because arabs and muslims consider themselves to be semites
Indeed. I'm glad you are aware of that, but let's not be disingenuous, and pretend that whenever an accusation of being an 'anti-semite' is reared, that it is
ever referred to as slander/a smear against Arabs or Muslims. That is totally off the cuff, and you know it, Andreus. Muslims have been forced to create their own word -- "Islamophobia". Arabs, meanwhile, don't have a word of their own. They have to find another existing word or use a phrase like "defamation of Arabs" or "anti-Arab" or something.
If you are referring to anything that you feel is a slam against Jews or Israelis, then the word "anti-semitic" will do. In fact, even the ADL doesn't use the word "anti-zionist". And for once, I don't think this thread will give them any new ideas.
No government is, nor should be beyond criticism, especially when they institute an apartheid like policy. If I wanted to, I could say criticism of the policies of the nation of Zimbabwe is "pro-apartheid" or racist, but you know how that would come off as well.
There is already a word that is meant to intimidate legitimate critics of some of Israel's more outlandish policies and include them in with those who say hateful, stupid things like "Israel should be driven into the sea" or "Israel should be wiped off the map", who should rightfully be repudiated -- that word is "anti-semitic"; if only it was only used for those who deserve it -- the Stormfront or the David Duke types. The last major figure to say something like "Israel should be wiped off the map" would be the president of Iran, which is costing him support in his own country, which goes to say a lot about people who think that a majority of Iranians share his position. The word "anti-semitic" is frequently used to scare the political hell out of people, and that is simply sad. The hostile reaction to Jimmy Carter's book was another example of it. Once you call someone like Jimmy Carter "racist", then sorry, but I'm drawing the line. I won't let you or anyone else silence me by creating another such word like "anti-Zionist" that is simply meant to shut people up. It's the same kind of thing as if excoriating the right wing policies or assertions like the recent outlandish statement saying that gays should be changed in the womb is an "attack on Christians" or "attack on people's faith" or something.
Not even all Jews support zionism, so again, I'm going to draw the line and oppose this crap right here and now, Andreus.
By the way, last time I checked, no other country's
government had a specific word to describe 'slander' aimed at it, specifically. It's literally unheard of. I will never support any such mandate for any single government -- EVER. Government, by definition, has power, and power ALWAYS corrupts. I don't care if you are a government predominantly composed of Jewish legislators, Muslim legislators, or Christian legislators. If you think I haven't criticized Muslim or Christian governments, Western or Eastern governments, Democrats or Republicans or Greens or Libertarians or Constitutions, conservatives, moderates or liberals, gays, straights, or biffectionals, blacks or whites or Asians or Latinos or Native Americans, the rich or the poor, communists or socialists or capitalists (all who've been part of
governments throughout history), then you don't know much about me at all, but fortunately for you, I won't shy away from continuing to speak enough for you to get to know me simply because you deign to call me an 'anti-zionist' (I'm still not even clear of what that actually means, because I know you have not defined it correctly other than your personal interpretation of what the hell it's supposed to be mean, because at this point in time, that's what suits your own personal purposes; perhaps it would best for someone to define the word "zionist", sans prefix, before they presume to attach the 'anti' to it). At the very least I can respect you for having the guts to be honest about what you're doing, so I can totally tell you how what you are trying to do, basically intimdate me and preventing me from criticizing a pretty messed-up action of a *
government*, and somehow make it off-limits will not be tolerated by me. Originally, I was going to say ", nor by many others", but you might try to fill in the blanks and name who you mean by "many others" and try to misrepresent who I meant by "many others", so I decided to make it clear that speaking for myself is enough. It seems that the alleged "smears" are not one-sided in this debate.
Hope that wasn't too 'coy' for you.
