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Fanning the flames of anti-Semitism

Chemotherapy administered. Patient dies. How could it be? wonder medical professionals. We only wanted to kill the cancerous cells.

Marijuana-laced edible sold. Customer eats it. Nothing happens. Customer eats more. Crazed customer kills somebody. How could it be? wonder marijuana salesmen. Don’t you know? Don’t eat more than one at a time.

Wife’s birth pangs begin. Husband speeds to the hospital. Gets in crash, kills someone. How could it be? wonders the husband. I only meant to get her to the hospital.

And now this:

Boycott, divestment and sanction of Israel launched. Jews murdered in France, Belgium and Denmark. How could it be? BDS campaigners wonder. We’re only against Israel.

This level of stupidity does not even rise to the law of unintended consequences. The risks of chemo-therapy, marijuana-laced edibles and reckless driving are fully known. No surprises here. Same for Israel-baiting. Israel means Jews. Virtually all Israelis who fight Hamas terrorists are Jews. If Jews in Europe are murdered due to the demonization of Israelis, no surprises here. Anti-Israel words and actions that go beyond criticism of Israeli policies fan the flames of anti-Semitism. No surprises at the consequences.

The terrorist killers in Toulouse, Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen and elsewhere say Israelis, but they mean Jews. That’s because boycott, divest and sanction goes beyond criticism of Israeli policies. For example, boycott of Israeli academics, says: Israel is never right; Israel is beyond debate; Israel is evil. That’s beyond policy criticism. That’s tantamount to: Israelis should disappear. And when they say Israelis, they mean Jews.

Not every practitioner of BDS intends this, to be sure; but no different from the risk of chemotherapy is the unwillingness to abide any nuance in discussing rights and wrongs in the Israel-Arab conflict. Absence of nuance on the anti-Israel side fans the flames of anti-Semitism, of the murder of Jews.

For example, there is a direct line from the oft expressed idea by BDS advocates that Israel intends to kill Palestinian civilians to the murder of civilian Jews on the continent of Europe.

Hatred of, as opposed to criticism of, Israel cannot be whipped up day by day, year by year, without anti-Semitic consequences. It’s no more of a wonder than a reckless rush to the hospital ending in a fatal accident.

An overdose; a death. How could it be? He only wanted to alleviate his pain. Whatever BDS actually intends, it brings death to the streets of Europe.

More than 100 British artists say they have launched a “cultural boycott” of Israel. “We will accept neither professional invitations to Israel nor funding from any institutions linked to its government . . . until Israel respects international law and ends its colonial oppression of the Palestinians.”

BDS from Britain: Palestinians: innocent. Israelis: guilty. Palestinians: oppressed. Israelis: oppressors. Inevitable consequence: Punish Israelis. They say Israelis, they mean Jews. Which is why vile “anti-Zionist” graffiti is posted right next to a Jewish cemetery in Denmark. Which is why anti-Semitic remarks are made at “anti-Zionist” rallies in Zurich.

To statements such as “until Israel ends its colonial oppression of the Palestinians” no answer is desired. No discussion is entertained. No debate is engaged. BDS is absolutist. There is no more absolutist act than murder. BDS, whatever its intent, is fanning the flames that kill Jews in the streets of Europe.

Copyright © 2015 by the Intermountain Jewish News


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