Anti-Semitism and Zionism in the Debate on the Palestinian Issue

Date Published:

Jul 1, 2007

Abstract:

The heated debate about the Palestinian issue and Israeli actions in the occupied territories often confronts me with a dilemma. To begin with, I have trouble with any attempt to structure the issue as one between supporters of Israel versus supporters of the Palestinian cause. I consider myself to be both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian. Moreover, I consider many of the protagonists in these debates—whichever side they claim to support—to be working against the interests of both sides in this tragic conflict. In particular, I am profoundly alienated by the rhetoric of some elements on both sides of the debate: both by those who use their totally legitimate criticism on Israeli policies and practices as a warrant for anti-Semitic pronouncements and by those who use the totally appropriate rejection of anti-Semitism an other forms of racism in any decent society as a weapon to delegitimize all criticism of Israeli policies and practices.

Notes:

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