Judith Butler, The Charge of Anti-Semitism

Korrin Alpers
LITCS 114
Bldg. 494, room 160B
23 February 2016

Key Terms

Zionism
a nationalist and political movement of Jews and Jewish culture that supports the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland in the territory defined as the historic Land of Israel (roughly corresponding to Palestine, Canaan or the Holy Land). Zionism emerged in the late 19th century in central and eastern Europe as a national revival movement, called Hovevei Tziyon. 1
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-Semitism or anti-semitism)
is prejudice against, hatred of, or discrimination against Jews as an ethnic, religious, or racial group.A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is widely considered to be a form of racism. 2
Divestment
in finance and economics, divestment or divestiture is the reduction of some kind of asset for financial, ethical, or political objectives or sale of an existing business by a firm. A divestment is the opposite of an investment. 3
Disinvestment (or Divestment) from Israel
a campaign conducted by religious and political entities which aims to use disinvestment to pressure the government of Israel to put "an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories captured during the 1967 military campaign." The disinvestment campaign is related to other economic and political boycotts of Israel. 4

Summary

In this piece, Judith Butler carefully examines a speech given by Lawrence Summers, then-President of Harvard University, and the ways in which he links Israel and Jewish people together, effectively restricting academic freedom. Butler exposes how Summers indirectly allows and promotes censorship of any critique of Israel as a state, instilling a fear of being charged as an anti-Semite. As a figurehead of academia, Summers sets a standard of how discourse should be designed concerning Israel, and deems any criticism as inherently anti-semitic. Butler focuses heavily on the Jewish effort in criticizing Israel, and the need to speak despite the fear of accusations of being an anti-Semite.

The quote in question: Profoundly anti-Israel views are increasingly finding support in progressive intellectual communities. Serious and thoughtful people are advocating and taking actions that are anti-semitic in their effect if not their intent.

A Breakdown of Butler’s Analysis

Effective vs. Intentional Anti-Semitism

  1. Effective anti-Semitism
    1. Utterances or constructions of utterances that can be deemed anti-Semitic, whether that is not the intention or beliefs of the speaker. (104)
      1. Assumes there will be listeners and context which will decide if criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic. (104)
        1. What contexts? What worlds?
      2. Models said listener, especially as an academic authority (107)
        1. Recommends interpretation of criticisms (108)
      3. Assumes there are hidden claims to be uncovered. (105)
        1. Any criticism of Israel is simply a cloak hiding hatred for Jewish people. (105)
          1. Then there’s absolutely no need for intentional anti-Semitism, since any criticism, whether intentional or not, is anti-Semitic. (105)
        2. The intention of speech does not belong to the speaker, but to the listener (106).
      4. Relies on the full and seamless identification of the Jewish people with the state of Israel –– not only within others’ perception of Jewish people, but also in the self identification of Jewish people themselves (111)
        1. These identities are inseparable (112)
        2. Links Zionism with Jews, which is exactly what anti-Semitic arguments do (125)
        3. Implies that any criticism is anti-Israel and therefore challenges Israel’s right to exist (111)
          1. Butler argues with this claim, but acknowledges that one assumption could possibly lead to the next, but does not always do so (111)
            1. If challenging Israel challenges its right to exist, and therefore the right for Jewish people to exist, this would Israel can then not respond to criticism or change, and a radically democratic Israel would be bad for Jewish people or Jewishness (112)
            2. This would mean that criticism is not a Jewish value, which goes against Jewish tradition and Jewish opposition to injustice and violence which has been historically present long before an established Israel state (112)
        4. What about Jewish people who do not identify with the state of Israel? Who are suspicious of Israeli violences, or unsure of beliefs? Those who criticize Israel among select groups? Not every single Jewish person identifies with Summers’s presumed Jewish identity (113)
        5. What should Butler do as someone critical of Israel?
  2. Examples of what Summers believes to be effectively anti-Semitic: European boycotts from Israel, anti-globalization rallies in which criticism of Israel were voiced, and fund-raising efforts for organizations with questionable political provenance (102)
    1. Summers main concern was actually a divestment petition proposed by MIT and Harvard Professors who oppose and criticize Israeli occupation and treatment of Palestinians (102)
    2. Summers wants to know why Israel is being singled out
      1. singled out = anti-Semitism
    3. Summers does call for certain actions and policies should be vigorously challenged, yet doesn’t allow room for open discussion or criticism by creating a fear of being marked as an anti-Semite.
      1. Distances himself from overt censorship, yet does not allow for criticism by creating a tense atmosphere where any opposition could and should be charged as anti-Semitic. (106)
    4. Summers does not actually explain or provide evidence that divestment is anti-Semitic, yet by instilling that charge, no one feel comfortable to object (110)
  1. Intentional Anti-Semitism
    1. Expressing hatred for Jewish people
    2. Nazi party, burning of synagogues, persecution of Jewish people, etc.
      1. Butler very much agrees with bringing forth examples of any outright or underlying anti-Semitism, and calls for other progressive Jewish people to as well.
  2. Criticism Used to Express Anti-Semitic Beliefs
    1. Butler acknowledges there is a risk that people could take up criticism of Israel and use to it to fuel devaluation of Jewish people and Israel.
      1. Again, assumes any criticism of Israel, whether intended or not to be anti-Semitic, gives power to the listener to misconstrue the language and decide the intention. (107)

