In a recent article published by the Los Angeles Times, Michael Douglas speaks out on worldwide anti-Semitism, prior to his upcoming visit to Israel to accept the Genesis Prize.
In the article, Douglas touches on his and his son’s own experience with anti-Semitism and the reasoning behind this hateful mentality, calling on world leaders to unite against the poisonous mindset.
Although many other Jews have tried to strip Douglas of his identity all his life, because his mother isn’t Jewish, he still sent his son to Hebrew school and gave him a bar-mitzvah in Israel.
Michael Douglas’ father, born Issur Danielovitch, is Jewish. But his mother, Diana, is not. And Michael Douglas’ youngest children’s mother, Oscar winning actress Catherine Zeta Jones, is not Jewish either.
He wrote, “Several years ago Dylan, through his friends, developed a deep connection to Judaism, and when he started going to Hebrew school and studying for his bar mitzvah, I began to reconnect with the religion of my father.”
“While some Jews believe that not having a Jewish mother makes me not Jewish, I have learned the hard way that those who hate do not make such fine distinctions.”
“Dylan’s experience reminded me of my first encounter with anti-Semitism, in high school. A friend saw someone Jewish walk by, and with no provocation he confidently told me: ‘Michael, all Jews cheat in business. Everyone knows that.’”
His son also faced harassment last summer in Europe when a man confronted him at the hotel swimming pool for wearing the Star of David around his neck.
Douglas wrote that the rise of anti-Semitic violence in Europe is due to the irrational hatred of Israel and the rising Muslim population, which has been known to condemn Judaism.
“Far too many people see Israel as an apartheid state and blame the people of an entire religion for what, in truth, are internal national-policy decisions. Does anyone really believe that the innocent victims in that kosher shop in Paris and at that bar mitzvah in Denmark had anything to do with Israeli-Palestinian policies or the building of settlements 2,000 miles away?”
Douglas concluded by calling on world leaders to do more to speak out and fight against anti-Semitism, to unite and combat the violence.
“So that is our challenge in 2015, and all of us must take it up. Because if we confront anti-Semitism whenever we see it, if we combat it individually and as a society, and use whatever platform we have to denounce it, we can stop the spread of this madness.”
“My son is strong. He is fortunate to live in a country where anti-Semitism is rare. But now he too has learned of the dangers that he as a Jew must face. It’s a lesson that I wish I didn’t have to teach him, a lesson I hope he will never have to teach his children.”
