Tuesday, December 07, 2004
You might be an anti-Semite if...
...Something I've been kicking around for awhile - and finally prompted to post on due to this Volokh-Brad DeLong dispute. Western debate on Israel typically follows a pre-determined course - Israel is debated, at some point the critic of Israel is called an anti-Semite, said critic then files accusation of trying to stifle dissent by equating any criticism of Israel (including, I suppose, a claim that their national rugby team underperforms at the international level), as anti-Semitic.
So, when does one cross the line? Well, there's one that's always struck me as a clear one - referring to Israel as the premier violator of international law, or some other such nonsense. Folks like to point out that Israel is in violation of many, many UN resolutions. And,if you can talk about all the resolutions Israel has violated without going into whether or not it's a little unusual that SIXTY PERCENT of UN Resolutions single out Israel, as opposed to North Korea, the Sudan, Cuba, Zimbabwe...if the possibility that Israel is being unfairly singled out never enters into the discussion...you might be an anti-Semite.
Please note, I said might. You also might be an idiot.
So, when does one cross the line? Well, there's one that's always struck me as a clear one - referring to Israel as the premier violator of international law, or some other such nonsense. Folks like to point out that Israel is in violation of many, many UN resolutions. And,
Please note, I said might. You also might be an idiot.
