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.

Comments

TNC said…
Strange how much Klein's views have changed since 2002. Rather than addressing antisemitism in the #ows "head on"--which she suggested was the proper position to take in the anti-globalization movement--she now appears to be completely avoiding discussion of anti-Jewish sentiment in the belief that #ows is "the most important thing in the world now."

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).
modernity said…
Bob,

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.
jams o donnell said…
I had a small but extreme view on left antisemitism a few days go.

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
bob said…
Thanks for comments guys. I never had that much time for Naomi Klein, although she has quite a nice writing style. She seems a bit glib to me.

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.
modernity said…
Bob,

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?
bob said…
Very fair points Mod. I think that Trots in general are always limited on the topic of antisemitism, because it exceeds the analysis of the founding fathers.

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.
modernity said…
Indeed Bob, but that New Statesman piece did bring out some of the issues.

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.

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