Lukas Berfus on anti-Semitism: Taking action against Jew-hatred is a civic duty

What makes this a shame is the eloquent silence of the majority of society. The response is lukewarm at best. The ritual condemnation of Hamas violence is too often accompanied by a terrifying “but.” This means: the Jews themselves are to blame, they would have provoked this violence, this is what relativization sounds like, a stereotypical and anti-Semitic justification for the mass murder of innocent people.

Anti-Semitism is not a fringe phenomenon or an extremist exaggeration. It works in society, it is part of our history, part of political and religious ideologies from right to left. Antisemitism occurs in all classes, in every generation, among educated and uneducated people and among all sexes. Like other idiots, anti-Semites are quite common throughout the world.

“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel,” said Samuel Johnson, patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, and the same can be said of anti-Semitism. In times of war and crisis, safe places to retreat become fewer and fewer. Jew-hatred offers itself as a solution. This gives you the pleasant feeling of having identified the culprits and provides an easy and proven orientation.

The method is always the same. Jews are symbolized and deindividuated. They are instrumentalized as mere representatives of a hostile system of their own making, and depending on their ideological views, Jews play different roles.

Right-wing nationalists base their ideology on the fatherland, the homeland. Jews in the Diaspora were long forced to make do without a safe territory and were considered so-called “fatherless apprentices” and untrustworthy. Undesirable as a citizen.

On the left flank, Jews have to serve as representatives of the hated international finance capital. The left’s recurring anti-Semitisms are the loan shark, the thug, the bloodsucker, the financial tycoon. The Rothschilds are a code that is as popular as it is vile.

Anti-Semitism is a constant in the Marxist classics, starting with the founding father Charles himself. His disgusting 1843 work On the Jewish Question concludes with the phrase: “The social emancipation of the Jew is the emancipation of society from Judaism. This one letter, written by the son of a converted Jew, demonstrates how malleable anti-Semitism was among progressive forces.

And few of its apologists have seriously addressed the question of how anti-Semitic Marxism is. But leftist anti-Semitism is not a detail, not a venial sin, not a minor contradiction. This is still used successfully in election campaigns.

Leftist anti-Semites use treacherous tactics. Since Jews in the Diaspora are a vanishing minority and it is difficult to threaten the majority of the few, the “invisible majority”, a network whose threads span the entire globe, is invented for political propaganda purposes. And, of course, Jews always pull these strings.

And if this motive is not enough, anti-Zionism comes into play. This is where the left meets postcolonial theory. For them, the state of Israel is a white colonial project and therefore has no right to exist. In the equally common situation where the perpetrator becomes the victim, the history of this state, the Shoah, the murder of six million people, is literally suppressed.

Anti-Semitism is also a constant vanishing point in the green movement. This follows an authoritarian desire to obey universal, “natural laws.” It finds expression in various magical ideas. “Alternative medicine” needs an enemy image. The term “traditional medicine” is widely used and is used not only by anti-vaccination activists and homeopaths, although its anti-Semitic connotations are well understood.

Esoteric ideas are authoritarian and anti-democratic. The novice gains access to a certain teaching through initiation, through introduction into the cult. This happens through a master who has seen the truth, a guru like the anti-Semite Rudolf Steiner. His hatred of Jews seems to affect only a few people. An extreme ideology, “anthroposophy”, has a strong place in society, and the products of “biodynamic agriculture”, nothing more than irrational obscurantism, occupy center stage on the shelves of large retailers.

Now one might object: of course, the “biodynamic preparation 502” that anthroposophical agriculture works with, which consists of yarrow flowers fermented in deer bladder, has the effect of ordinary household compost – but it will probably be just as harmless. Is Republican tolerance against this nonsense appropriate?

Unfortunately, not at all. Esoteric practice cannot be separated from ideology. Anyone who endorses obscure anti-Semitic ideas in agriculture, cosmetics or the education of their children will not reject them in politics from the outset. And to date, the green movement has not resolved the internal contradiction, which, on the one hand, promotes the need for evidence-based science to combat climate disaster and at the same time spreads unscientific, totalitarian nonsense.

In a democracy, an attack on a few is an attack on all. Therefore, the fight against anti-Semitism is the first task of the state. He must ensure the safety of all people on his territory and, if necessary, provide this with a monopoly of force. This fight must be waged in a coordinated manner: in government bodies, in schools, in universities. Unfortunately, this does not happen.

The term “anti-Semitism” does not appear at all in the 2019 Order of the Federal Council establishing the Federal Commission against Racism. Moreover, this is a toothless committee and is not doing its job. The commission is tasked with informing the public, developing proposals and recommendations and combating racism, but does not have the power to issue instructions.

How important this commission is to the federal government is reflected in its budget. It’s not 200,000 francs a year. The new parliament is urgently called upon to review this mandate and increase funding.

The fight against anti-Semitism should become an integral part of educational curricula. The German language is riddled with terms directed against the Jewish people. It consists of “Müscheln” and “Shahern”. Education is also needed here – and it must be constant, sustainable and continuous.

Anti-sexist workshops have long been part of everyday life in business; this must now be followed by systematic training in recognizing and combating anti-Semitism.

In a democracy, no one has the right to expect from the state, economy, or institutions. Taking action against Jew-hatred is a civic duty. Anyone who sees or hears anti-Semitism must intervene, speak out, show solidarity – now, here, always.