Must Jews always see themselves as victims?

Surely this can't be a healthy state of mind?

If Jews continue to define themselves by past
persecutions, by their victimhood - will they
ever really fit into any society worldwide or
will they continue to -
create the image of being "the other?"
The poor victim?

I'm not suggesting that they forget their history.
Or ignore anti-Semitism. But there is more than
just a dark side to Jewish history.

There is much
joy, and tradition that also needs to be taught
and recognized. Not just have the emphasis placed
on past persecutions.

Emphasis should also be taught on positive achievements
and accomplishments world wide.

By all means tackling ant-Semitism is important.
But so is positivity - and being valued as citizens
of the countries in which one resides.

Victimhood after a while must get exhausting.

http://jewishedproject.org/news/always-victim

Well, they are victims, and have always been the victims of unhinged hatred. And they are hardly going to ‘forget’ their history when it continues to extend into the here and now. Anti-Semitism is as strong now as it ever was. Jews are certainly “always the victim”. And it is nothing new for anti-Semites to blame them for their own persecution!

We hear a lot about ‘blaming the victim’ from the Left; but it's OK for them to blame Jews for the hatred they are subjected to.

After all those historical pogroms I suppose that it is not
unreasonable to consider yourself a victim when you see it again.
The result is a no nonsense defence policy.
When Islam was started they adopted the Jews as an enemy and someone
who had to be killed. They built a hatred of Jews into the Koran and
made it blasphemy to change a word on pain of death.
So we are stuck with it while ever Islam exists.
Foxy, it really is as simple as that !

Bezza

Good points. It would be a very peculiar Jew who didn't feel that he had to be looking over his shoulder constantly - even in Australia, given the comments and behaviour that has oozed up here since multiculturalism and the increasing radicalisation of the Left.

Hi Bezza,

Historically there were genocides and those have been
historically attested. However they should not be presented
as a false image that this is an ever present danger and
everywhere.

Also, I don't think it is victimization when you are being
held accountable for your actions.

Foxy,

The problem is not that the Israelis are victims of Hamas atrocities, it is because they have taken action to stop this from happening again and the Gazan militants who committed these atrocities are now hiding behind women and children and claiming to be victimised.