Comments on: Antisemitic Tropes in Austria’s Top-Selling Daily http://blog.z-word.com/2009/01/antisemitic-tropes-in-austrias-top-selling-daily/ Commentary about Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the conflict in the Middle East Tue, 22 May 2012 15:33:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC1.1 By: David http://blog.z-word.com/2009/01/antisemitic-tropes-in-austrias-top-selling-daily/#comment-3456 David Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:54:28 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=961#comment-3456 Karl, Thanks for your cordial reply. I understand what you are saying, and I am European myself so I am familiar with the ideas many Europeans have about the USA and the way they look down their noses at how "backwards" Americans are (as if any person of color could ever get elected to the highest office in any European country, especially the ones where 15%+ of the electorate still vote for fascists or neo-Nazis, like France and Austria). If it weren't for its origins and the text accompanying the original, would you still consider the cartoon anti-Semitic? Karl,

Thanks for your cordial reply. I understand what you are saying, and I am European myself so I am familiar with the ideas many Europeans have about the USA and the way they look down their noses at how “backwards” Americans are (as if any person of color could ever get elected to the highest office in any European country, especially the ones where 15%+ of the electorate still vote for fascists or neo-Nazis, like France and Austria).

If it weren’t for its origins and the text accompanying the original, would you still consider the cartoon anti-Semitic?

]]> By: Karl Pfeifer http://blog.z-word.com/2009/01/antisemitic-tropes-in-austrias-top-selling-daily/#comment-3448 Karl Pfeifer Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:55:51 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=961#comment-3448 The cartoon can be only seen in the actual Austrian context. The cartoon was copy pasted from a 9/11 truther website and the text suggest 1) That Barack Obama is in the hand of Israel. This is an old Austrian antisemitic topic. During the election campaign of Kurt Waldheim they even found a code word for American Jews: "East Coast", as if all the American Jews would be living there. In popular opinion here Jews were shown either as ruling America or as a group without any influence. The truth is as usual in the middle. 2) Antisemitism goes in Austria (and Germany) often together with Antiamericanism. Most Austrian Antiamericans never have been to the USA, they have no idea about America. They believe that Americans are morons without culture. Showing Obama with the badge of another country as a man who is just doing what a group of conspirers order is deeply anti-American. It applies to the antiamerican prejudices by showing the president of the USA as a puppet doing what others wish him to do. This has no basis in reality. 3) The United States do have interests as other states and the existence of Israel is in the interest of the USA. And that view is shared by a majority of Americans. Yes I consider this cartoon as antisemitic and anti-American. The cartoon can be only seen in the actual Austrian context.
The cartoon was copy pasted from a 9/11 truther website and the text suggest
1) That Barack Obama is in the hand of Israel.
This is an old Austrian antisemitic topic. During the election campaign of Kurt Waldheim they even found a code word for American Jews: “East Coast”, as if all the American Jews would be living there. In popular opinion here Jews were shown either as ruling America or as a group without any influence. The truth is as usual in the middle.
2) Antisemitism goes in Austria (and Germany) often together with Antiamericanism. Most Austrian Antiamericans never have been to the USA, they have no idea about America. They believe that Americans are morons without culture. Showing Obama with the badge of another country as a man who is just doing what a group of conspirers order is deeply anti-American. It applies to the antiamerican prejudices by showing the president of the USA as a puppet doing what others wish him to do. This has no basis in reality.
3) The United States do have interests as other states and the existence of Israel is in the interest of the USA. And that view is shared by a majority of Americans.
Yes I consider this cartoon as antisemitic and anti-American.

]]> By: David http://blog.z-word.com/2009/01/antisemitic-tropes-in-austrias-top-selling-daily/#comment-3447 David Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:24:17 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=961#comment-3447 Karl, I am curious how where you would draw a line here. For example, could this "cartoon" not just be interpreted to be commenting that America under Obama will just essentially pursue the same policies as before. And that would include support for Israel, perhaps even prominently figuring among all the other policies that will continue largely unchanged (according to the cartoonist). How is saying that the same as saying Jews control the world? Could it not just be saying that Obama will continue a policy the cartoonist finds particularly wrong-headed? And it is Obama's lapel button of the Israel flag and Lieberman's prominently-featured tie that imply the cartoonist's special disagreement with this policy, although not exclusively this policy. I think it's could be antisemitic, but I think I would be more careful in making this claim without more to go on... I see 3 Jews out of 12 people in this picture, and I see 2 Israeli flags. I'd say the jury is still out, as close to the line as we may feel this. Karl, I am curious how where you would draw a line here. For example, could this “cartoon” not just be interpreted to be commenting that America under Obama will just essentially pursue the same policies as before. And that would include support for Israel, perhaps even prominently figuring among all the other policies that will continue largely unchanged (according to the cartoonist).

How is saying that the same as saying Jews control the world? Could it not just be saying that Obama will continue a policy the cartoonist finds particularly wrong-headed? And it is Obama’s lapel button of the Israel flag and Lieberman’s prominently-featured tie that imply the cartoonist’s special disagreement with this policy, although not exclusively this policy.

I think it’s could be antisemitic, but I think I would be more careful in making this claim without more to go on…

I see 3 Jews out of 12 people in this picture, and I see 2 Israeli flags. I’d say the jury is still out, as close to the line as we may feel this.

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