From Ambivalence to Betrayal: The Left, the Jews, and Israel

From Ambivalence to Betrayal: Left, Jews, and Israel, by Robert Wistrich, University Of Nebraska Press, 2012. 625 pp.Reviewed by Manfred GerstenfeldHistorian Robert Wistrich, who holds Neuberger Chair for Modern European and History at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is head of Vidal Sassoon International Center for Study of Anti-Semitism, publishes prolifically. His recent books include Lethal Obsession, which analyzes contemporary anti-Semitism in broadest sense of word1 and book in German on Muslim anti-Semitism in which he identifies its similarities between with Nazi anti-Semitism.2Wistrich's newest book, From Ambivalence to Betrayal: Lefi, Jews, and Israel, is another tour deforce of scholarship. Its beautifully crafted chapters stand as essays in their own right. book provides fascinating analysis of evolution of views of extreme left and social democrats on what has become known as Jewish Question.Opening in nineteenth century, Wistrich treats long period. This breadth of view enables reader to see left-wing anti-Semitic motifs that in recent decades have re-emerged in various permutations. For example, approximately one hundred years before United Nations would adopt its infamous is Racism motion in 1975, Karl Kautsky, leading theoretician of German Social Democrats, branded Zionism as racist (308).KREISKY, AN ARCHETYPE OF JEWISH SELF-LOATHINGThe last quarter of book, upon which we will focus, deals with issues relating to post-Second World War period. Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky, about whom Wistrich published earlier study, is described as quintessential left-wing, self-hating Jew. Interestingly, Kreisky claimed that he experienced no anti-Semitism in his youth, claim that seems highly improbable in view of events in Austria during pre-Second World War period.Wistrich writes that Kreisky was, the one Jew who could grant Gentile Austrians full exculpation from latent sense of guilt over their prominent role in Holocaust. Kreisky did this in several ways. He ruthlessly attacked Simon Wiesenthal, whom he branded a dangerous reactionary. He also said If Jews are people, then they are ugly people. (496) Kreisky pioneer in slandering of Israel as semi-fascist and apartheid state. In his view, Israel undemocratic, clerical and militarist. (480)Contemporary anti-Semites find Kreisky-type Jew quite useful in insulating themselves from criticism, as they can point to Jews who share their opinions. Elhanan Yakira in his book Post-Zionism, Post-Holocaust: Three Essays on Denial, Forgetting, and Delegitimation of Israel, addressed related issue. Post-Zionist Jews-in fact, anti-Zionist Jews-demonize Israel. In this way they become members of an intellectual community of similar-minded distorters. Yakira adds that, The best way to advance internationally in academic circles is to be part of system. One is then frequently invited abroad and gets published, even if one's work has no significant substance.3The Kreisky-type approach does not always work well, even if one is more extreme anti-Zionist. This is particularly true in context of dictatorships. Rudolf Slansky, former Czech Communist leader and main figure in Prague show trial of 1952, accused there of Zionism. Wistrich notes that he was sworn enemy of Israel and whole Zionist enterprise, who had blocked sale of heavy weapons to state after 1948. There were other extreme anti-Zionists among majority of accused in trial. They were forced to confess in classic Communist style that they were bourgeois nationalist Jews.(450)ANTI-SEMITISM EMBEDDED IN BRITISH CULTUREThe author, who raised in England and has elsewhere dealt with problem of English anti-Semitism,4 entitles one chapter Great Britain: A Suitable Case for Treatment ? …