Criticism of Israel is not anti-semitic?

I just want to make clear that this thread does not involve any discussion of the Israel/Palestine conflict, it is a meta-thread about the conduct of the debate.

I have heard countless times pro-Palestine advocates make the claim that Israel advocates call anyone who disagrees with them anti-semitic. I have heard it so many times that it is seared into perception of the debate.

And yet, I have never actually heard a pro-Israeli advocate make that claim. I can't remember a single instance where a pro-Israeli advocate has said that criticising Israel is axiomatically and inherently anti-semitic.

The fact the pro-Palestine crowd repeatedly and unbidden raise this claim that itself appears to attempt to confuse semitism and Zionism raises legitimate questions, I feel, about the true nature of their objection to the Israeli government. Why do they feel the need to keep raising this issue, without prompting? You can set your watch by the guarantee that every I/P debate someone on the pro-Palestine side will make a complaint that criticism of Israel is not the same as anti-semitism, despite the fact that charge is one I've never seen made.

The repeated raising of this charge is propagandistic in nature. It suggests a level of disingenuosness and determination to slander the pro-Israeli side by claiming they conflated anti-Israeli sentiment and anti-semitism in a way I've not once actually seen happen

What is a Semite? Could arabs also be considered to be Semite?

I just want to make clear that this thread does not involve any discussion of the Israel/Palestine conflict, it is a meta-thread about the conduct of the debate.

I have heard countless times pro-Palestine advocates make the claim that Israel advocates call anyone who disagrees with them anti-semitic. I have heard it so many times that it is seared into perception of the debate.

And yet, I have never actually heard a pro-Israeli advocate make that claim. I can't remember a single instance where a pro-Israeli advocate has said that criticising Israel is axiomatically and inherently anti-semitic.

The fact the pro-Palestine crowd repeatedly and unbidden raise this claim that itself appears to attempt to confuse semitism and Zionism raises legitimate questions, I feel, about the true nature of their objection to the Israeli government. Why do they feel the need to keep raising this issue, without prompting? You can set your watch by the guarantee that every I/P debate someone on the pro-Palestine side will make a complaint that criticism of Israel is not the same as anti-semitism, despite the fact that charge is one I've never seen made.

The repeated raising of this charge is propagandistic in nature. It suggests a level of disingenuosness and determination to slander the pro-Israeli side by claiming they conflated anti-Israeli sentiment and anti-semitism in a way I've not once actually seen happen

The dictionary definition of semitic is of or pertaining to Judaism or Jewish people. Do you understand what anti-semitic means or would you like me to help you out?

Underlying this is, I suspect, your belief that there is no such thing as anti-semitism

Oh I've seen this happen. I criticised Israel, on a news site (Israelipost I think it was as well), and I got loads of people calling me an anti-semite

Only partially true:

Jews AND Arabs

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Semite

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Semitic

Can you provide screenshots of people saying that any and all criticism of Israel is inherently and axiomatically anti-semitic?

It is interesting to me that while I've never seen anyone on the pro-Israel side claim that criticism of Israel is automatically anti-semitic, I have heard the endless complaints of the anti-Israel advocates.

Why is there such a complete mismatch between the degree to which the pro-Palestine advocates make the claim and the degree to which the claim is actually made?

The meaning of anti-semitic has been quite firm. Do you have a quibble with the meaning of anti-semitic?

It's interesting to me when the issue is raised pro-Palestine advocates often try to claim there is no such thing as anti-semitism, or that anti-semitism actually means anti-Jewish and anti-Arab and therefore there is no such thing as anti-Jewish prejudices. They play sophistic word games to avoid an actual discussion of anti-Jewish sentiment (under whatever name you want to use)

The dictionary definition of semitic is of or pertaining to Judaism or Jewish people. Do you understand what anti-semitic means or would you like me to help you out?

Underlying this is, I suspect, your belief that there is no such thing as anti-semitism

Antisemitism does exist but what the problem with criticising Israel if they are in the wrong?

X

X

Yes I do. It's clear that you're just looking to push the "Im Pro Israel and Im right" stance

http://www.adl.org/israel-international/israel-middle-east/content/AG/inaccuracy-israel-critics-anti-semites.html
(Naturally, the ADL doesn't discuss the defamatory nature of deeming someone anti-Semitic unfairly, but rather lends credence to such name calling)

Not at all. I'm deeply critical of Israel and its policy in the West Bank, I believe Israel is deeply misguided and has even crossed the line into criminality in some of its actions. I also believe the Palestinian organisations have engaged in criminal and terroristic acts, both against Israelis and against their own citizens

Then again, I come at my criticism of Israel from a non anti-semitic view, something that cannot be said for many critics of Israel. And I don't believe critics of Israel are immune from being questioned on anti-semitism simply because they are a critic of Israel.

Do you or do you not deny that anti-semitism exists and means anti-Jewish prejudice?

The dictionary definition of semitic is of or pertaining to Judaism or Jewish people.