The UN has passed a resolution condemning anti-Semitism, in what Israeli officials describe as a “historical breakthrough.” Here’s more on the text of the resolution:
In the resolution, the Third Committee of the U.N. General Assembly said it “recognizes with deep concern the overall rise in instances of intolerance and violence directed against members of many religious communities in various parts of the world, including cases motivated by Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and Christianophobia.”
While I agree that this resolution is an important step in the right direction, pardon me for not sharing the excitement of Israeli officials. Sure, anti-Semitism is specifically mentioned, but so is Islamophobia. Can one honestly compare both the number and severity of cases of intolerance and violence motivated by anti-Semitism with those motivated by Islamophobia?
Furthermore, a great number of instances of intolerance and violence against Jews are perpetrated by Muslims!
Yes, the world has seen an increase in Islamophobia, but this has largely been the result of the actions of Islamic terrorists, who have shown their hatred for Judeo-Christian culture in the most violent ways possible. Anti-Semitism, on the other hand, needs no root cause. It has been around as long as the Jews, and while the haters can provide a plethora of justifications (whether it be Israel’s actions in the Middle East conflict or Jewish success), it is of a more visceral nature.
So while I do not believe that Jews have a monopoly on suffering and persecution, anti-Semitism is in a different category than Islamophobia, or even Christianophobia. For this reason, I can’t feel too excited about the UN resolution.
