Anti-Semitism


Anti-Semitism comes in many shapes and sizes. With the social awareness having been risen in the US towards hate groups (such as the K.K.K., the Aryan Nations, and now of course the Islamic fundamentalists) anti-Semitism has become more difficult to see and much more subversive.  The last thing, we as Jews, want to do is arouse a paranoia or a false sense of reality.   This type of fear mongering would only fuel those who would use it against us as a reason to propagate the idea that it's "All in our heads" or to bring about comments such as "Forget about it, it was all in the past". These are the very ideas, which we must address and reply, "Those who forget history, are doomed to repeat it". 
  The main subtopic I wish to address here is Anti-Semitism in the press. America as a whole has been supportive to the Nation of Israel, but the media has been slanted in a very ugly way towards the Israelis.
  I lived in Israel for many years and I'm always stunned at how the press manipulates and distorts the news it presents.
I can't count how many times I've seen reporters from well known news agencies taking camera shots of Palestinian women and children in terrible circumstances... some under fire as you watch. But at that same time there aren't any cameras where there are Jewish women and children going through these exact same circumstances. Where are the camera shots of the Jewish babies and young children who are being killed by Palestinian suicide bombers? Where are the clips of Jewish women after mortars fired off by the "Palestinian Authority" had attacked them?
Yes there are some that we see here. But for every 1 we see of the Israelis we see 3-5 and probably more of the Palestinians. Should we be Anti-Palestinian? No, we should not. But should we sit back and let the general media misportray the events that are happening in our homeland and not be allowed to know both sides of the story? The media comes into our homes everyday and shapes the minds of millions throughout this country. Only given half a story is a lie by omission, and if that half-truth is directed towards the Jews... it is anti-Semitism.
                                         
                                                          By Rabbi Stanley Chester Jr.
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