When people are mad at other people, it’s because they’ve been wronged. That’s where anger comes from. This is a universal principle in human relations. This is how humans work.
In just about all human conflicts, both sides hurt each other, both sides contribute to the generating of the conflict, and both sides carry fault.
This applies to individuals, and it applies to collectives, too — such as nations, tribes, religions, and peoples.
If this were not true of the Jewish People, then the Jewish People are a magical unicorn to whom the rules of human psychology do not apply. Superior beings, unburdened by normal human foibles.
And that proposition is quite obviously absurd. Jewish people are humans, and come with all of the same basic traits as all other humans — including the disposition to generating conflict.
This is true of everyone, and it’s true of Jewish people.
And the practice of conflict resolution — (you know, that thing we want to achieve, vis-à-vis the Jews and the Gentiles, so that everyone can live in peace and Jews can be safe) — involves each side introspecting to figure out how they’ve contributed to generating that conflict.
Introspection is not antisemitic.
And Gentiles have been doing this work for decades.
They’ve learned about the pogroms. They’ve learned about the expulsions. The discrimination. The riots. The H-word.
They’ve learned about the bad things Gentiles have done to Jews. It’s been taught extensively, in the school curricula, the textbooks, the museums, the talk shows, and the Hollywood movies. The world has been having this half of the conversation, for decades.
Now it’s time for Jewish people to do the same.
If Jewish people deserve the same rights as everyone else, then Jewish people also have the same responsibilities as everyone else. And one of those responsibilities is to practice conflict resolution.
And conflict resolution requires introspection on one’s own role in generating one’s conflicts.
Therefore, Jews have a duty — just like everyone else — to introspect on their own potential role in generating their conflicts with other peoples, and to listen to those other peoples.
And the first step in conflict resolution is to listen to your adversary.
And the thing your adversary is going to immediately want to tell you, as soon as you start listening, is their reason for being adversarial, and all the things you’ve done to them that have caused them to arrive at that disposition toward you. They’re going to tell you their grievances.
Gentiles have given space to learn about Jewish grievances, for decades. So now it’s the Gentiles’ turn, and it’s time for Jews to hear their grievances about Jewry. It’s time to discuss the other side of what’s generating the conflict.
The first step in healing a relationship is for both parties to open themselves to communication with the other, and to listen. And by listening, to hear the other’s grievances. And in so hearing, to examine the possibility of oneself having acted in error. This is the basic humility that defines all healthy ability to relate interpersonally.
But Jewish consciousness has thus far taken an inimical attitude toward this concept, and written off the very idea of introspection as “antisemitic.” The mere suggestion of Jewry having played a part in the deterioration of the world’s relationship toward it, or having done anything warranting legitimate animosity from the world — this mere suggestion provokes anger, indignation, and accusations of bigotry.
This needs to stop. It’s what’s making the problem intractable, and putting Jewish people in increasing danger. The refusal to introspect is what causes conflicts to continue to escalate.
Jews want the same rights and dignity as everyone else — and that’s perfectly reasonable — but it means you also must accept the same duties and responsibilities as everyone else — and that includes the duty to introspect on your own role in generating the conflicts in which you find yourselves.
Introspection is healthy. All people, all groups, and all nations, should be willing to open themselves to criticism — including about how they themselves contributed to the conflicts in which they find themselves. Nobody likes to hear that they’re part of the problem — but this is, nevertheless, what healthy, mature people do, on a regular basis.
Jews should do this, too. The collective consciousness of the Jewish people should do this. And the faster this becomes habit, the faster we can create an understanding between peoples, and defuse the tension, prevent conflict, and keep everybody safe and happy.
So what is it, then? What does cause antisemitism?