Is it wrong to criticize anti-Semitism while simultaneously criticizing Jews?

In the continuing exchange between Boris S. and me on Takuan Seiyo’s article on Jews and anti-Semitism, Boris writes:

I can see that our disagreement on the extent of negative Jewish influence on American culture is deep. But regardless of one’s view on this, there is no reason why anti-Semitism can’t be criticized without the “evenhandedness” of invoking supposed Jewish misdeeds in the same breath. I believe the two issues should be discussed separately. Antisemitism is simply wrong, period. Indeed, linking the two issues creates the impression, fair or not, that the real purpose of Seiyo’s and similar arguments is to protect Jews from antisemitism by persuading them to change their behavior. This is misguided, since antisemitism is fundamentally an irrational phenomenon that has existed, and will almost certainly go on for a long time, regardless of actual Jewish behavior.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 15, 2009 09:31 AM | Send