Upside of anti-Semitism

Every few years the Israeli government hosts a forum on anti-Semitism, entitled "The Global Forum for Combatting Anti-Semitism," that is currently being held in Jerusalem under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   In an article in the Jerusalem Post (May 28) covering this Forum entitled "A global tsunami of anti-Semitism," Isi Leibler expresses his outrage at the current resurgence of anti-Semitism in the form of modern anti-Israelism and castigates the Israeli Government for not doing more to counteract it.  Of course, I agree with him.

But, those of us who have experienced anti-Semitism in the diaspora, and have chosen to make our homes in Israel, do not expect anti-Semitism to fade, as many did after the horrors of the Holocaust.  The murder of six million Jews cannot stem the tide of endemic hatred that permeates European culture.  We know it will resurrect in one form or another. 

One upside of this is the absolute conviction that Zionism is the only concrete solution to this resurgence.  What other course do Jews in the diaspora have, except to grin and bear it?  They must realize that it will never go away, that it will only worsen and so aliyah is the only solution.  Yes, they may put it off for a time, but then their children will inter-marry, cast off the onerous cloak of Jewishness and attempt to assimilate.  There will in time be no significant Jewish presence in the diaspora, except perhaps for the USA, and then Israel will be the only bastion of Jewish survival.

Why is the USA an exception to the rule of endemic Jew-hatred?  Actually it is only a partial exception, there is plenty of anti-Semitism brought to the USA by immigrants from Europe, particularly Catholics in the east and Protestants in the west.  But, by and large in all polls the majority of Americans are pro-Israel.  The main explanation for this is that the population of the US is not itself indigenous, they all came from elsewhere, except for the so-called Indians, and they therefore cannot consider themselves more entitled than American Jews, who have been there for just as long.  

However, this is not a perfect argument, because even in Europe, where Jews settled with the Romans in such areas as Germany, France and Spain pre-dating the current populations by as much as 1,000 years, it counted as nothing to the Nazis and their ilk.  Since anti-Semitism is an irrational belief in various illogical canards (such as that all Jews are rich and all Jews are communists) there is no point in engaging in rational arguments with anti-Semites.  Best just to leave them alone and come to the Jewish State.