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Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
Shooting the Messenger: The aiding and abetting of anti-Semitism
Posted by Benjamin Weinthal
Comments: 15
    
Last week, the German Interior Ministry announced the members of a commission to address anti-Semitism in the Federal Republic. Dr. Juliane Wetzel, a researcher at the controversial Berlin Center for Anti-Semitism Research, is a permanent member of the commission. By way of background, the Center's callous behavior toward Iranian genocidal anti-Semitism directed at Israel sparked an outcry among Jews and non-Jews around the world last year. Political scientist Dr. Daniel J. Goldhagen, an academic who has written extensively about German "eliminationist antisemitism" and who spoke then with The Jerusalem Post regarding the Center's approach to the study of anti-Semitism was highly critical. While the Post quoted Dr. Goldhagen in its initial story on the Center, a number of his statements did not appear in the report due to space limitations. Readers can further engage in the ongoing dispute over the direction of the Center by reading the previously non-published statements of Dr. Goldhagen below. The Center's director Wolfgang Benz and Dr. Wetzel stated that they would not talk to the Post.
1 |
Zahora Germany,
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
The German institute actually seems to be mainly "controversial" in reports by Mr. Weinthal. The "outcry" is in comments solicited by Mr. Weinthal. There are nine other people on this commission. Mr. Weinthal has not yet reported on them and their background. We are waiting.
2 |
Alan Posener, Berlin,
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
Some years ago, the Center for Research on Anti-Semitism produced a report on antizionist and antisemitic views among Europe's Muslims that was so outspoken that the European Union, which had commissioned the report, at first did not want to publish it. During the recent Gaza operation, Juliane Wetzel conducted seminars for teachers and ecucators in Berlin exposing antizionist clichés in the German press. Mr. Weinthal was conspicuous by his absence and never reported on these activities. I admire Daniel Goldhagen, but his only source of information on the Center seems to be Mr Weinthal.
3 |
gegenkritik,
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
Zahora, you are right: The belittlement of Anti-Semitism is not controversial in Germany, but common sense. That's why there is no outcry regarding the work of the "Berlin Center for Anti-Semitism Research", but praise - and Mr. Weinthal is disturbing this inner-German peace.
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Heinz L. Mann,
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
What's Weinthal's fuss about? Is it his buddy Broder who wasn't appointed chairman of the commission and moreover was not appointed to the commission at all? Come on, Mr. Weinthal, tell us the truth.
5 |
Dr. Clemens Heni, YALE University (YIISA),
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009
Weinthal is absolutely right in focussing on the problematic kind of scholarship Mrs. Wetzel is responsible for. The conference in Berlin last December on "Islamophobia" compared antisemitism with the fantasy of "Islamophobia". Mr. Posener is totally wrong: exactly the study of the EUMC in 2003 is ridicolous, I was among some few analysts of this strange study which trivializes antisemitism. A few days ago Wetzel told a German newspaper she wants to start a new project on Muslim antisemitism amoung youngsters. She already knows the results and said that Neonazis are still more dangerous...
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Heinz L. Mann,
Wednesday Aug 12, 2009
Please, Mr. Heini, we know you're absolutely "fair and balanced" working on antisemitism in Germany. Who are you to attack Alan Posener? Show us your scientific record and we'll tell you: LEARN! MORE!
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Zahora, Germany,
Wednesday Aug 12, 2009
Gegenkritik misunderstands me. The Berlin Center is NOT controversial - because it does basically good work (with mistakes, too: who's perfect?). I mainly hear this fierce criticism in the J Post. Like Mr Mann, I wonder - why is Mr. Weinthal bashing this one institution? He should work harder, evaluate the other eggs on the panel. Otherwise it looks like he's got something personal against the center. This is unbecoming to a respectable newspaper. He keeps on citing himself - snowball effect! So let's talk about the real dangers of Islamist and right-wing extremism, in schools and elsewhere.
