(Jewish Group) How to Deal With Racist Leaders Who 'Love' Jews

[Behind the Aegis]

(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)

Next Tuesday, Boris Johnson will be elected the new leader of the Conservative party - barring any very surprising last-minute upset. The next morning he will arrive at Buckingham Palace, emerging shortly after as the new prime minister of Great Britain.

There is a lot to be said about the colorful Mr Johnson, some of it even positive. For the purposes of this column however, which has been tracking the rise of a new and unique type of politician, he will be the latest member of the club of leaders who are eroding democracy in their countries, pandering to racists, and at the same time claim to be the defenders of the Jews of their country - and pro-Israel as well.

We hear a lot nowadays about the changing nature of anti-Semitism in the 21st century. How it is no longer overt hatred of all Jews, but has morphed in to what sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris has described as "selective antisemitism" and takes cover in different guises as "anti-Zionism" on the left and "anti-globalism" on the right. But philo-Semitism has changed as well.

---SNIP---

If you're willing to overlook racism, and the erosion of democratic civil rights by nationalist governments who claim to be "pro-Israel" and make a great show of philo-Semitism, you've forgotten that Jews have only been truly safe in democratic environments, where the citizenship of all communities and minorities is respected.

If you can't bring yourself to see anti-Semitism on the progressive left, and fall back on the "it’s only anti-Zionism" excuse, you've forgotten that the ultimate price of belonging there has always been relinquishing Jewish solidarity.

more...