I don't wish to deny the rise of anti-Semitism in these troubled times but neither do I think its extent should be over-inflated. At one point in his review of her book Unchosen: the memoirs of a philo-Semite, Ian Thomson writes (The Tablet, 14 February 2015): “It is all too easy for anti-Semites to equate Israel with the Jewish people as a whole, [Julie] Burchill argues convincingly.”
One can just as convincingly argue that it is all too easy for Jewish people to equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. Is this not the elephant in the room? We must be able to criticise the policies and practices of Israel, just as we do our own and other countries. Problems arise when Jewish people cannot or will not recognise the difference between the religious/ethnic and the national. If they can't or won't do that, how can others be expected to?
It is of course a particular difficulty, confusing to many, that Israel has a religious symbol, commonly used the world over, on its national flag. In that that religious symbol is not representative of all its citizens raises further issues.
A cry of “anti-Semitism” every time someone criticises Israel is more likely to exacerbate anti-Semitism by stifling debate. On the other hand, allowing - encouraging, even - legitimate debate builds understanding and respect. This is something that needs to be examined and teased out. It could solve some of our joint problems.
Margaret Callinan, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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