Amalekism and Israelophobia

There is a lot of talk these days regarding the contemporary identity of the biblical Amalekites and whether or not the Palestinians fit the description.

The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek, the son of Esau's first-born son Eliphaz. The Amalekites are notorious for attacking the Hebrews at Rephidim in the Sinai desert and again at Hormah.

According to tradition, the Amalekites are the antithesis of the Jewish people and are present in every generation.  Anti-Semitism is also the antithesis of Jewish identity and has been stubbornly present in every age.

Anti-Semitism is perhaps the best example of a meme, an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. A meme self-replicates, mutates and responds to environmental factors.

Anti-Semitism is what I would call a grand meme. That is to say, it is an overarching idea that encompasses several sub-memes. One of these sub-memes is Israelophobia, the most up-to-date manifestation of amalekism.

Israelophobia is a neurosis and can be defined as the hysterical and irrational fear or hatred of Israel. This unhealthy fixation is an aspect of the “new anti-Semitism,” which is the demonization and delegitimization of Israel.

As with all irrational prejudices, Israelophobia is reactionary and obsessional.

Although there are numerous instances where malicious intent is involved, Israelophobia is quite often a consequence of groupthink or intellectual laziness.

Nonetheless, Israelophobia is a disease of the  mind and should be challenged at an intellectual level. Unfortunately, because the media is in such a state of moral decline, rational arguments are often displaced by hysterical stories about Palestinian hunger strikes or the latest Jewish settlements.

The internet is also problematic. The web is the modern-day arena of public discourse, but it is awash with amalekist gibberish. But there are also many websites and blogs that do a fantastic job of defending Israel.

Rather than get disheartened by the amalekist onslaught, defenders of Israel must continue to shield the Jewish state and slay a few of Amalek’s descendants in the process.