(Commentary) Abe Greenwald - Rep. Pramila Jayapal said what she said - deliberately, brazenly, sweepingly. And she said it to people she knows to be animated by the idea that "Israel as a nation is racist." It's the equivalent of reassuring neo-Confederate activists that you believe the U.S. is an illegitimate tyranny. The claim of a taboo against criticizing Israel is itself an anti-Semitic trope. Israel is defamed in the dominant press, boycotted by politicians, athletes, and celebrities, denounced by global bodies, demonized on campuses, dragged through the social-media mud, and criticized by increasing numbers of Israelis and American Jews. If this is a country protected from criticism, just imagine if critics were free to speak their minds. Yet the critics aren't doing a very good job. Despite all the calumnies and hit jobs, Israel is thriving and building alliances. The writer is executive editor of Commentary.
2023-07-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive