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By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, April 30, 2002; Page A19


If I weren't a Jew, I might be called an anti-Semite. I have occasionally been critical of Israel. I have occasionally taken the Palestinians' side. I have always maintained that the occupation of the West Bank is wrong and while I am, to my marrow, a supporter of Israel, I insist that the Palestinian cause -- although sullied by terrorism -- is a worthy one.

In Israel itself, these positions would hardly be considered remarkable. People with similar views serve in parliament. They write columns for the newspapers. And while they are sometimes vehemently criticized -- such is the rambunctious nature of Israel's democratic din -- they are not called either anti-Semites or self-hating Jews.

I cannot say the same about America. Here, criticism of Israel, particularly anti-Zionism, is equated with anti-Semitism. The Anti-Defamation League, one of the most important American Jewish organizations, comes right out and says so. "Anti-Zionism is showing its true colors as deep-rooted anti-Semitism," the organization says in a full-page ad that I have seen in the New Republic as well as other magazines.

A column by Gideon Levy made the point that Israel cannot reject and rebut all criticism by reciting the mantra: "The whole world is against us."

The same holds for American Jews. To turn a deaf ear to the demands of Palestinians, to dehumanize them all as bigots, only exacerbates the hatred on both sides. The Palestinians do have a case. Their methods are sometimes -- maybe often -- execrable, but that does not change the fact that they are a people without a state. As long as that persists so too will their struggle.


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Excellent article.

I think often times, that this is what happens:

People (like myself) look at the Mid-East situation and see things very clearly.
The Palestinians are morally wrong.
The Israelis are Right.
(ignore the US funding situation, for the sake of analysis)

Jenin, the lies of the "massacre", the suicide bombings, parents encouraging their children to die, the misinformation about the history of the area, 9-11 celebrations, ties to Hamas, PLO, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all of these things.
They all lead some of us to believe that there is no other view other than one where Israel is the good-guy, and the PLO is the bad-guy.

Now, IF you have this perspective, that an American can see it otherwise seems illogical.
It doesn't make sense.
It MUST, therefore be because of some sort of BIAS.

That's why some people suspect Anti-Semitism.

I think the anti-Semitism charge comes down to intellectual laziness.

Its easier to dismiss a dissenting opinion as anti-Semitic than it is to carefully evelaute it, and point by point disprove it.

All the Palestinian actions above get BIG media play.

There is a desire to see palestinian society as a monolithic, non-diverse purveyor of evil. When in reality, there are many Palestinians just like you and me - wanting a free country to calkl their own, wanting peace and quiet in which to live their lives and raise their families. Such Palestinain individuals get NO media air play. And we've been provided ONLY one-half, in fact prolly more liek 1/10th of the picture. We ONLY see the radical Hamas types.

For instance, did you know that over half (I beleive that is a correct number) of Christian Palestinains (thousands upon thousands) have LEFT what they beleive to be their homeland, SIMPLY because they don't wish to subject their families to the violence from EITHER side????

Then,  given our "War on Terror," admitting the existence of such a Palestinain individual presents us too much mental stain. Its easier to hate an entire society when you can present them as monolithically evil. Even when reality doesn't bear that assessment out.

I guess I am an anti-semite. Quite frankly, they can live or die; don't care. When I have nukes flying over my house, I prolly won't think about Isr. then either.

I vote for big parking lot. Damn the EU for their scorn.