Anti-Semitic Jews and sexist women, do they exist?

The biggest homophobes that I know are some heterosexual women who are disgusted by the idea that homosexual men exist. It’s understandable that some heterosexual men could be a bit apprehensive about gay men, no? But women?

Let’s go to the other end of the spectrum. Do anti-Semitic Jews and sexist women exist?

I used to say, no, that’s merely internalized oppression. Let’s not blame the victim when oppression has made them feel bad about themselves.

But then I noticed that some of the most vicious anti-Semites are Jews. That a handful of Israeli anti-Zionist Jews are responsible for giving fodder to most of the popular anti-Semitic propaganda that is distributed around the globe by spreading fake news about the Jewish State. These are not Jews who find it hard to be proud of themselves because they were so hated. These are Jews who promote anti-Semitism and feel good about that and do a lot of damage.

There are women who hate women. They call all women stupid and of ill character. If a man would say it, he would be a big sexist. How so should a woman get away with such oppressive hateful talk? One may feel ambivalent about one’s own fellow oppressed people but outright hatred and disdain doesn’t seem something to overlook.

Maybe there is a difference between a speaker seeing herself as a victim or as someone happy to oppress. An African-American who says, I prefer White friends, doesn’t need to be a racist. But when he says: all Blacks–he implies, but not me–are trash and good for nothing, then he’s a racist.

It is important not to let oppressors off the hook because they attack “their own kind.” Attacks are attacks. No one should get away with being oppressive.

Gentiles making certain “Jewish” jokes could be hateful. Jews making certain “Jewish” jokes could be hateful too.

I have a Kurdish-Jewish Working-Class friend who married an Ashenenazic woman, loves Carlebach and worked himself up to a Middle-Class job. Is he a self-hating Mizrachic Jew? I don’t think so. He still comes with his whole family to be with his parents and the whole clan; he still likes to sing Kurdish-Jewish melodies and he still likes kubbeh. Love knows no borders but that doesn’t mean that one betrays one’s roots crossing over.

There was this famous African-American man who in the media pleaded with his fellow Black men to start taking responsibility for their family lives. There was some reason for his call as there are a great number of Black women in the US who are single mothers with the Black fathers taking no responsibility for caring for them and their kids. He got a lot of publicity for his sympathetic call and it didn’t sound like he was besmirching his own nest. However, a few years later, he was exposed as a serial rapist who first drugged his dozens of victims before violating them. He wasn’t such a family man himself, after all. Does that invalidate his call? One wonders.

I know a Jew who converted to Christianity–Hasheim meracheim–talks about Jesus all the time and subscribes to every anti-Semitic blood libel on the Internet. Is there any reason not to call and treat him like an anti-Semite? Christians should stop him because he especially hurts their valid cause and shaky good name after Auschwitz.

Last but not least, we have now a new Member of Knesset who is not only a committed racist and homophobe but also a very smart man. He won’t say anything improper. And if you say anything about him, he’ll sue you. But does his cleverness make him less of a bigot?

Lots to think about.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. * His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1