IS
THEI~E
A CURE FOR ANTI-SEMITISM'
409
Jews tended to enter the free professions where the exercise of intellect
was important, they did indeed excel. Everyone knows what an
astonishing contribution Jews have made to the culture and science of
the twentieth century. This could only exacerbate those feclings of envy,
fear, and resentment at what is sometimes called Jewish intellectual
preeminence. However, before we get carried away with this flattering
notion, I think we should remember that there are also very stupid Jews.
Questioll:
Perhaps it's an oversimplification, but it would seem to me that
this is played out particularly in black-Jewish rclations. What if the "do
unto others" concept were applied as "how would the blacks like it if
we took everything they said and turned it around?"
Norman Podhoretz:
You mean, if you said to Farrakhan, how would
you like it if we said nasty things about you? I think he'd laugh at you.
He says that Jews continue to be racist and that we've never stopped,
that we are incorrigibly racist, that the Jews are still to this day oppress–
ing blacks, manipulating them....
Questioll:
How would blacks like it if we, as Jews, would say to Mr.
Farrakhan, "Blacks are blah, blah, blah, whatever ... ")
Norman Podhoretz:
If we said whatever bad things we can think of
about blacks? Well, somehow I don't think that tactic would work.
After all, Farrakhan is not a case of misunderstanding or lack of inter–
group sensitivity. In him you're dealing with someone who I believe is
swayed both by ideological conviction and political opportunism: it's a
lethal combination. And far from suffering from having been openly anti–
Semitic, Farrakhan has prospered as a result of it, so I doubt he would
be reachable by such appeals.
Question:
Why is Farrakhan allowed to say the things he does, to say
that Jews are bloodsucker of the black people, isn't that inciting
to
murder, to riot, to assault? Why is Khalid Muhammad allowed to say
how wonderful killing white people is? That's inciting blacks to kill
whites and Jews. Why does our system allow that?
Edith Kurzweil:
You mean why is all of that allowed legally? I don't
think we have legal experts here, but maybe Norman Podhoretz could
respond.
Norman Podhoretz:
My guess is that if you attempted to bring such
