Sermon: Bemidbar – Defining Anti Semitism

Written by Writings & Sermons by others — 23 May 2018

 

Defining Anti Semitism

Every now and again there is a Shabbat morning at which I am not officiating here at Alyth.   Last Shabbat was one of them.   Originally our plan had been for me to give a sermon both in Kollot and our Choral service enabling Rabbis Hannah and Josh to concentrate on the Tefillah.  Then a few days before Shabbat we were contacted by Jonathan Goldstein, Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council offering to come and speak here at Alyth.   This was a first for the Synagogue and, as the Jewish Leadership Council gains prominence alongside the Board of Deputies in dealing with national Jewish issues, and especially in light of their recent work with the BOD concerning the crisis of Jewish confidence in the Labour Party leadership, we were happy to ask Jonathan Goldstein to do so.

So I thought I would take the opportunity to go and relax into Shabbat worship in another Synagogue for the morning.   I had never been to Highgate United Synagogue, have got to know their Rabbi Nicky Liss over the past couple of years, and was also interested to see their brand new building and what it might teach us about how we will be rebuilding ours in the coming year.

I walked there on what was a pleasant spring morning and once I reached the bottom of Bishops Avenue found myself a few paces behind another man in a Cippah who I was sure I recognized.

When we drew level I asked him who he was and it turned out to be Simon Johnson, the Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, who was also on his way to Highgate Synagogue – to give their address and D’var Torah.  Clearly the JLC was on a Shabbat charm offensive!    Though not at Alyth I still therefore got the chance to hear what the JLC had to say.

Simon Johnson in his Highgate D’var Torah related his experience of the well-known meeting with  Jeremey Corbyn in the last week of April which he had attended together with Jonathan Goldstein, Jonathan Arkush and Gillian Meron, respectively now past President and Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies.   Discussing Jonathan Goldstein’s address here at Alyth and Simon Johnson’s at Highgate with colleagues here it turns out that the two men took different approaches.  Simon concentrated on a particular aspect of that meeting which he found disturbing.

He said that a week before the meeting was due to take place he and Gillian Merron, the JLC and Board of Deputies CEOs, had met with Jeremy Corbyn’s aides to talk through the content of the meeting to be so that there should be no surprises and responses could be prepared.   They went away expecting that there was a good chance that, in order to make progress with his relationship with the Jewish community, Jeremy Corbyn would accept that there should be a new ground on which that relationship could be based.

This new ground was asking him to make a commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism.    This definition was drawn up for international use in May 2016.  It has been accepted by many nations, including Great Britain, many local authorities in this country and is used for police training.   You can find it on the UK Government website, explained by Eric Pickles who at the time of its publication was Secretary of State for communities  www.gov.uk/government/speeches/a-definition-of-antisemitism  .

This is what the IHRA definition of Anti Semitism says:

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

After that statement the definition goes on to spell out examples of what this might mean.
Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include:

  • Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
  • Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
  • Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
  • Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
  • Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
  • Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
  • Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
  • Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
  • Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
  • Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
  • Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

Simon Johnson said at Highgate that he knew that little progress was going to be made because when asked if he was willing to accept this definition of anti-Semitism for the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn said no.

Corbyn is not alone.   The group Jewish Voice for Labour, which organised the support protest for Jerermy Corbyn and which includes, as does the larger Jewish Labour Movement, members of Alyth Synagogue, this week crticised the IHRA definition of Anti-Semitism.

www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/campaigns/the-definition-of-antisemitism/

The said that:  “Comparing Israel’s actions to those of the Nazis should not automatically be seen as anti-Semitic.

Drawing such parallels can undoubtedly cause offence, but potent historical events and experiences are always key reference points in political debate,”

“Whether such comparisons are anti-Semitic must be judged on their substantive content, and on the inferences that can reasonably be drawn about the motivation for making them, rather than on the likely degree of offence caused.”   Essentially they say that the inclusion of Israel in the IHRA definition of Anti-Semitism shuts down debate about Israel.

I don’t think they are right.   You can be a strong and loyal Zionist, believing and acting upon the right of Israel to exist, proud of many of Israel government’s actions and achievements, horrified by others.   Supporting where you can, protesting and backing critical action where you need to.   But you should never use Nazi comparison rhetoric, you should never suggest that the existence of Israel is racist.   These deny to Jews what is possible for all others.  The Jewish State has to work out how to make its way in the world, with good governments and poor governments, with a right to self-defense and a need to exercise that right with moral standards and humanity.

Over the past week the Institute of Jewish Policy Research invited Jews all over Europe to participate in a survey to measure todays perceptions and experiences of anti-Semitism.   It will help us to know how much our fear of anti-Semitism is borne out be the reality of experience.

https://surveys.ipsosinteractive.com/surveys/25b6acb2-de68-11e2-a28f-0800200c9a66

https://images1.ipsosinteractive.com/S17027264/Docs/FAQ_ENG.pdf

I am always concerned that the Jewish community could let fear of anti-Semitism stop us from thriving, from exercising our right to be Jews, to follow our religion, to build and run our communities, to develop our relationship with Israel.   The results of this survey will help us to know if it is fear or reality.   I know that hearing other people’s experiences in itself creates fear.    When you hear about the on-line abuse that public Jewish figures such as MP’s experience it does make you worry that Britain may be becoming a worse place to be a Jew, when a party leader won’t accept a carefully through through definition of anti – Semitism as something to act to prevent it is worrying.   But we should not exaggerate the effects on the individual – Britain remains a very good place to be a Jew.

Bemidbar, our portion today, tells us that the Israelites had grown over hundreds of years in Egypt from a family of 70 people brought down to Egypt with Jacob to a community of hundreds of thousands.  Midrash says in many places that seeing the same names in the list of the tribes at the beginning of the portion as were the names of Jacobs’s sons proves that they had not changed their names, the language, their links and loyalty to each other nor their moral values (Numbers Rabbah 13:20, Song of Songs Rabbah 5:25, Leviticus Rabbah 32:5, Exodus Rabbah 1:28).    Every year this portion reminds us that the essence of Judaism is to stay true to your values and identity as a Jew in our fullness.

That means to believe that we are a people, we have distinctive values, we share a history of triumph and persecution, we are inextricably linked with Israel the State as well as the people. To ask us to be anything else is anti-Semitism and is unacceptable in any setting.