Look who’s talking! Let’s examine some popular anti-Jewish stereotypes.
Introduction
When I was new in Israel, 31 years ago, I started an intense hasbara campaign to the Netherlands. The main question always asked is: How can you prove something is Antisemitic or someone is an Antisemite? ‘You can’t look into their hearts.’ Turns out you don’t need to study someone’s mind or sentiments. The only examination needs to be of the facts.
After years of dismantling fabrications, I found that without untruths, Jew-hatred has no leg to stand on. Every bit of antipathy for Jews/Israel is by necessity based on falsehoods. Sometimes it means using selectively only parts of the truth; sometimes it consists of completely made-up stuff. Yours truly was the first to claim, ‘Without lies, no Antisemitism.’
Another way to discover Antisemitism is to ask yourself if it could be that all Jews are anti-humane to a degree no other People is? No, of course.
But another method is closely examining popular anti-Jewish myths.
‘Jew Control the Media’
Guess what?
The worldwide enormous support for Iran’s (proxies’) terrorists and the constant attacks on Israel since October 7 were only possible through the decades of anti-Zionist propaganda from the world’s leading news outlets and some major national news broadcasters. Not just Al Jazeera.
Israel advocacy became a specialism (and a run-away failure) because there is so much Antisemitic and Anti-Zionist falsehood in the news.
‘Jews Control the Banks’/’All Jews are Rothschilds’/’Jews are parasites’
Guess what?
Some 80% of all Jews are working for a living (UK: ‘Working-Class;’ US: ‘Middle-Class.’). I was 25 when I first heard the myth that all Jews are rich. I thought, What’s wrong with that, but where is the dough?
On average, Jews have more money, but that’s because they or their parents worked harder than Gentiles. Jews are not unique in this type of survival mode. You see it also in Asian immigrants everywhere.
As with every prejudice against the Jews, the very opposite is professed. How can Jews be both the bankers and the Marxist, useless masses?
In reality, there is no more generous People than the Jews. What Jews contributed to human morality is unparalleled. So much so that Hitler hated the Jews because they gave humanity a guilt complex.
As with every prejudice against the Jews, the very opposite is professed to. Jews are ruthless, corrupting the Gentile mind with filth and immorality.
‘The Jewish Lobby Controls Our Politicians’
Guess what?
The whole world lobbies politicians, but as soon as Jews do it, ‘it’s the Jewish Lobby.’
This lobbying is important because of the anti-Jewish sentiments, especially in the higher echelons of society. It’s like preferential treatment for all oppressed groups. That should even out the playing field. It is certainly not unfair or secretive.
‘All Jews are Smart’/’All Jews are Einsteins’
Guess what?
On average, Jews do have a higher IQ than Gentiles but that’s because IQ tests measure the ability to adjust, not ‘intelligence.’
This prejudice is important because it’s a small step from genius to shrewd.
Many Jews do better in school because they work harder. It’s panic-based.
‘Jews are the New Nazis’/’Jews are Murderers’
Guess what?
Even Nazis and Neo-Nazis call the Jews Nazis, an insult that comes across. But they favor calling us Marxists; the Marxists prefer the label Nazis.
But really, Jews generally don’t even hate Antisemites. Distrust, often, but hate? We rather hate other Jews or ourselves. It’s called self-hatred.
In all statistics, Jews are really low on murder. Calling them ‘worse than the Nazis’ is meant to undo the Holocaust, calling the victims the perpetrators.
The Nazis called Jews vermin. You must dehumanize them to sell killing them. Extremist Muslims, Marxists, and Neo-Nazis believe their Jew-hatred to be saintly because Jews are the devil. They hate no one more than Jews.
Fascists love to use Jews to maintain their rule, on the unbelievable promise they will be pro-Israel and pro-Jewish. While they throw anyone and everyone under the bus, that is totally unbelievable. Yet these Jews see no other supporters, so they take what’s there for as long as it lasts.
‘Jews Have No Friends’/Wherever There are Jews, There is Trouble’
Guess what?
‘With so much negative publicity about Israel, some has to be true.’ (Bernie Saunders) It’s the same as: ‘If so many people call women more stupid, there must be a grain of truth in it.’ It’s a prime example of blaming the victim. Prejudices are not truer if they’re repeated more.
Here too, the opposite is true. Antisemites of different feathers are willing to kill each other over anything but become buddies united to exterminate the Jews (in their dreams). Yet, their friendships are not real. They live in fantasyland and hatred, which blocks heart-to-heart friendship.
‘Jews are Obsessed About the Holocaust’
Guess what?
It’s as crazy as saying that feminists are obsessed with rape as if the problem is only so serious in the minds of the victims. But in reality, no one talks more about Nazis and the Holocaust as Anti-Zionists. The massacre of October 7 debunked the fable that Jews should stop talking about the genocide on the Jews and oppression of the Jews since it’s all in the past.
***
What’s your favorite prejudice about the Jews? And is it the total opposite of reality too?
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
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