Some resources on left antisemitism
There is a huge list of resources on left antisemitism at Contested Terrain. There is a shorter list at this website. And Engage has several more, and Workers Liberty have more again. Here, I list a few more recent resources that have come to my notice. It should go without saying that inclusion does not necessarily imply endorsement. Can I particularly draw your attention to Radical Archives on Kalle Larson, as this is a reference point in recent debates on Occupy Wall Street.
- Marxist-Humanist Initiative: Beware of Left Anti-Semitism: Jew-Hatred Appears in Conspiracy Theories, Anti-Americanism, Lesser-Evilism, and Single-Issue Thinking (2011)
- Michael Ezra: Stalinist Roots of Left-Antisemitism (2011)
- Terminal 119 collective thessaloniki: Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism (2009)
- Michael Ezra: Karl Marx: Radical Antisemitism (2009)
- Moishe Postone: History and Helplessness: Mass Mobilization and Contemporary Forms of Anticapitalism [pdf]/html (2006)
- Piotr Kendziorek and August Grabski: The Return of ‘Left Anti-Semitism’ in Poland? (2006)
- New Internationalist special issue on Judeophobia (2004). Includes Asma Agbarieh on Arab antisemitism; Lucy Michaels and Adam Ma’anit on experiencing left antisemitism; as well as facts about Judeophobia and a resource list.
- Radical Archives: Kalle Lasn of Adbusters and “Why Won’t Anyone Say They Are Jewish?” (2004)
- Arthur Waskow, Charles Lenchner & Malka Fenyvesi: Jews and the Antiwar Movement (2003)
- Daniel Mang: Left discourses, antisemitism, racism and gender (2002)
- Naomi Klein: SHARON’S BEST WEAPON: The left must confront anti-Semitism head-on (2002)
Comments
http://www.thenation.com/article/163844/occupy-wall-street-most-important-thing-world-now
Anyway, I never thought of her a serious person back then when she was pushing her "No Logo" nonsense. Since then she has broadened her scope and is now viewed as some sort of expert on economics (cough, cough).
Not wishing to be rude, but do you find the AWL stuff worth reading?
By that I mean, there's not a lot of intellectual content.
When you read Sean Matgamna's contributions you get the impression that outside of Trotsky/Lenin that he or his organisation hasn't actually read much on antisemitism or thought rather deeply on these issues.
As I say, it is just an observation. I am sure there is probably at least one member of the AWL that thinks about these issues with a degree of lucidity but can't say I get that feeling from Matgamna's work.
THe owner of a left wing chatroom I used to go to in Yahoo years back suddenly decided to follow me on twitter (I just use it as a handy news aggregator and a feed for my blog).
I was not pleased to have anything to do with said person. I was less pleased (to say the least) when I had a quick look at his tweets and found him tweeting
William (Turner Diaries) Pearce videos. And this from a soi disant leftist!.
Needless to say I blocked him toot sweet!
I know this is not much of a story Bob but it was a small but rather sickening manifestation of left wing antisemitism
No, AWL are not particularly intellectual heavyweights on this topic, but they are the only British left group I can think of right now who take the issue seriously.
Thanks Jams for the depressing anecdote.
You say the AWL takes it seriously and I won't deny that, but in this modern age I always get the feeling they've read tombs on Lenin and Trotsky, but rarely scratch the surface of theories around antisemitism.
There's no shortage of literature on the topic, but I always get the impression they've read pamphlets rather than books.
If you take something seriously then surely it follows that you read and educate yourself on it?
Maybe I come from a generation when socialists where vociferous readers?
I can't (or perhaps I can, with some modern attitudes towards self-education) understand the AWL's approach, why trouble to learn every syllable that Lenin utter and yet not familiarise yourself with the vast range of views surrounding antisemitism?
Seems peculiar to me.
PS: The New Statesman's article is a bit a change for them?
Interesting (and depressing, although not surprising) that the New Statesman article was written by someone from the Blairite right of the Labour Party rather than the left.
I see that your 'friend', Skidmarx, contributed.
As best as I can understand he thinks that everyone is lying about antisemitism.
It simply doesn't occur to him that people see the world differently & might in turn have a greater sensitivity to antisemitsm than he or his comrades have.
Still, it does explain part of that mystery about the SWP & Gilad Atzmon, why they kept in with him for over 4+ years.
It seems that the SWP simply couldn't believe that their own judgment was wrong and other people were right about Atzmon's racism.
Which begs many other questions, but I'll leave it there for a while.