defense.

[mcteethinator]

Originally Posted by Comprehend

No. but anti-semites often hide behind this defense.

I definitely agree!

A lot of Nazis use the same arguments against Zionism that just regular anti-Zionists use I have noticed. Which is sad because it sidetracks actual genuine criticism of Israel and Zionism.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by mcteethinator

Does being anti-Israel and anti-ZIonism mean you're anti-semitic?

No.

Does being anti-Israel mean you support the terrorists?

No.

Why or why not?

On what basis would you equate those things?

[LongGe123]

I'm with sunstone on this one - Israel is the name of a country, and making a statement about a country and its government is not making a statement about a particular religion. I am anti-Israel, and I don't care who knows it - at school I was frequently labelled as some kind of nazi, mostly in a joking way, but still labelled nontheless - and why?

I don't know a lot about the Jewish religion actually, but then again in making a statement against Israel, I'm not actually making any statement against the Jewish Religion so...as sunstone says, where's the connection? The people of Israel could well worship the giant spaghetti monster..if they behaved like that towards the palestinians I'd still hate them for it!

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Comprehend

No. but anti-semites often hide behind this defense.

And by the same token many supporters of Israel and zionism often resort to accusations of anti-semitism in order to damage their opponents credibility and gain sympathy for their cause.

[Diogenes]

Christians by and large are the ones who popularized anti-semitism. But Zionism in its original form was not about acquiring land but about survival. The need for an actual place to live became abundantly clear after the holocaust when the world declared that there was no safe place for a Jew to live. Now that Israel lives on 1/6 of one percent of Arab lands it is now a necessity to give it back? The Arabs have fourteen nations and Israel can not have one? I do not think it is fair to discount the plight of the Palestinians-but if the surrounding Arab nations were so concerned over their plight than why haven't they allowed them to immigate into their countries in larger numbers?
If we declare that the Jews have no right to a homeland, than what about the rest of us? America was not built up on 'equitable intentions'. But Europeans had no historical ties to North America. There were Jews living in Palestine for the last few centuries.

[MidnightBlue]

Originally Posted by mcteethinator

Does being anti-Israel and anti-ZIonism mean you're anti-semitic?

No. However, you'll find yourself in the company of a lot of people who are.

Incidentally, I have often heard Arabs of my acquaintance argue that they weren't anti-Semitic because they were Semites themselves, and merely being anti-Jewish doesn't make you "anti-Semitic."

Originally Posted by mcteethinator

Does being anti-Israel mean you support the terrorists?

I think most people who are anti-Israel tend to be sympathetic toward the terrorists, even if they dislike their methods.

I can tell you that I was anti-Israel for more than twenty years, and I still don't feel quite right about Zionism. I'm not convinced that either religion or ethnic identity is a good basis for a state. I don't believe Israel has always treated the Palestinians fairly or even humanely. What has changed my mind about Israel is the following:

• The Arab states have treated the Palestinians every bit as badly as Israel has.
• Even if I were a heterosexual Muslim Arab, I'd rather be a heterosexual Muslim Arab in Israel than in Saudi Arabia, Syria, or Iraq.
• If I were a Christian Arab, I'd rather be a Christian Arab in Israel than in any Arab country, with the possible exception of Jordan.
• If I were a gay Arab, I wouldn't want to be living in any Mideastern country but Israel.

In spite of being a Jewish state in a constant state of the threat of terrorism for almost sixty years, and in spite of admitted human rights violations on the part of Israel, Israel still manages to treat Arabs, or many of them, anyway, better than they can even hope to be treated in Arab countries. It's a long way from ideal, but under the circumstances, I think it shows a rather remarkable commitment to human rights. Imagine how the U.S., or Australia, or even Canada, would treat Arabs if they were in a situation that was even analogous to Israel's.