Semites not necessarily Jews

There is a lot of discussion these days about “anti-Semitism.”

Just to be clear, Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary defines “Semite” as follows: “a member of any of the peoples whose language is Semitic, including the Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Babylonians, etc.; not, specifically, a Jew.”

“Semitic,” therefore, refers to language, and not to religion. Theoretically, a Jew who does not speak Hebrew may not actually be a Semite, while a Palestinian who speaks Arabic is. While there is obviously a lot of anti-Jewish language and acts of violence recently, to call it “anti-Semitic” is actually inaccurate and inappropriate. By the same token, being against the policies of the current Israeli government has nothing to do with “Semitism,” but more to do with the definition of democracy.

Dan Schaffer

Spokane