Sarkis Elmassian: Bigotry against anyone is the issue, not anti-Semitism

Re “How to fight anti-Jewish bigotry” (Opinions, March 25): Today’s commentary by David Brooks on anti-Semitism is thought provoking. He tries to make a distinction between bigotry and anti-Semitism, which is not convincing.

Anti-Semitism is bigotry, which needs to be fought wherever it confronts us. What Brooks and many others don’t realize is that people from the Middle East, especially Arabs, face the same kind of bigotry as Jews do. In fact, it is reported that most Israeli Jews have virulent bigotry against Palestinians and people of darker skin. The former prime minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, once referred to Palestinians insects which need to be crushed.

Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians in the occupied territories are treated as third-class citizens, with all kinds of humiliations and abuse piled on them. If Jews were treated the same way in any country most people justly would have condemned it as anti-Semitism. Bigotry needs to be confronted anywhere it is found, and should be marginalized as much as possible. It would be marvelous if bigotry could be eliminated, but that is not likely; all we can hope for is to make it marginal and be vigilant in fighting against it.

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Sarkis Elmassian: Bigotry against anyone is the issue, not anti-Semitism."