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Rochelle Wilner |
Frank Dimant |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
Ruth Klein |
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Rochelle Wilner |
Frank Dimant |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
Ruth Klein |
Stereotypes relating to Jews are so ingrained into societal discourse that few stop to question the objective truth of the most common misconceptions. These can range from an off-colour joke or snide remark to accusations that Jews are demanding, cliquey or have too much power. The old complaint about Jewish control of the media is rearing its head here in Canada, as seen most notably in the comments of Raymond Baaklini, the Lebanese Ambassador, late last December. While Foreign Minister Bill Graham summoned the Ambassador to tell him that such comments are not acceptable in Canada, there was no general outrage in the limited public debate that followed, which indicates that his contention is perceived as a serious debating position in this country.
Similarly, allegations about the alleged “power” of the Jews are again being heard, this time in the comments of Liberal MP Carolyn Parrish to an Egyptian newspaper decrying the “influence of the Jewish lobby”.vi While comments about “Zionist” control of the media and the “Zionist” lobby are still considered “politically correct” by some, even when they clearly are being used as code words to refer to Jews, the more open use of the epithet “Jewish” to refer to “influence” and “control” is a retrograde step.
Parrish’s comments have not been classified in this Audit as antisemitic, but they do contribute to a climate in which antisemitism flourishes. Similarly, Parrish’s attempts to cause trouble for an investigative reporter who has received many media awards in the past, simply because he received an additional honour from B’nai Brith, is not classified as an antisemitic incident. However, her demand to the reporter’s newspaper that each of his articles should, in future, be branded with a statement that he is linked with B’nai Brith, could well be interpreted as a distasteful suggestion that those who deal with Jews are forever afterwards tainted.
As other human rights organizations can attest, the use of stereotypes that denigrate minorities can have a profound affect on the psyche of the individual; the negativity generated can be internalized to such an extent that the victim will not report harassment or even assault.
Police and sociologists agree that only about 10% of victims ever report their own victimization,vii so it is evident that the incidents reported to the League represent only the tip of the iceberg. In terms of quantitative analysis, the Audit thus offers a glimpse of the bigger picture, while in a qualitative sense it gives us a snapshot of what antisemitism looks like in Canada today.
The reasons why more individuals do not come forward to report are common to many victim categories. A recent report relating to youth lists rationales that could apply equally to victims of antisemitism. The belief that the incident is too trivial, that there would be no point in reporting it, or that it might get them into trouble or invite retaliation are just some examples from the Toronto Youth Study. In the case of teenagers, there is also the fear that parents will get anxious and limit their youngsters’ movements and social life.
In the Jewish community there is also a mindset that it is better to remain silent or else things could get worse. This is especially prevalent in the generation that has had personal or familial experience of far worse abuse in Europe before and during the Holocaust. In such cases there is a resignation that being Jewish, especially visibly Jewish, will at times provoke unpleasantness and that this, while inconvenient and even distressing, is inevitable and thus unavoidable.
For the “visible Jew”, frequently the prime target in the current climate, this mindset is often ingrained and even the young are quite philosophical about any harassment they might experience, for example, on public transit to school. There is also a deep reluctance to involve outsiders — even the police — in affairs of the community, as well as a fear of the unwelcome publicity that might ensue. Thus we find that the segment of the community that is the most likely to be the victim of an antisemitic attack is also the segment that will be most unwilling and unlikely to report it.