# Does disagreeing with some of the policies of the gov't of Israel make me antiSemitic

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-disagreeing-with-some-of-the-policies-of-the-govt-of-israel-make-me-antisemitic/82620>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [September 19, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-disagreeing-with-some-of-the-policies-of-the-govt-of-israel-make-me-antisemitic/82620 "2001-09-19T16:57:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-disagreeing-with-some-of-the-policies-of-the-govt-of-israel-make-me-antisemitic/82620/21 "2001-09-20T19:51:42Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by bagkitty \*\*\*  
> 3) Once the term “anti-semitic” gets thrown into the fray, it is almost impossible to get back on a rational track. An example: in GD there is a thread about whether or not Zionism is racism. Now, were I to enter that particular argument by pointing out that the “Law of Return” is an essentially racist law, I would in all likelihood be accused of being anti-semitic. Even if I went to great length to point out that what is offensive about the law of return is also common to the immigration laws of many European countries (Germany being the best example: the children of the so-called guest workers cannot become citizens, but 7th and 8th generation descendants of the Volga Germans have the automatic right to German citizenship) it is the accusation of anti-semitism that is going to be the basis of what follows rather than the contention that a racist immigration policy is a racist immigration policy._\*

As far as I have heard hte right of return was dictated by the UN as a stipulation for the creation of a Jewish state, and many Israelis are in fact opposed to it and trying to change it, for the very reason you mentioned.

Erek

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**Author:** ![Mersavets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@Mersavets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mersavets)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-disagreeing-with-some-of-the-policies-of-the-govt-of-israel-make-me-antisemitic/82620/22 "2001-09-21T11:31:31Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by LaurAnge \*  
> \*\*There’s a problem with your analogy, too.
> 
> If you live in America, you are American. If you are American, you live in America. It doesn’t work the same way for “Israel” and “Jewish”. \*\*

Hardly. Sorry about being pedantic (but it’s cheap fun ;)). My brother in-law lives in America but isn’t American. And my politics tutor is American but lives in Australia.li

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**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-disagreeing-with-some-of-the-policies-of-the-govt-of-israel-make-me-antisemitic/82620/23 "2001-09-21T11:33:25Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by mswas \*  
> \*\*As far as I have heard hte right of return was dictated by the UN as a stipulation for the creation of a Jewish state, and many Israelis are in fact opposed to it and trying to change it, for the very reason you mentioned.
> 
> Erek \*\*

Okay, this is the pit, I can be honest **What the fuck is wrong with you?** I have never heard a load of crap like this is my life… and I have heard some whoppers. Not even the most single-minded apologist for the negative aspects of Zionism would try to pass the law of return off as something forced on Israel by the United Nations. Someone better inform Cecil that the battle against ignorance is going the wrong way.

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