Fredens ring: a stain on the event?

[Jayhawker Soule]

From the Haaretz article: Oslo synagogue 'peace ring' organizer blamed Jews for 9/11 …

One of organizers of solidarity initiative retracts previous statement espousing anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, but reiterates 'dislike' for supporters of Israel.

< -- snip -- >​

In Saturday interviews, he retracted his words. In an interview with the daily Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet, he said they were “anti-Semitic” and “unacceptable.”​

“I was angry,” he told Verdens Gang. “I have since changed my views.” But he also said he “dislikes” people who support “an occupying force that has been condemned in several United Nations resolutions.”

“I think it is important to distinguish between being critical of Israel and anti-Semitism,” he also told Verdens Gang.

Eric Argaman, a pro-Israel activist and member of Norway’s Jewish community, said Chishti’s involvement “stained the event, which now feels more like a spin, on our backs, than a gesture of good will.”​

Do you agree with Mr. Argaman? I believe that he is the one staining the event.

 

[Nietzsche]

Question. If I say I "fundamentally agree", that's only in regards to whether one disagrees with Israel, yes?

 

[Brickjectivity]

“I think it is important to distinguish between being critical of Israel and anti-Semitism,” he also told Verdens Gang.

That statement I agree with. Its only rational. Its so plain as to be ridiculous to have to affirm it. He's only saying it, because he backpeddling about his anti-Jewish (=anti-semitic) statements. If he wasn't doing that he wouldn't need to say anything.

What if I were a citizen of Israel? What would make me anti-Jewish? By the same token what is un-American behavior? Well, its not voting, not being aware of the political situation and discouraging people from voting or involving themselves in politics. Well lets say I were a citizen of Israel instead of USA. Obviously I'd be expected to have an opinion since they vote on everything, so I could disagree without being anti-Jewish. Even if I voted against every other citizen it wouldn't make me anti-Jewish. So what would make me anti Jewish in that case? Suppose I voted for Israel to pack up and leave or for a Muslim prime minister? That would not make me anti-Jewish either. What would make me ant-Jewish was if I were to purposely set Jews against each other to cause them harm, to make a situation in which mere disagreement is considered dissociation. This could be through neglect or action. That appears to be anti-Jewish as far as I can tell from this side of the world. If this is not the case, then the opposite must be true. If it is not the case then only agreement is acceptable, and I know that isn't true. The voting apparatus makes it untrue.

 

[Jumi]

If I was Jewish I would be a bit distrustful of this group if the organizer was into conspiracy theories.

 

[Sunstone]

Argaman's comments strike me as regrettable. It seems on the face of it that Chishti has renounced antisemitism. For that. he should be applauded when he decides to take a stand that, in effect, reinforces his renunciation. If he's lying or misleading people about having renounced antisemitism, his presence at the event still does not distract from its meaning. But Argaman's words distract from the event's meaning regardless of whether Chishti is being honest or not.

 

[Augustus]

There is always the problem that many Muslims refuse to use the word 'Israel' as it is deemed to give it legitimacy and replace it with Zionists or Jews.

Also many Muslims strongly buy into conspiracy theories about Israel, the Mossad, etc.

This is where it gets into the complexity of human cognitive beliefs. Someone can potentially hold beliefs that can probably be considered anti-Semitic in regard to Israel, while at the same time feeling that they should help protect Jews in Norway.

We often are highly contradictory in the beliefs we hold after all. I suppose we should accept the good actions of people, while trying to get them to reconsider their prejudiced beliefs. If we always look to find fault, we won't ever get anywhere. People should get credit for their good actions, without being given a free pass for anything bad. But simply discounting everything they ever do based on past criticisms doesn't seem like a good way to go forward.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

This, from today's Times of Israel is worth reading, particularly …

The fact that this symbolic gesture is becoming a movement is even more fascinating. This coming Shabbat, it will spread to the synagogue in Stockholm, for instance.

It is with immense happiness that I welcome this action. Not because I think it balances out the anti-Semitic violence in Europe, or shows us that “everything is alright after all, and in fact, we all love each other so this whole killing thing has all been a joke”. No. But because I think that it is a much-delayed start to something that should have happened ten years ago.

It functions as recognition by people other than Jews that anti-Semitism is real. And no one should ever feel frustrated about that.