Jews and Arrogance

One persistent criticism of the Jews is that they are arrogant and see themselves as being above everyone else.

The same accusation has been made against the English, the Americans and the Germans.

The claim is that the Jews, because they see themselves as chosen people of God, think that they are better than everyone else. They are hardly alone in that sentiment. With imperial England's global ambitions, America's Manifest Destiny, and Nazi Lebensraum, the parties thought themselves better than others to the point of considering themselves justified in killing people all over the world and taking their land. Whereas the Jews do not seek to conquer anyone. There are some who have gone to Israel and live there, and there are others who live elsewhere in the world and generally behave themselves much better than its other inhabitants such as the Muslims.

Really, what matter is it to anyone whether a person sees himself as better or worse than other people? I am reminded of a movie about teenage thugs, in which a punk attacked a girl who was taking school seriously with, “You think you're better than everyone else?” What gives him the idea that he speaks for everyone else – 7 billion people, most of whom are nothing like him? Of whatever arrogance that girl was guilty, his was much greater.

We see the same thing, at a much more significant level, with the people who say that Jews think they're better than everyone else. What gives such a person the right to claim to speak for everyone else? Does he speak for the guy in China? The guy in Ethiopia? The guy in Thailand? Even if Jews are arrogant, the arrogance of such people is far greater.

Are there arrogant Jews? Yes. Do Jews own arrogance? No. Far greater arrogance belongs with the people who accuse Jews of thinking they're better than everyone else – and in this appropriate for themselves a supremely arrogant and completely unearned right to claim to speak for everyone else.