Jewish People as Presumptive Victims

  1. Butler states that by following Summers’s perception and discussion surrounding Jewish people and Israel, Jewish people can now only be seen and discussed as presumptive victims, and cannot be understood otherwise. (103)
  2. Jewish people cannot monopolize the term victim
  3. It should be transposable, and should apply to when both Jewish people and Palestinians are attacked
    1. Political ethics cannot occur without this. (103)
    2. The public sphere needs to be a place in which both usages of victim can be understood and challenged, in order to have justice. (103)

Jewish Fear of Being Labeled as Anti-Semitic

  1. Jewish people fear criticizing Israeli violence in fear of being called an anti-Semite – ethically and politically unbearable (103)
    1. Reminiscent of Jewish collaborators with the Nazi party
    2. Claims that by taking Jewish suffering and learning, Jewish people can preserve the sanctity of life and end suffering. (104)
  2. Butler calls for the separation of Israel as a state and Jewish people, and how they are linked in synonymous in discourse and understanding. (107)
  3. Israeli violence will continue to go on without protest, simply in fear of the charge of anti-Semitism (110)
  4. However, Butler does not want anti-Semitism to be taken lightly, or to be ignored when discussing Israeli occupation and policies. It is still prevalent, yet should not dictate how or when we criticize Israel. (110)
  5. Daniel Pipes, Campus Watch
    1. Neo-McCarthyism (121)
    2. Produced a list of professors and scholars in Middle Eastern Studies in universities who are critical of Israel, and therefore assumed to be anti-Semitic
      1. Satirical response from Butler and numerous other critics of Israel, complaining they were not featured on the list
      2. Issue of Pro Palestine vs Pro Israel
        1. It’s far more complicated
  6. Butler calls for other Jewish people to openly discuss Israel, its tactics and treatment of Palestinians, and any criticisms.
    1. She asks to be aware of anti-Semitic remarks (125-127)
      1. Such as complaints Jewish newspapers
    2. Don’t be afraid of anti-Semitic charge (125-127)

End Notes

  1. Wikipedia, 2016. Zionism. Accessed February 20 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionism. [ ↩ ]
  2. Wikipedia, 2016. Antisemitism. Accessed February 20 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism. [ ↩ ]
  3. Wikipedia, 2016. Divestment. Accessed February 20 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divestment. [ ↩ ]
  4. Wikipedia, 2016. Disinvestment From Israel. Accessed February 20 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinvestment_from_Israel. [ ↩ ]