As a liberal, a human rights supporter, American and Israeli who dreams of a fair and just peace between the Arabs and Israel, I take issue and take offence with almost everything Joe Gannon writes in his Nov. 9 column, “Friends of Israel must look past criticism of BDS.”
As is so common among those who hate Israel, he launches myriad false accusations at Israel and its supporters, almost all of which relate to sins of which the Palestinian Arabs and their apologists are guilty. Time after time, prominent Israelis and supporters of Israel have been prevented from speaking at college campuses and other venues; often, when allowed to speak, their appearances have been interrupted by demonstrators, often violent.
Yet Gannon falsely accuses supporters of Israel of stifling anti-Israel speech. He falsely accuses Israel of trying to get states to pass laws “making it illegal for American citizens to advocate for or participate in a boycott of Israel,” but contradicts himself by recognizing that of the 26 states (states which deserve praise) that have passed anti-BDS laws, most are simply aimed at “preventing contractors with state jobs” from boycotting Israel.
In other words, they don’t make discrimination against the world’s only Jewish state illegal; they merely provide that businesses that so discriminate don’t benefit from state contracts. Similar, even stronger laws, relating to discrimination against other minorities is not an issue, but Gannon objects to these laws dealing with discrimination against Jews.
Natan Sharansky, perhaps the greatest human rights activist of our time, has written of the “3Ds Test for Antisemitism.” The 3Ds consist of the demonization of Israel, the delegitimisation of Israel and the applying of a double standard to Israel. The BDS movement meets each of the 3Ds with flying colors, making it clearly anti-Semitic.
But those of us who support the only true democracy in the Middle East, which happens to also be the world’s only Jewish state, accept the freedom of speech of those who promote it; we just don’t think our government should reward businesses that practice it.
Alan Stein
Natick