Guardian readers write in about anti-semitism versus criticism of Israeli policies, Palestine and the right to protest. Who keeps confusing these distinct positions? Not the LPO4, one of whom is defending her right to her beliefs at an employment tribunal (3rd letter plus last item)

The antisemitism charge is the first refuge of rightwing Zionists today writes Jerry Haber of such Jews in the US (and UK, we add); criticisms of Israeli positions which are normal discourse in Israel are frivolously attacked as antisemitic elsewhere.

At Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year – 2011 the Jewish Chronicle gathered 5 people for a discussion on being Jewish in Britain. For our coming secular New Year, we post this round-table which ranges, calmly and crossly, over identity, Israel, God, anti-semitism, parenthood, judgmentalism, Palestine, the diaspora and much else.

Israel’s minister for information, who is active in the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism, has denounced all Arabs as deplorable, damaged, worthless. Ben White reports, Yossie Gurvitz adds and definitions of a few words are offered

Howard Gutman, the US’s (Jewish) ambassador to Belgium has made a careful speech on antisemitism, deploring hate attacks on Muslims, Jews and any minority. His suggestion Arab anti-semitism is triggered by Israeli-Arab tensions has been seized on by the Right as a sign of Obama’s coolness towards Israeli policy

Jews are arrogant, in-turned and favour each other. Antisemitic or what? But, says Josh Mintz, such claims are true of Jews, just as every besieged ethnic or religious group cultivates the idea of its special qualities and a practice of mutual aid in order to bind them together

Muammar Gaddafi was not the first Arab dictator to feed his people on Jew-hatred as a means of binding them to him against the enemy alien. When he himself became the enemy of the people, that showed he was a Jew. Andrew Engel in Libya reports on the antisemitism that was turned aganst Gaddafi, and outlives him

Sheikh Raed Salah has lost his appeal against deportation from the UK. JfJfP issued a statement for the hearing opposing the move to deport him (see http://jfjfp.com/?p=25764#salah2). We carry a highly critical report on the judgment by the Middle East Monitor; and another by the CST welcoming the decision of the immigration tribunal.

On May 30, the Universities and Colleges Union voted not to accept the ‘working definition’ of anti-semitism drawn up by the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia, now commuted into the FRA – European Fundamental Rights Agency. The ‘working definition’ is at the bottom of this post

As antisemitic outbursts from John Galliano, Charlie Sheen and Julian Assange make the headlines, Antony Lerman questions some of the easy conclusions that have been drawn, arguing that “Antisemitism is a hot issue which demands cool and rational differentiated analysis”.

“Because of the Holocaust and Germany’s responsibility for World War II, solidarity with the Jewish state founded in 1948 is a fundamental tenet of German policy. Israel’s security is “part of my country’s raison d’être,” Merkel said in a speech to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in 2008.” This interesting report in Der Spiegel Online shows quite how difficult it is for German politicians to make even the slightest criticism of Israeli policy.

Critics of Israel are increasingly accused of delegitimising Israel and encouraging antisemitism. This creates a climate of suspicion in which the onus is on critics to somehow demonstrate they are not antisemitic. In this JNews post, Richard Kuper looks at how the EUMC ‘Working Definition of Antisemitism’ functions to delegitimise criticism of Israel.

Anthony Lerman looks at the TV series the Promise, of which two of the four episodes have now been screened: “That such a major and challenging series—in which the Israeli characters are drawn sympathetically and realistically, with not a hint of demonization—appears on one of the country’s mass audience television channels and is positively received throws an interesting light on what I believe are grossly exaggerated claims that London is the hub of international efforts to delegitimize Israel and that British Jews are subject to a constant barrage of media-driven anti-Zionist propaganda that borders on, or overlaps with, antisemitism…”

The attempt by prominent Zionists in South Africa to denounce Archbishop Tutu as antisemitic and force the South African Holocaust Foundation to dismiss him as a patron has been seen off. Thanks to the over five thousand who signed a petition in his support, including former chief justice Arthur Chaskalson, human rights lawyer Joel Joffe, Annie Lennox, Adam Hochschild, Andrew Feinstein, Neve Gordon, Justice Albie Sachs, Zackie Achmat, Justice Dennis Davis, Geoff Budlender, Barbara Hogan, Pregs Govender and Jan Kavan.

An appeal from South Africa: Archbishop Tutu has been labeled an “anti-Semite” and a “bigot”. Please read the appeal and sign the petition in his support.

StandWithUs, on the openly racist end of the mainstream Jewish institutional world in the United States, has produced a new comic book hero Captain Israel to fight the demons of the present, leading among which is the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, portrayed in Palestinian colours as the evil serpent so beloved by the antisemites. Cecile Shurasky of Muzzlewatch draws out the parallels with Nazi propaganda. Plus Roi Maor comments (added 19 Jan)

Stephen Shalom challenges the accusation that Israel is unfairly singled out for criticism, that double standards are applied. Here he counters the arguments suggesting that Israel is held to higher standards than other countries; that Israel’s attempts to make peace are overlooked; that the United Nations singles Israel out while overlooking far more egregious behaviour; and many related arguments…

On 5 November Der Spiegel online reported that the Jewish community in Germany was ‘outraged’ by the choice of Alfred Grosser to give the Reichskristallnacht memorial talk at the Paulskirche in Frankfurt. His crime? He has criticised Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians. He has said: “As a Jewish boy in a Frankfurt school, [...]

Time magazine’s Karl Vick published an article observing that solving the conflict with the Palestinians is very low on the agenda of most Israelis today. It wasn’t long before the Abe Foxman of the ADL accused Time magazine of being antisemitic!

Jeremiah Haber develops the ideas advanced by Daniel Luban in his article in the Jewish Tablet “The New Anti-Semitism: Recent attacks on Islam in the United States echo old slurs against Jews”. In the context of the proposed mosque at Ground Zero, Haber comments :”Why, then, are so many Jews hemming and hawing about the Cordoba Center? Take it from me – it’s all about Israel…”