Some Israelis claim a genetic defect in Arabs leads them to violence. Emad Gad wonders The last few weeks have seen more than one conference held in European capitals to discuss anti- Semitism and examine complaints made by Israel and Zionist organisations of what they call "the growing wave of anti-Semitism" in Europe. The ruckus began following the publication of a European Commission poll conducted last year that asked respondents to name the nation representing the greatest threat to world peace. A total of 59 per cent of Europeans named Israel as the greatest threat. With the publication of the poll, Zionist organisations launched a campaign against the EC, saying that the poll reflected a growing intolerance for Jews in Europe. EC President Romano Prodi responded that the poll does not necessarily represent the views of the EC and he agreed to convene a conference in Brussels to discuss the phenomenon of increasing anti- Jewish sentiment in Europe. Zionist organisations used the conference, held in February, to restrict freedom of the press in reporting news related to Israel. They also proposed the term "political anti-Semitism" to bring criticisms of Israeli policy under the rubric of anti-Semitism. According to the term, any criticism of Ariel Sharon's policies in the occupied Palestinian territories can be considered a type of anti- Semitism. Another conference on the same subject was held in Germany late last month. The conference was yet another step in cementing the validity of the term political anti-Semitism. At that conference, the German president stated that criticism directed at Israel is sometimes a form of anti- Jewish sentiment. Clearly the term has been transformed into a means of blackmailing those who criticise Israeli policy. At the same time, Israeli writers and politicians have given themselves free reign to make slanderous remarks about Arabs. There has been a recent increase in racist Israeli writings against Arabs, and Israeli officials have made several racist comments about Arabs as a people, culture and civilisation. Among these writings was an article published by Meir Gross on the Web site Arutz Sheva ( www.a7.org ) entitled "Genetic (or mental) defect", in which the author attacks anyone who criticises the Israeli army's assassination of Palestinian activists. Gross's article comes as a response to statements made by MK Zeev Boim who said that Arabs have a genetic defect that leads them to violence and terrorism. Gross writes, "In fact, Deputy Minister [Zeev] Boim did not err in his designation, but only in the designated. The genetic defect exists, but among Jews. I'm sure no-one will accuse me of racism -- that only happens when one speaks of non-Jews. "Every living being is born with instincts whose functions are clear: to maintain its survival within the world around it. The warning instincts of living beings are a genetic system installed in them on the day they come into the world. For those who live in this world, survival is the most exalted value of any law, even the law of the jungle. "But things are reversed for us Jews. Hence, Prime Minister Golda Meir can say, 'We can forgive the Arabs for killing their children but we cannot forgive them for teaching our children to kill.' We go like sheep to the slaughter, with a smile on our faces, just to avoid injury to a murderous enemy. Our soldiers are prohibited from eliminating a source of dangerous gunfire just because the killer hides behind his wife, and we pay the price with our blood ... Does not the aspiration to save one Jewish life -- or the life of any innocent -- justify the saying 'Arise to kill him first who comes to kill you?' Even if he uses his children as human shields? If the answer is negative, it appears that we Jews do have a genetic defect. "Undoubtedly, MK Zeev Boim was right about this point. A group that uses murder as a means to convince and discuss is a group that suffers some defect ... we would do better to resort to the inherent human instincts of self-defence." In contrast, we find only a limited number of Israeli articles opposing such blatantly racist anti-Arab writings. One such response, however, came as a comment on Gross' article on the same Web site. "Every time we try to eliminate someone, we find a six-year-old child among the killers," wrote one Israeli. "So don't exaggerate by saying we're holier than the Pope. Let's recall the story of the Amalekites for a moment. We not only killed their men but we also showed no mercy towards their women and children, as well as their animals and livestock. Let's stop bringing up the issue of genes." Certainly, racist anti-Arab writings pointing to a genetic defect in Arabs that leads them to violence have an impact on the Arab world, provoking many writers who, in turn, respond with their own racist anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish writings. Conferences and symposia are then convened to discuss the causes of "increasing anti- Israeli sentiment", and the definition of anti- Semitism is expanded to include any type of political criticism of the Israeli government. The result is the inability to formulate an objective basis for dialogue and the lack of real opportunities to confront racist policies based on shared principles. Reason and objectivity among Israeli writers will help to strengthen an Arab trend that will gradually rid itself of the violent language it uses towards the other. All of this will contribute to a decline in racist writings on both sides. For more details on this issue, visit the Web site of Arabs Against Discrimination ( www.aad-online.org ).
