BACK IN THE PICTURE
Tom Tugend
The Jerusalem Post
January 7, 2007, Sunday
A new American documentary explores the roots of 21st century anti
-Semitism
The PBS documentary Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence
will discomfit viewers of all stripes. Airing Monday on public
television stations across the United States the film will annoy
those who believe that rising anti-Semitism is a myth fueled by Jewish
paranoia and self-serving Jewish defense agencies.
Equally upset will be those who argue that anti- Semitism particularly
in the Islamic world is just using the same old stick to beat up on
a blameless Israel.
In addition fervent believers in a global Jewish conspiracy if any tune
in will be enraged at seeing their worldview demolished and ridiculed.
Within one hour the documentary narrated by veteran CNN journalist Judy
Woodruff covers a lot of territory in a graphic and efficient manner.
Viewers are given a capsule history of anti-Jewish hatred both in the
Christian West and the Muslim East accompanied throughout by horrifying
cartoons across the centuries depicting the Jew as Christ killer
blood sucker ravisher of virgins and plotter of world domination.
Numerous experts weigh in on the Middle East conflict and its impact on
the resurgence of anti-Semitism. On the whole the arguments balance
each other out with perhaps a slight edge given to supporters of
Israel thanks to Woodruff’s narration.
Considerable airtime is given to New York University professor Tony
Judt often denounced for his harsh criticism of Israel. In this program
however he limits himself mainly to exploring the growing influence
of Muslim immigration on Europe. Former Israeli government minister
Natan Sharansky and the American Jewish Committee’s David Harris
effectively lay out the Jewish role in the fight against anti-Semitism.
A telling analysis of the corrupting effect of anti- Semitism on the
Arab masses is given surprisingly by Sa- lameh Nematt Washington bureau
chief for Al Hayat an independent Arab daily published in London.
Princeton historian Bernard Lewis draws a useful distinction between
Christian and Muslim anti-Semitism over the centuries.
In the Islamic world the Jew though not equal was tolerated and did
not carry the satanic aura painted in medieval Europe says Lewis who
"credits" British and other Christian theologians with introducing
modern anti- Semitism into the Arab world.
Perhaps the most surprising emphasis in the film is on the deep and
persistent impact of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion in
shaping the prejudices of European anti-Semites and the convictions
of Arab leaders and masses.
The Protocols a Czarist forgery of the early 1900s has proven
particularly useful to Muslim presidents and clerics to rationalize
how the "inferior" Jews of Israel could repeatedly outfight proud Arab
nations. While the Arabs have never gotten over their defeat in the
Six Day War their humiliation is lessened if they can believe that
they were beaten by the cosmic evil power portrayed in The Protocols.
The one point of agreement among the experts is that anti-Semitism
will not disappear because "it serves so many purposes notes Professor
Dina Porat of Tel Aviv University.
Woodruff adds that Israel is used as a coat hanger" by Arab leaders
who can attach all their problems to it and divert their populations’
attention from their own poverty and corrupt rulers.
The PBS production was produced written and directed by Andrew Goldberg
who recently released The Armenian Genocide in association with Oregon
Public Broadcasting.
GRAPHIC: Photo: THE ARAB world’s obsession with Israel may be partly
connected to medieval Christian anti-Semitism ‘The Resurgence’
argues. (Credit: Ap)