Why Don’t Jews Condemn Anti-Semitism in Turkey?
Harut Sassounian

dont-jews-condemn-anti-semitism-in-turkey/
Jul 28th, 2009

Rifat Bali, a Jewish scholar and a native of Istanbul, has been
investigating anti-Semitism in Turkey for many years. He has authored
several books and articles on the history of Turkish Jews. His
most recent book, "The Jews of Turkey and the Armenian Genocide,"
is a monumental work that documents how the Turkish government
pressured not only Turkish Jews, but also the Israeli government
and American-Jewish organizations, to lobby against congressional
resolutions on the Armenian Genocide.

Turkey’s blackmail of Jews in and out of Turkey is not news to
our readers. Neither is the fact that there has been widespread
anti-Semitism in Turkey for decades, if not centuries. In a lengthy
article published in July by the Institute for Global Jewish Affairs
in Jerusalem, Mr. Bali meticulously documents the fact that such
racist attitudes are held by practically the entire spectrum of
Turkish society.

In his article, "Present-day Anti-Semitism in Turkey," Mr. Bali
summarizes his analysis in four key points: "Turkish intellectuals
have always taken a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli stance. Islamists
associate the ‘Palestine question’ with alleged Jewish involvement
in the rise of Turkish secularism. Leftists see Israel as an
imperialist state and an extension of American hegemony in the Middle
East. Comparable themes are found among nationalist intellectuals.

"Turkish reactions to Israel’s 2006 war in Lebanon and 2009 war in
Gaza often spilled over into anti-Semitism. Newspaper columnists,
some of them academics, belonging to the various ideological streams
helped fan popular sentiment against Israel and Jews. Israel was said
to be exploiting Holocaust guilt and the services of the ‘American
Jewish lobby’ to further its own nefarious aims.

"Turkish approaches to the ‘Palestine question’ rarely venture outside
the cliches of Turkish popular culture. Turkish publishing houses
providing translated works on the issue are careful not to run afoul
of popular sentiment. The net result is that both Turkish columnists
and their readers utilize only limited sources on the conflict that
are preponderantly anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic.

"Any attempt by the Turkish Jewish leadership to confront Turkish
society on combating anti-Semitism is likely to backfire and even
further exacerbate the problem. Given this reality, the only options
left for Turkey’s Jewish community are to either continue living in
Turkey amid widespread anti-Semitism or to emigrate."

Mr. Bali documents his assertions by quoting from dozens of
anti-Semitic statements published in various Turkish newspapers in
recent years. Here are some examples:

Toktamis Ates, professor of political science at Istanbul and Istanbul
Bilgi universities, newspaper columnist, and a prominent intellectual
who frequently appears on TV, described Jews as "the first and most
racist people in history." (Bugun, July 20, 2006).

Ayhan Demir, a commentator for the Islamist Millî Gazete , wrote:
"The first thing to be done to achieve the security of Istanbul and
Jerusalem is to get rid of, in as short a time as possible, this
‘shanty town’ that has begun to harm humanity on the entire face of
the earth, and which is as offensive to the heart as to the eye. To
send the occupiers to the garbage heap of history, together with their
bloody charlatanism would be one of the most noble acts that could
be realized in the name of humanity. A world without Israel would be,
without a doubt, a much more peaceful and secure world." (Millî Gazete,
December 30, 2008).

Nuh Gonulta?, a well-known columnist, said Hitler was justified in
his treatment of the Jews, since "the state of Israel is an even
greater tyrant than Hitler." (Bugun, August 1, 2006).

The Islamist sociologist Ali Bulac, a well-known columnist for Zaman,
described Gaza as "a concentration camp that in reality surpasses
the Nazi camps." (Zaman, December 29, 2008).

It is simply astonishing that Israeli officials and Jewish leaders
worldwide hardly ever react, at least not publicly, to such widespread
and vicious anti-Semitic outbursts in Turkey. Why is Rifat Bali
resigned to the fact that "the only options left for Turkey’s Jewish
community are to either continue living in Turkey amid widespread
anti-Semitism or to emigrate." This is a fundamental question that
Jews themselves should answer!

By keeping quiet, Jewish leaders are simply encouraging Turkish
commentators to continue making racist and insulting remarks. If
Israel’s President Shimon Peres and ADL’s National Director Abraham
Foxman were not so busy denying the Armenian Genocide, they would
perhaps spend more of their time fighting anti-Semitism!