John Chuckman
COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY JONATHAN COOK IN CONSORIUM
NEWS
Charges of Anti-Semitism & the Silencing of Dissent
in Europe
The emptiness of the argument about criticism of Israel
being a form of anti-Semitism becomes blindingly clear with a comparison from
history.
The Soviet Union was a state a great many people criticized and even hated, people of many political beliefs. And that was despite the USSR’s having some worthy declared goals and ideals in its constitution.
Yet, the claim was never made that such criticism of the USSR was hatred of the Russian people.
I certainly criticized the Soviet Union, yet I have always felt affection for Russian culture – its literature, its music, its food, its architecture, its vibrant history, its science, and, although I speak no Russian, even the sound of its language.
Just so, Israel.
Like the old USSR, Israel is a state bristling with heavy arms and secret police and intelligence services, even nuclear weapons. Its behavior for over seventy years towards millions of Palestinians closely parallels that of the Soviet Union towards dissidents and critics and some minorities – the people Stalin called “wreckers.” It is oppressive, arbitrary, and often extremely violent.
If you cannot criticize a state for injustice and violence without being accused of hate and prejudice, absolutely all our Western ideals – from the Enlightenment to the great struggles for freedom and fair treatment – are removed from our political culture.
I regard that as a sick prospect, one that in the long term actually supports all the hateful and murderous interests of the earth.
A society defended in this fashion is not worthy of defense.
