The anti-Semitism Problem of pro-Palestinian Progressives [View all]

...in this case is the reductio ad absurdum of a very common presumption — that most anti-Semitism claims related to Israel are leveled in bad faith. 

And let’s not hide the ball: This contention is itself anti-Semitic. It boils down to the proposition that most Jews, most of the time, are either pathological liars or so delusional regarding their own experience that their claims of discrimination or marginalization can be dismissed out of hand — and that their claims to identify anti-Semitism are presumptively “smears” or “hyperbole.”

What this accusation of compulsive Jewish overreaction means is that the grounds for calling out anti-Semitism have not only shifted, they are disappearing. You hear an allegation of anti-Semitism against a friend or ally? No need to consider it carefully; it’s fine to respond with a roll of the eyes and a “there they go again”. This retort illustrates the power of the discursive lockbox that Sucharov and others have set up (when, precisely, is it appropriate to ask persons to reconsider as anti-Semitic comments or claims they don’t initially identify as such?). Be that as it may, it is impossible to simultaneously present most Jews as experiencing some sort of mass communal psychosis while also including Jews as equal participants in collective dialogue....

...Claims of anti-Semitism, like claims of racism or sexism, are not “smears” nor censorship by other means. They’re arguments. They may be right or wrong, but regardless they deserve to be taken seriously. It’s deeply worrisome to see many progressives pull so openly from the right-wing playbook to justify their failure to do so. 

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.706727