Just blame the Jews

Op-ed: Pope’s exoneration highlights essence of anti-Semitism – all Jews guilty over one’s sin

Reuters | Published: 03.11.11, 14:40

The Pope, how nice of him, recently exonerated us of killing Jesus. Indeed, the time has come for that – 2,000 years from now we may also be exonerated of the apartheid libel and of the charges of territorial greed. A little more patience and our innocence shall come to light. The Christian wheels of justice grind slowly.

As to the exoneration, we must admit that it’s somewhat broad. The Pope got carried away.

Indeed, the hands of our forefathers did not spill the blood, but some of them were involved in the circumstances that led Jesus to the crucifix. Persistent hints in the Talmud give away the terrible secret. If that’s the case, why were we so insulted by the accusations of killing the messiah?

Because of the generalization.

A handful of Jews were involved in the affair that led to the man’s execution, yet the indictment was served against all Jews through all generations. No alibi helped anyone on this front, and even not a pledge under oath that we weren’t even born when it happened.

The broad generalization, and not the very charge of killing Jesus, is the essence of anti-Semitism. When a gentile did a terrible thing, he faced justice on his own. Yet when a Jew did something bad, all Jews were convicted. There was no point in proving you were not involved, because the gentiles tended to punish you for the sins of other Jews as well.

At the end of the day, as is the case sometimes, we acquired the habit of generalization from the gentiles. At this time we taint whole ethnicities because of the acts of a few people and incriminate a large political camp because of crimes committed by an insignificant minority within it.

Starting in kindergarten, we are being told that “all politicians are corrupt.” There are no righteous people in Sodom. Officials at the Vatican may tell you that this condemnable Israeli phenomenon is also punishment from God for killing Jesus.