With the recent media storm of allegations…

of anti-Semitism being directed at such iconic personalities as Kanye West (for statements made in a now infamous tweet directed towards sports and entertainment industry execs), and days later, NBA player Kyrie Irving for his mentioning of a Biblical-anthropological book and documentary series titled, “Hebrews to Negroes” by Ron Dalton Jr, it may be time to do a closer examination of the term, “anti-Semitic” and review the etymology of the root word, “Semite.” (For a breakdown of the etymology of “anti-Semtic,” see the video link at the end of this article.)

It also begs the question, has labeling someone an “anti-Semite” for stating the obvious regarding the overwhelming majority of ownership principals in the sports, entertainment, publishing and banking industries, become the new way to “play the race card?” Should an individual or group, claiming Hebrew or “Jewish” ethnicity, who does not share the same genetic makeup as those mainstream individuals who claim that status today… should those individuals or groups also be labeled, “anti-Semitic” for making those claims? If so, why?

In the case of Ye (Kanye West) posting a tweet that stated he was “going to go ‘DEFCON 3’ on Jewish people,” followed by stating that he “cannot be anti-Semitic because ‘Black’ people are Jews too,” was his claim to status as a descendant of the storied Tribe of Judah (one of the 12 tribes of Ancient Israel and descendants of Jacob (by father Isaac & mother Rebekah, via grandfather Abraham & grandmother Sarah)… was his claim, accurate?

Of course, this leads to the second and most recent high-profile target of the latest salvo of anti-Semitic labeling (as of the time of this article’s publication date): Kyrie Irving. 

Days ago, Kyrie Irving was accused of promoting a film which “contained Anti-Semitic misinformation.” The 2018 documentary film, “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America” directed by anthropologist and filmmaker Ronald Dalton Jr., is an in-depth exploration of the origins of a people whom history has reclassified as African-American, Afro-Caribbean or “Black” (“Black” being neither a geographical location nor spoken language). I have personally watched the 3.5 hour documentary twice and have yet to make the connection between it and allegations of “anti-Semitic misinformation” (which in and of itself is a matter of opinion, not fact).

Why I Feel That “Anti-Semitism” is Losing Its Steam

My understanding of the terms “Anti-Semite” and “Anti-Semitic” is that those terms did not exist (and if at all, not in widespread use) prior to World War II.  We all have learned about the atrocities endured by European Jewish people from 1939–1945 at the hands of Adolph Hitler.  After World War II ended, anyone, anywhere in the known world who, either verbally or by their physical actions, expressed hatred against the Jewish people, was labeled an anti-Semite and frowned upon by both Jewish people and those who loved them and sympathized with their plight. 

Today though, it seems that the term “anti-Semite” is now a broad brush stroke applied to anyone who verbally disapproves of anything done by Jewish people holding positions of power in government or industry. The term also seems to be applied to anyone who claims that status (Hebrew/Jew/Israelite), who does not share the same genetic appearance of the modern Jew, which takes us back to the title of this article.  

Is the apparent economic, media and political targeting of people like Ye (Kanye), Kyrie Irving, Nick Cannon and other high-profile celebrities that also identify as “Black” and/or “Israelite” or “Jew” steer the term “Anti-Semite” in a direction that veers away from its original application?  I believe so and here is why…

One would be hard-pressed to find any so-called “Black” people who, if asked, would tell you that they hate so-called Jewish people. Most “Black” people, whether working class or wealthy, could care less about what goes on in the lives of anyone outside their homes, families or circles of friends. Here in America, “Black” people still represent the largest consumer base by ethnic group, while at the same time representing the lowest percentage of business owners, so who has time to “hate” anyone?

(In case you are wondering why I continuously use quotation marks around the word “Black,” watch the short video below)

Final Thoughts on the Latest Allegations of “Anti-Semitism”

My final thoughts on Ye, Kyrie Irving and any melanated individuals claiming status as descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are these…

How does anyone claiming any one ethnicity (not the religion—that is a whole other argument) thereby make them anti-Same-Ethnicity-That-You-Claim? Where is the logic in that? How does a so-called “Black” man saying “I am a Jew” or “I am Hebrew” or “I am an Israelite” get him labeled as someone who hates another?

