To Answer a Question....

Over at the Rightist Blog Israel Thrives Mike Lumish asks the question:

Is it true, or is it false, that the primary venues of BDS and anti-Semitic anti-Zionism in the West today primarily come from the progressive-left, including the grassroots / netroots of the Democratic Party?

What is the answer?

{Anyone?}

Who will give a clear and simple answer to an obvious question?

Seemingly Mike doesn't feel that he can get a straight answer.

Well I tried to answer his question but he promptly deleted my answer which was:

 Mike.... All I will say on this is that I have to disagree with your premise  

To say that BDS and support for it has a good deal of traction on the "Progressive" (self styled because they are not progressive) Left is true. I would even go so far as to say that BDS in particular (which has it's roots in Right Wing / Arab boycotts of Jews) comes out of the very hard left which manifests itself at times in the netroots of generally left leaning sites. 

I would disagree that this is particularly a problem with the Democratic Party which as we have seen over and over again is solidly Pro-Israel. Indeed there are some in the netroots of the party who are anti-Semitic, and who take on the mantle of anti-Zionism to hide their anti-Semitism. Is anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism a problem with the Left? Absolutely, and yes now more than ever it is. 

That said... I think the answer to the question "Does anti-Semitism or anti-Zionism come primarily from the Left the and Netroots of the Democratic Party?" I would have to say "NO". I think anti-Semitism is very much alive on the Right and in the Republican Party (particularly the Teahaddist faction) AND in the Ron/Rand Paul insane Libertarian wing of the party (who while a minority of the Party do have a large public presence). 

Mike, anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are NOT a matter of Republican / Democrat or Right / Left. there is plenty of it on either side of the spectrum. Anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism are cancers that affect the body politic of both sides. So rather than blame one side or the other, why not just go after the anti-Semites / anti-Zionists / enablers of both (JVP - The Useful Idiot) whether they be Rick Santorum sending out Hanukkah cards that tell Jews to worship Jesus, OR whether they be the SJP at Vasser who published real life Nazi Propaganda posters? To simply call this a problem of the Left and the Democratic Party smacks of partisan nonsense more geared towards getting people to vote Republican more than actually fighting the issue of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

Now, I understand why Mike would want to delete my answer since it expressly rejects the "fact" that he presents in his question. But that said there are other questions raised regarding this article that Mike doesn't respond to so I would be interested to hear his thoughts on these questions asked by JayinPhiladelphia:

But beyond that, the question to you then becomes, what do we do about it then? Are we all supposed to become Republicans? Take up with the right on social issues? I'm never going to do that. And I'm also never going to stop fighting for Israel.

First of all, while I disagree with Jay in his agreement with Mike on his question, I applaud his efforts to find a solution to the problem of anti-Semitism AND to for his stout defense in other forums (Daily Kos) against the anti-Semitism that rages there almost unchecked.

Jay's question of what do we do about it (anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism on the Left) is a very valid one. How do we fight it? Do we fight it by becoming Rightists / Republicans, taking up their cause and in doing so simply become a mirror image of the Leftists that disregard facts and arguments in the pursuit of partisan justifications for their cause as is what Mike does? OR do we work to recognize that the problem of anti-Semitism / anti-Zionism is one that is NOT the property of one side of the fence but a problem taken up by extremes on both sides of the Political aisle as fizziks does?

Personally, I will go with the "fizziks approach" where he takes issue with anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on both sides of the fence and attacks through information and reason without either misrepresenting or falsifying opposing points of view. Honestly, that seems the way to do this. Accurate and factual information is the key.

So to continue the answer to the question which Mike poses not as a question but as a statement of fact.

As I stated above there certainly is a problem with anti-Semitism on the Left. No one will deny it. To say it is the current source of anti-Semitism is the "Progressive Left" is to put it bluntly... Nonsense.
As Reuven points out (where Mike mistakenly thinks that Reuven agrees with his principle):

How is it not anti-Semitic when they are busy telling us we should give truth to the dual loyalty meme by placing Israel first and above all else, including priorities here at home.

This is something that Mike and the RJC actively engage in (and to call those groups Leftists would be a joke). They regularly make appeals to Jewish voters to vote Republican because of the Israel issue. They don't even try to argue that Jews may agree with their economic policies or not, their argument is "Forget domestic concerns vote Republican because really your loyalty is to Israel not your own country". This is a constant from Republicans using Benjamin Netanyahu in a commercial (when PM Netanyahu did not endorse the use of his image or words for said commercial) to a post on Mikes blog here and here. Isn't this the very epitome of the dual loyalty canard?

But aside from that - the Right is rife with anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in full with more examples than one can count.

SO to say that it is  the left and the netroots of the Democratic Party that is the primary source of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, well that is simply false. To say that there is a problem on the left with anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, that would be true. HOWEVER, it is also true to say that this is a problem on the Right as well.

Shalom.