March 8, 2016 Response to op ed in the
nyt - An Anti-Semitism of the Left
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/opinion/an-anti-semitism-of-the-left.html?comments#permid=17814641
It is profoundly disturbing that critics of Israel’s are
vilified as being anti-Semitic. Nothing could further from the truth. These are
cheap shots aimed at silencing Israel’s policies. The U.N. Secretary General,
Ban Ki-moon, has repeatedly vented his frustration at Israel’s polices. Human
Rights Watch has called for all companies to cease doing business with Israeli
settlements in the occupied West Bank. The group’s new report, titled
"Occupation, Inc.," also calls on countries like the United States to
"withhold funding to the Israeli government in an amount equivalent to its
expenditures and related infrastructure in the West Bank." The report
comes on the heels of a statement by the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Daniel
Shapiro, in which he accused Israel of abominable treatment of Palestinians. He
stated that Israel “having two standards for adherence to the rule of law in
the West Bank—one for Jews and one for Palestinians. He added "Too many
attacks on Palestinians lack a vigorous investigation or response by Israeli
authorities. Too much vigilantism goes unchecked. And at times there seem to be
two standards of adherence to the rule of law—one for Israelis and another for
Palestinians." The BDS is a legitimate grass roots movement aimed applying
economic pressure to persuade Israel to abandon its decades old illegal
occupation. To support such polices is not an act of loyalty but one of
betrayal which will only hasten Israel’s isolation.