There are a number of so-called “White” Christian pastors who have argued that the so-called “Negroes” who came to America as involuntary servants, are descendants of the Royal House of Judah, and yet not once have we seen them publicly labeled as being “anti-Semitic”—(hmmm… I wonder why that is… See the examples at the end of this article).

In the end, I think that the (in my opinion) erroneous claims of anti-Semitism being brought against so-called “Black” celebrities has had an uncalculated and unintended, damaging affect on the original strength of the term and as a result, we could see the term begin to disappear in the not-so-distant future. Why? I’ll answer by asking a question…

Does the so-called “Black” man hate anyone due to their religious beliefs? I think I speak for the entire culture when I answer unequivocally, “No.”  The only inter-religious hatred that I have seen, historically or in modern times, has been between Catholics and Protestants (“White on White” violence), Christians and Muslims (The historical “Holy Wars”) and beginning in the mid-20th century between Islamic fundamentalists and Jewish fundamentalists. None of the above had, or has anything to do with the so-called “Black” man.

Before I end this article, there is one more point of confusion that is worth addressing…

Jewish Faith vs Jewish Ethnicity

In claims of anti-Semitism, there seems to be some confusion regarding whether those labeled as such are anti-“the religion” or anti “the-ethnicity”; but why? 

The answer to this complex situation is a rather simple one.

On the one hand there are those who claim status as bloodline Jewish, who either practice Judaism, are converts to Christianity (Messianic), or are not religious (in practice) at all. On the other hand, there are those who do not claim ethnic status as Jewish, but convert to the religion via a lengthy process outlined here —> (click here to learn about converting to Judaism).

So, when someone is labeled (or mislabeled) an “anti-Semite,” is that person tagged as such because they might be cool with Jewish people as a whole but perhaps are not a fan of the religion? Or are they perhaps indifferent to the religion, but dislike the people (for some odd reason) as a group? —> (which to me is still confusing because isn’t it humanly possible for someone to be cool with, say “Black” people in general, but not like Kanye West; or be cool with Jewish people in general, but for some reason do not like former L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling?)  I ask this question because the negligent journalism I’ve seen covering Ye as of recent has seemed to muddle the religion and ethnicity together (watch my YouTube commentary below titled, “The War on Ye,” where I discuss the negligent journalism that has fueled the allegations).

In the end, can you see how all the confusion and allegations involving the use of a strong-implications-having term: anti-Semitism—which was once upon a time a concrete, well-defined and easily-understood one (post-World War II), has through negligent use, led to its own instability? It appears that the media, as an entity, has made a gross error in judgement with their recent attacks on individuals like Ye and Kyrie Irving—one that could likely lead to calling someone “anti-Semitic” being akin to what so-called “Blacks” and Negroes have been accused of for decades during and prior to the Civil Rights Movement: “Playing the race card too much” (e.g. “This thing keeps happening to me because I’m Black”).

I know this has been a sensitive topic, but some things need to be openly discussed. Thank you for reading.

Be Well!

—MT

Matt D. Talford is a writer, narrator, and author of three books: “Stuck In An Elevator” – a fictitious tale of passion and self-discovery; “Captain’s Mate: A Practical Guide for Tennis Captains, League Players and High School Coaches”; and his award-winning debut title: ”From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story”  – a memoir about overcoming a rare form of what he calls “the C-word.”  All three books are currently available in paperback at www.talfordarts.com/collections/books or at Amazon.com; and in eBook format on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks.  “From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” is also available in audiobook (narrated by Talford himself) at iTunes, audible.com, and at many other sites where audiobooks are sold.  For information on these and other products, click the “shop” link in the menu.

The War on Ye | Kanye West vs The World

(Matt D. Talford on the negligent journalism involved in the handling of Kanye’s [Ye] now infamous tweet)

Etymology of Anti-Semitism Discussed (link in next sentence below)

(Watch TikTok User @sundiatael5 breakdown the etymology of the word, “Anti-Semite” here) —>TikTok Video AntiSemite Etymology

“White” Christian Pastors Providing Thoughts on the Identity of the Biblical Israelites/Jews