Dear David G.,

Referring to Mr. Singer, you wrote:

<<This is because he is a religious fanatic and nothing deters him, especially the truth.>>

Just as Mr. Singer's words, consciously or otherwise, tend to divert the justified anger against the Israeli government into anger against Jews in general (otherwise called 'anti-Semitism'), so do your above words tend, consciously or otherwise, to divert the justified anger against Mr. Singer into anger against all religious people.

I beg you not to repeat his mistake!

The above statement is wrong on three accounts:

1. Judaism is not a religion, it could better be described as a national/tribalist-movement. The reason Judaism is mistakenly thought of as a 'religion', is that it tactically and incidentally uses a set of stories and laws that look LIKE a religion, but used for the purpose of keeping the Jewish people secluded and not prone to assimilation with other nations. Jews as a group (there are always individual exceptions of course) have no interest in God per-se: they only like to praise God so long as He seems to serve their national interests.

2. Truthfulness is a religious principle - truly religious people seek the truth, they are not afraid or shy of the truth.

3. Even if Judaism were a religion, Mr. Singer does not follow it, as he comments here on the Sabbath, contrary to Jewish law.

In conclusion, David, you may call Singer a 'nationalistic fanatic' or a 'lawyer' or a 'racist' or a host of other derogatory names, but 'religious fanatic' should not be among them. Surely it was not your intention to implicate the Dalai Lama (for example) in Singer's behaviour.

csteele,

I agree with your comments. Unfortunately, members of minorities glibly use terms such as " Jew hater", "anti-Semitic", "racist" and "Islamophobe", the result is devaluation by years of misuse.

Many years ago I encountered some real Jew Haters, former members of the Nazi war machine ( one was a veteran of Stalingrad) I haven't forgotten.
Anyone who attempts to equate criticism of Israel and real anti-Semitism really needs a lesson in ethics.

Dear Yuyutsu, thanks for the following excellent observation: "Jews as a group (there are always individual exceptions of course) have no interest in God per-se: they only like to praise God so long as He seems to serve their national interests."

Your observation could apply equally well to the Americans too and several of their Allies!

Take care!

Yuyutsu,
An excellent post!! The best yet of this thread!
The first point you make is exactly why Jews have attracted so much criticism/hate over the millennia. They can't help themselves (there are always individual exceptions of course). Singer included. The inference that someone criticising Jews automatically is a Nazi is getting old. For the most part, Jews have once again overplayed their hand. Passive aggressive or lately just plain aggressive will ultimately have its consequences. Within the next generation or two, Jews will once again become a persecuted race as societies begin to resist being bled from within.
Funny how everyone must immediately cower in the corner for fear of being labelled a "Jew Hater", but Jews don't seem to stop and wonder why they attract so much fire. But then again, 'there are always individual exceptions of course'.

p.s. My hands are up Singer!

David G and Yuyutsu, your views as expressed are as gross and simplistic as Mr Singer's dichotomous criterion for identifying "Jew-haters". I wouldn't go so far as to call either of you antisemitic, but I would call you shamefully ignorant of the current of Judaic faith and its place in our European heritage.

You do yourselves no credit by conflating the goals and methods of opportunistic politicians (and others acting for an expansionist, paranoiac government), with the motives of ordinary people whose lives centre around a particular religion.

And here's another item worth reading:

London review of Books
6 December 2012
Why Israel Didn’t Win
Adam Shatz

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n23/adam-shatz/why-israel-didnt-win

David
your arguments are becoming more and more raving by the post.

David the pan-arab world of the socialist dicatotors no longer exists. Nor does the desire not to be recognised as arab by the again independant peoples, non arab peoples, of Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, soon Syria, Jordan nor Iraq. Iranians and Turks have always been Turks and Persians.

The only true arabs are Saudi Arabian arabs and perhaps a few of their descendants who migrated throughout the region and spread arabic language anmd arabic religion to the indigenous peoples of that region during the Arab colonisation (English colonisation parallel)of the region more than 10 centuries ago.

Just because middle eastern people speak arabic and adhere to a religion of Arabic origins doesn't make them or their traditional cultures arab any more than english speaking Australians and adhereing to Anglicanism would make an Australian and his culture English ...

Your whole premise is devoid of logic ... something we westerners adopted and use from our fabulously rich and diverse greek heritage.