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Dr. Clemens Heni, Yale University (YIISA),
Wednesday Aug 12, 2009
Contrary to the apologetic imaginations about the Center for Research on Antisemitism (ZfA) in Berlin and the statements of Antal Wozniak, who is a co-worker of Prof. Weisskirchen at the German Bundestag (Social Democratic Party), there is a big controversy abotu the ZfA amoung serious scholars. I myself am working on antisemitism for several years now. Contrary to Mr. Wozniak I published books and articles about the trivialization of antisemitism. The ZfA fails to address the Iranian threat. In the US and Israel no one takes Prof. Benz or Mrs. Wetzel seriously anymore. And Benz is aware of it
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Heinz L. Mann,
Thursday Aug 13, 2009
Please, Mr. Heni, be honest. The only book you published up to now is your doctoral thesis. You don't have any reputation except maybe inside some clandestine circles. And please show us proof for your alleged "big controversy about the ZfA among serious scholars". Your comments on Posener and Wozniak don't let appear you in a good light, let alone in a scientific one.
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Jörg Rensmann,
Thursday Aug 13, 2009
ZfA is currently not dealing with anti-Semitism of todays Iranian regime. They do not care about the existential threat for Israel. Political elite and center represent an overwhelmingly majority in Germany, they are rhetorically but never actively claiming their responsibility and support for the Jewish state. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not isolated diplomatically, nor unilateral economic sanctions are on their way. Germany is a key factor in this development, but besides the NGO Stop the Bomb no institution of German civic society is urging the government to implement tough sanctions. European appeasement encourages the Iranian regime on its way to go nuclear.
11 |
Heinz L. Mann,
Saturday Aug 15, 2009
Mr. Rensmann, what kind of fool are you? The rules of capitalism which are obeyed by most pro-Israel and pro-American people like you don't see any obligation to do NO business with Iran. And that is YOUR dilemma. So why are you attacking leftwingers? Because you want to detect the public opinion from your FUNDAMENTAL weakness.
12 |
Calvin S USA,
Sunday Aug 16, 2009
It's amazing to me that Germany has a "Center for studying "Anti- Semitism". I would think that Germany should be very alarmed at the prospect of pro-Islamists, perhaps soon in their Govt. Islam in Europe is growing like crazy! "Eurabia" is what ones hears from the Alarmists. Didn't Germany go thru that once in 1933. I hope Europe don't do business with Iran...thats like feeding the crocodiles with children. Ahamdinjiahd is a clone of Adolph Hitler. And we know what happened with him...55 million slaughterd!
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Zahora, Germany,
Thursday Aug 20, 2009
Yes, it's urgent to tackle anti-Semitism and all forms of destructive hate. The Iranian administration is a serious threat and must be dealt with. Put pressure on politicians and pundits, as Stop the Bomb does! Stop wasting time attacking one academic institution! It just looks so much like a personal vendetta that one has to laugh. Come on kids. ZfA has dealt with Iran, at least in terms of Holocaust denial if not more. Please give us examples of academic institutes that are role models in your eyes! Be constructive, or else tell us why you are attacking one and only one institution.
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Zahora, Germany,
Friday Aug 21, 2009
Why doesn't the writer focus on the real problems - anti-Semitism and the threats from Iran - instead of focusing so much on one academic institute? Maybe he (and his echoes) could tell us which institute meets his / their ideal? Zfa loudly condemned Holocaust denial in Iran, for example; what other German institutes have done that? And how can Mr. Rensmann assert that an institute doesn't care about something? You want the academic institute to act? So call on all such institutes to act, not just one. Better yet, push politicians and pundits to act. The harping on one institute is bizarre.
15 |
Martin,
Wednesday Nov 18, 2009
So, let me guess: She has dared to point out that islamophobia is equivalent to anti-semitism, and all you J-Post-comment racists/bigots have a problem with that, no? I love how a small network of extreme rightwing organizations support each other. Counting down NGO Monitor group to give a interview supporting this article in 5.4.3.2...
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