This commentary is in response to a letter by Jonathan Bernstein, San Francisco Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League about a "New Anti-Semitism" from the left, that appeared in the February 22, 2007 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/... archive/2007/02/22/EDGRJN77PA1.DTL. I wrote Bernstein about his letter, my concerns regarding the activities of his organization, and the elitists in the Jewish community, but he failed to reply to me. However as a Jew whose family came to the United States to escape Nazi Germany, I would like to share my my experience and my views.
I am an American Jew whose family came to the United States to escape Nazi Germany. I reside in Chico California, but lived in San Francisco for all of my 55 years until I moved here 6 years ago. I am involved in community issues here. I serve on the Human Relations Network of Butte County and I am a member of the Chico Havurah, the progressive Jewish congregation here.
I speak as someone who is on the left side of the political spectrum. I oppose the Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinians and the unconditional support that our government gives to Israel. In regards to anti-semitism from the left, I will say that I am disgusted with the organization ANSWER and the signs that their members have carried at the anti-war demonstrations. I don't deny that anti-semitism exists in this country. However, I find that the Anti-Defamation League -- ADL, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee -- AIPAC, and other organizations that make up the Israel Lobby overuse that term. The Israel Lobby condemns anyone as "anti-semitic" who doesn't go along with our government's policy in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. It is disgusting that former President Jimmy Carter is being vilified by some people for his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" and he is very accurate in his description, at least as far as the occupied territories are concerned. I don't believe that the Israel Lobby represents the majority of American Jews, and I fear that events might even encourage the growth of anti-semitism if our policies are not changed. Also, it is a shame that the ADL failed to invite Tikkun and Jewish Voice For Peace to a conference on anti-semitism, that was held in San Francisco on January 28th.
Another point that I would like to bring up is that I do not believe that Jewish people in the United States are overall victims today, and again this is not to say that anti-semitism doesn't exist. While of course I don't believe the line that Jewish people own all the banks etc. in this country, there are many Jews who hold high positions in our corporations and some of them are just as bad as the worst of their non-Jewish Caucasian counterparts. While I had the opportunity to have met many wonderful Jewish professionals, one of my worst employers happened to be Jewish. She was the manager of a high-rise office building in San Francisco, where I was the Assistant Janitorial Foreman in charge during the day hours. It's a long story, but this manager had me removed from her building in 1994 without a good reason, and even though all of the tenants were highly satisfied with my services. The situation is that many of these corporate office building managers work with the janitorial contractors to get the most work out of the fewest janitors to clean their buildings, in order to enrich themselves. Another Jewish person happens to be an attorney who makes his living by representing speculators who buy up apartment buildings in San Francisco and evict tenants, many who are seniors and disabled people, and then turn the properties into TICS or condominiums. While there are non-Jews who employ these practices, these are the types of Jews who help spread the negative stereotype of Jews being greedy and who promote anti-semitism. If the Anti-Defamation League is really so concerned about anti-semitism, it is these issues that I raised that they should be talking about. In saying all of this, I fully understand that most Jews are progressive. Approximately 80% of us regularly vote Democratic. I know that many Jews were and are currently involved in the labor, civil rights movement, the movement to get us out of Iraq, and other progressive causes.