A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism Then and Now 

 

A discussion and Q&A conducted by the  Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars .  Online at http://fora.tv/2010/01/04/A_Lethal_Obsession_Anti-Semitism_Then_and_Now

 

Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor Robert Wistrich and University of Maryland, College Park professor Jeffrey Herf trace the history of anti-Semitism from its earliest recorded roots through the present.  Furthermore, they discuss the potential impacts of its modern-day resurgence. 

Herf reviews Wistrich's "A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad."

From Jeffrey Herf's book review of Robert Wistrich's "A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad." 

 "Wistrich is certainly aware that not all criticism of Israeli policy is inspired by hatred of the Jews and Judaism, but the “logic” and the structure of influential arguments attacking Israel have been ominously identical to the imputations of vast power and enormous evil attributed to “world Jewry” by European anti-Semites of old. 

"The “lethal obsession” of the recent past, according to Wistrich, has been a melange of the old conspiracy theories of that infamous forgery, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion,with Marxism-Leninism, secular third worldism, and Islamism. In this period, the center of gravity of anti-Semitism has shifted from Europe to the Middle East and Iran."

Jeffrey Herf teaches Modern European History at the University of Maryland, College Park. His most recent book is Nazi Propaganda for the Arab World (Yale University Press, 2009).

An additional review of Wistrich's book by Walter Laquer.

Dr. Koslow to describe his experiences in Haiti on internet radio show, 2/8

Dr. Alan Koslow from Des Moines  just returned from Haiti Earthquake medical relief Mission.   Contact: koslow@mchsi.com 


Koslow:   I will be talking about this on my internet Radio show 'The Doctor Is
In' on DesMoinesLocallive.com  at 2-4PM Monday afternoon. You can only
listen to this either on your computer, internet radio
station,I-Phone,Blackberry at http://macsworldlive.com/  then click
'watch full video experience' or 'listen to show'. 



I just returned from Haiti Earthquake medical relief Mission:

First I apologize.  I know SOME of YOU RECEIVED MULTIPLE COPIES OF
THIS.  PLEASE FORGIVE ME.  THIS IS NOT SPAM IT IS TRYING TO GET
AWARENESS OF HAITI UP.

I just returned from the greatest urban disaster in the history of the
world.

    * 200,000 bodies already found
    * 150,000 bodies estimated to still be unfound under rubble
    * 400,000-600,000 orphans
    * 300,000 amputations
    * 300,000-400,000 with treated fractures that are still at risk of
limb loss from infection.
    * 400,000-600,000 new orphans
    * 800,000-1,000,000 homeless
    * 3,000,000-4,000,000 that died, lost limb, are orphans, lost an
immediate family member or are homeless.
    * Almost everyone of the 8,000,000 population is dehydrated and
malnourished.

THIS ALL HAPPENED IN 30 SECONDS

Hiroshima and Nagasaki 225,000 died.
More people were affected then almost any two years of WW2

Aid was already slowing down during the week I was there.  WE CANNOT LET
THIS HAPPEN!!!!

I will be talking about this on my internet Radio show 'The Doctor Is
In' on DesMoinesLocallive.com  at 2-4PM Monday afternoon. You can only
listen to this either on your computer, internet radio
station,I-Phone,Blackberry at http://macsworldlive.com/  then click
'watch full video experience' or 'listen to show'.

Also go to http://www.facebook.com/alan.koslow?ref=name and ask to be my
friend, to see my facebook posts while I was down there and all the
pictures(some are very graphic.  I will be doing many more posts of my
thoughts and experiences.

Go to  http://www.youtube.com  to see video ssome are very graphic so
wait a few days till I label them.

I will be organizing a team to go in March and try to start the third
phase of care and rehab.  I will post details on my facebook page and
best ways to contribute.

Iran moves closer to confrontation with West over uranium   February 7, 2010  Telegraph.co.UK

[Ahmadinejad call for uranium enrichment at the 20 % level, ostensibly for medical use. --MF  ]  "Once enriched to 20 per cent, uranium needs to be further processed to 90 per cent for weapons purposes, but analysts believe Iran now has or is close to having the technical means to achieve that enhancement. "

Mr Ahmadinejad's order was the culmination of a series of confusing statements by the regime in the last week. If it is carried out, it will scupper what was hoped to be a looming deal to transfer most of Iran's uranium abroad for further processing. Many in the West want uranium processing to take place outside the country so that fears over a weapons programme are allayed and the country's nuclear plans are better monitored.

