# Why don't you ever see anti-semitic Middle Easterners hold up signs of Hitler? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130 "2003-01-02T01:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/1 "2003-01-02T01:36:55Z")
I know that being an anti-semite doesn’t necessarily infer support of Hitler or fascism, but why hasn’t there been at least SOME reference to Hitler’s ideals in Arab protests? ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/2 "2003-01-02T01:41:39Z")
I think because of the whole blue-eyed Ayran thing. Hitler/Nazi Germany was pretty much against other races, AFAIK. I believe in some of the propaganda, they referred to other races as subhuman. As such, I think the only people who are supporting Hitler are the crazy neo-nazi’s. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/3 "2003-01-02T01:42:52Z")
Arabs are semites, so they don’t tend to be anti-semitic. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/4 "2003-01-02T01:51:27Z")
Arab sentiment against Israel has nothing to do with race. It is purely political. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/5 "2003-01-02T01:51:50Z")
I had a feeling someone was gonna take me literally on that one. You know what I meant **Number**. Somehow I thought “Jew-Hating” lacked tact. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/6 "2003-01-02T01:59:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*Arabs are semites, so they don’t tend to be anti-semitic. \*\* Please, not this tired, old _incorrect_ argument again. From [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=anti-Semitic): > [@](#): > > Main Entry: an·ti-Sem·i·tism > Pronunciation: "an-ti-'se-m&-"ti-z&m, "an-"tI- > Function: noun > Date: 1882 > : hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group Haj ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/7 "2003-01-02T02:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*Arabs are semites, so they don’t tend to be anti-semitic. \*\* Please, not this tired, old _incorrect_ argument again. From [Merriam-Webster](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=anti-Semitic): > [@](#): > > Main Entry: an·ti-Sem·i·tism > Pronunciation: "an-ti-'se-m&-"ti-z&m, "an-"tI- > Function: noun > Date: 1882 > : hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group Haj ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/8 "2003-01-02T02:19:09Z")
According to a British biographer, Saddam was raised by an uncle who was an ardent Nazi. So, assuming this is true, then there are at least _some_ Arabs who are Nazi’s, or at least Nazi sympathizers. I would imagine that the reason you _don’t_ see any pictures of Hitler at anit-Jewish rallies is that the organizers of the protests are smart enough to know that the moment they allowed people to wave such things around, the weight of world opinion would immediately tilt against them. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/9 "2003-01-02T02:25:30Z")
The term may be most commonly used to refer to hatred of Jews, but it certainly applies to other Semite peoples as well. From Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc: > [@](#): > > antisemitism > > Anti-Semitism \An`ti-Sem"i*tism\, n. Opposition to, or hatred of, Semites, esp. Jews. -- An`ti-Sem"ite, n. – An`ti-Sem\*it"ic, a. [Semite](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=semite): > [@](#): > > 1. A member of a group of Semitic-speaking peoples of the Near East and northern Africa, including the Arabs, Arameans, Babylonians, Carthaginians, Ethiopians, Hebrews, and Phoenicians. > 2. A Jew. > 3. Bible. A descendant of Shem. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/10 "2003-01-02T02:41:57Z")
Yes, Semites are not limited to Jews but to several other groups as well. That’s irrelevant though. Antisemite by virtually all definitions refers to the hatred of Jews only. It may seem inconsistent, but that is what it means. You knew what the OP meant, right? Why play silly little semantic games? Haj ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/11 "2003-01-02T02:44:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > **You knew what the OP meant, right? Why play silly little semantic games?** What are you, anti-semantic or something? ;j ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/12 "2003-01-02T02:47:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*What are you, anti-semantic or something? \*\* Ugh! I should have seen that one coming. 😃 Haj ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/13 "2003-01-02T02:50:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meatros \* > \*\*I think because of the whole blue-eyed Ayran thing. Hitler/Nazi Germany was pretty much against other races, AFAIK. I believe in some of the propaganda, they referred to other races as subhuman. > As such, I think the only people who are supporting Hitler are the crazy neo-nazi’s. \*\* But the Nazis were rather ambiguous about who they defined as "Aryan (many Germans don’t even have blond hair and blue eyes. The did ally with the Japanese after all. Ex. The Nazis welcomed the [Grand Mufti of Jerusalem](http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/mufti.jpg) as an “Aryan ally”, somthing not forgotten by many Israelis. (The Grand Mufti was also related to Yasser Arafat’s family). Also the Nazis occupied parts of Arab North Africa in the early 1940’s, and probably treated the civilian Arabs far better than the civilian Poles or Russians. Also Hitler was quite interested in relations with Iran, Iraq and the Allies overthrew their governments as a result. There were and are open Nazi sympathizers in many places that many of us would not suspect. ---
**Author:** ![markdiscordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@markdiscordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdiscordia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/14 "2003-01-02T02:50:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Arab sentiment against Israel has nothing to do with race. It is purely political. I guess that explains all the Jew-bashing by Arab states. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/15 "2003-01-02T03:10:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuate \* > \*\*But the Nazis were rather ambiguous about who they defined as "Aryan (many Germans don’t even have blond hair and blue eyes. The did ally with the Japanese after all. > > Ex. The Nazis welcomed the [Grand Mufti of Jerusalem](http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/mufti.jpg) as an “Aryan ally”, somthing not forgotten by many Israelis. (The Grand Mufti was also related to Yasser Arafat’s family). Also the Nazis occupied parts of Arab North Africa in the early 1940’s, and probably treated the civilian Arabs far better than the civilian Poles or Russians. Also Hitler was quite interested in relations with Iran, Iraq and the Allies overthrew their governments as a result. > > There were and are open Nazi sympathizers in many places that many of us would not suspect. \*\* I agree that they were rather ambiguous about it, but the perception is probably what counts here. AFAIK the perception of Nazi’s and Hitler is “blond hair, blue eyed”, and because that’s the popular perception (once again AFAIK), that could be one of the reason’s there is no reference to Hitler in Arab anti-semitic protests. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/16 "2003-01-02T03:51:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\*I would imagine that the reason you _don’t_ see any pictures of Hitler at anit-Jewish rallies is that the organizers of the protests are smart enough to know that the moment they allowed people to wave such things around, the weight of world opinion would immediately tilt against them. \*\* That doesn’t seem to stop protestors from carrying around signs showing swastikas. Same thing, when you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/17 "2003-01-02T04:19:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elmwood \* > \*\*That doesn’t seem to stop protestors from carrying around signs showing swastikas. Same thing, when you think about it. \*\* I was referring to the types of protests that the OP was talking about. I’ve not seen any swastikas in those (then again, I’ve not paid much attention to Arab anti-Israeli protests, seen one hate-mongering mob, you’ve seen 'em all). I _have_ seen Neo-Nazi types waving posters of Adolf about. (One of the “joys” of living in Tennessee is that the Klan traces its origin to here and periodically has to inflict the local residents of the town that excreted it to a rally. Said residents are **not** amused by this.) ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-you-ever-see-anti-semitic-middle-easterners-hold-up-signs-of-hitler/146130/18 "2003-01-02T07:06:14Z")
You do very occasionly see nazi paraphenilia (e.g. nazi flags, etc.) at anti-Israel protests (though only in middle eastern countries) but there is no real connection between Arab anti-Israel sentiment and Nazism as the conflict is political, but racism (which in this case certainly cuts both ways) is always a product of a long and embittered conflict.