Anti-Semitism is not subtle in the world. I scanned through some political cartoons, and Jews, especially Israelis, were not always shown favorably. I'm not sure if I should feel sorry for the Palestinians, sometimes I feel they are victims, but I also think they are victims deliberately offered up by the Muslim world. I think this cartoon shows it well: http://cagle.com/news/Horsey_Pulitzer/Horsey/cartoon20020425.gif
The same cartoonists who showed Israel negatively on such topics as the evacuation of the Gaza strip showed Mel Gibson as evil for his comments about the Jews (0ften comparing him to Hitler). So either these cartoonists dislike Israel but support the Jews, or they're whores to the public opinion.
I've always debated with myself if the hatred I experience daily is because of being Jewish, or because of Israel. Well, considering that hatred of Jews is a long-standing tradition, way before Israel, it's the Jews. I think part of the problem with Israel is that we Jews finally have power, and they resent that. I think public opinion-wise, we'd be better off without Israel (because we'd be the victims), but when I say victim, I mean probably the victim of another genocide or slowly picked off by the Muslims, and our sacred sites destroyed. So, survival-wise, we wouldn't be doing so great without Israel.
Now, for everyday, average person opinion of Jews and Israel. This is all stuff I've heard personally, either online or face to face.
"The negative opinion of the Jews in the world is their fault, they're sticks in the mud and have backward beliefs" (said to me as I was sitting there wearing my kippah by a woman who continued to rag on the Jews until I finally told her I was Jewish, and she was like, "Oh. Okay". and then changed the topic).
"Any Jews celebrating Christmas are celebrating the birthday of a man they just killed."
"The Jews took Israel because they seem to think the Holocaust will happen again."
"Shut up about the Holohoax already, we don't want to hear your whining."
"The Jews are racist". (Please don't talk to my grandpa.)
"They're all Zionist vampires".
"Jews are subhuman creatures."
"I mean seriously what is up with the hate of the Jews? Jews= people."
"Jews are a funny bunch of people."
"Jews like to kill Palestinian children."
"Baby killers."
"Hahaha did I upset the Juden?"
"Antisemitism if FORBIDDEN in Islam, we recognise people of the Jewish Faith as 'People of The Book' and for many many centuries Jews and Muslims lived side by side (we even settled in Spain together and also throughout the Middle East. We respect Moses and His People. However dirty horrid Politicians cause the problems, not the Jewish people."
"Jews are terrorists."
"This Jew needs to hit the showers!" (Heard many times in different versions, but the message is the same.)
Good enough for a sampling? I included some positive ones so I wouldn't be accused of being a "sterotypical Jew"- which I've heard many times- from anti-Semites- and other Jews. Which brings me to my final section. The seige within. Jews attacking other Jews is bad, but necessary sometimes. Jews attacking other Jews is bad when a Jew is trying to defend his people, as I've done. Strangely, I occasionally get insulted suggesting I give Jews a bad name by what I'm doing. What, saying the Holocaust is bad, wishing for peace, and saying anti-Semitism is strong, and wishing for my people to be respected? Oh, how horrible of me. Sometimes I take a lighter approach to my mission, and get attacked by Jews who don't get it. But what worries me is that many Jews seem to lost sight of themselves altogether. They internalize the hate given to them constantly, it destroys their pride and knowledge of their mission, and instead focus on destroying Muslims. Which, I understand. Muslims are dangerous. But not all. They treat Muslims like we have been treated, and this destroys people's view of us. If we are the Chosen Ones, which I like to believe, but it's a dangerous belief to have, do you think G-d would want us behaving like this? We are supposed to be the example of tolerance and morality. When the Jews fall, what can humanity aspire to anymore? It is a difficult task to be accepting of all religions, to not hate mindlessly, to be the reasonable one in the room, to show compassion to all of G-d's people, but that is our task as the Chosen Ones. I want to restore Judaism to what it is supposed to be. That is my path in life. Respect, to the Jews, from the Jews, within the Jews. I hope to start some kind of revolution. It won't be us vs. the rest of humanity, it will be us vs. ourselves for the sake of humanity. Once we are the Jews we are supposed to be, the world will follow suit in finding their true selves. Within and without, I want to fix the hate.