European nations and America were already leading calls for more sanctions to be applied to Iran in the absence of a deal. Now if further enrichment starts, they are likely to put proposals to the United Nations security council soon.

Group says anti-Semitic acts soar in France in '09
       
The Associated Press
Wednesday, February 3, 2010; 3:35 PM

PARIS -- A group founded to protect France's Jewish community says anti-Semitic acts in France soared 75 percent last year - many coming as Israel pressed an offensive against Hamas in the Middle East in January.

The Jewish Community Protection Service tallied 832 anti-Semitic acts in 2009, up from 474 a year earlier. Most involved graffiti and threatening gestures; about 17 percent involved vandalism and violence.

The group said Wednesday that 354 took place in January 2009 alone, when Israel ended a three-week offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas in response to rocket attacks from Gaza.

France is home to western Europe's largest communities of Muslims and Jews. Flare-ups of anti-Semitic acts have often coincided with Mideast violence.

Sen. Grassley: Trials of terrorists do not belong in civilian courts or on U.S. soil

In his weekly address of February 5, 2010, Senator Grassley  talks about holding the trials of terrorists on U.S. soil in civilian courts.

"Representative government worked and the people were heard at the grassroots of America when public pressure forced the Obama administration to move the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed out of New York City.  While New York City is off the hook, this administration appears to remain committed to a civilian trial.  This means the man who plotted the 9/11 attacks that killed more than 3000 Americans will receive more constitutional rights than our own military men and women will receive if they are court marshaled.

This to me is a ridiculous proposition.  A civilian trial on U.S. soil not only gives these terrorists the same constitutional rights as American citizens, but also risks releasing valuable intelligence information, creates an increased security risk, causes undue financial constraints on an already busted budget, and provides a large microphone for people to spew their hateful rhetoric.

These terrorists should not be brought to the United States for trial even though others may be tried in military commission.

I recently co-sponsored a bill with Senator Lindsey Graham and a group of bipartisan Senators that would prohibit the use of any federal funds for civilian trials of the September 11 terrorists.  If I get a chance to vote on legislation, either appropriating money to not bring the terrorists here, or that these folks not be tried in civilian courts, but be tried in military commission, I’ll be very inclined to support that legislation."
      
-30-               Comment to: Grassley_Press@grassley.senate.gov

ADL National Director rates Obama's First Year re: Middle East Diplomacy

Foxman:  White House Gets "A" for Effort, "F" for Results

ADL Issues Report Card On President Obama's First Year In Middle East Diplomacy

Palm Beach, FL, February 5, 2010 … Saying that "the one-year anniversary of a presidency is always an occasion to assess how a new president is doing," the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today rated the Obama Administration's first year in Middle East diplomacy, with suggestions for areas of improvement and possible next steps.

In a speech to the League's National Executive Committee, meeting today in Palm Beach, Florida, Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, gave the following grades to President Obama and his foreign policy staff for their efforts thus far on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

• "A" for Effort, with good intentions and efforts to create the conditions necessary for bringing together the Palestinians and Israelis for negotiations;
• "C-minus" for Strategy, pointing to the administration's "unrealistic expectations" and heavy-handed focus on Israeli settlement policy;
• "F" for Failure to achieve results, with little movement achieved thus far, with few prospects for talks on the horizon, and for what was essentially, "…a wasted year without any negotiations."

"I believe that it's fair to say that the president fits nicely into a long tradition of American presidents on the Middle East and Israel, and he tried very hard in his first year to bring the parties together with good intentions," said Mr. Foxman in his address to ADL leaders from across the country. "So, I sincerely believe President Obama deserves a solid 'A' for his efforts."

However, "The administration … focused on trying to speed up the process toward peace, and is now questioning its own strategy," said Mr. Foxman. "So in my estimation, the Obama administration earned a 'C-minus' for strategy."

"Since there are no prospects of talks on the horizon, and in many ways what their efforts wrought was a wasted year without any negotiations, I believe the administration deserves an 'F' for its failure to deliver on results."
Mr. Foxman said that while the conditions for a comprehensive peace -- including issues of Jerusalem, refugees and a demilitarized Palestinian state -- are "not yet ripe," he holds out hope that improved economic and security cooperation between the sides could lead to an eventual return to negotiations.

"I'd like to see the president focus on what is truly achievable in a region where the Palestinians continue to be divided between Palestinian Authority control of the West Bank and Hamas control of Gaza and where it remains unclear if the Palestinians truly accept a Jewish state," said Mr. Foxman.

The National Executive Committee, the League's highest policymaking body, meets annually in Palm Beach.