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The Internet has done wonders for one group of people. The anti-Israel crowd. They believe it is legitimate to publicly “hate” Israel and to charge Israel with “crimes against humanity” and “genocide and massacre against the Palestinians.”

The group is comprised of a mixture of Arab intellectuals living in the US and Americans from the far right and from the far Left, all united in their belief that the Israeli government has had a “secret policy to destroy the Palestinian people going back 50 years to deprive them of their independence.” Many of these people believe that due to Israel’s “crimes against humanity” the State of Israel is illegitimate and should be expelled from the family of nations.

Throughout the Internet there are various discussion groups and press services catering to these anti-Israel views. Arab and Palestinians intellectual along with the far right-wing and far left-wing ideologues rule these sites and user groups. The standard fare is condemnation of Israel. The moment they don’t hear that you as a contributor to the discussion group aren’t prepared to immediately condemn Israel for “mass brutality” and “genocide perpetrated against the Palestinians” you are branded as an apologist for Israel, or a racist, or fascist. In other words, in their minds, Israel is assumed guilty.

This is anti-Israelism. No, it isn’t anti-Semitism, merely anti-Israelism. Hated against the people and nation of Israel.

Anti-Israelism is also widespread on college campuses. The extreme Left-wingers join forces with the Arab student societies and to systematically condemn Israel in university sponsored and funded forums and lectures. Year-in and year-out on certain US college campuses, Israel is accused of “crimes against the Palestinian people.” Much of this paid for with public funds (most private, i.e., expensive, liberal arts colleges have few Arab students and thus experience very little of this “anti-Israel” demonstrations).

Now here is the question: What if it was France that was being charged with the crime of “genocide” and “massacres” against another people? What if the Danish government was the brunt of these allegations? Or the Dutch? How would these countries react? Would they complain to the university administration to deny funding to these groups which “preach hatred towards another country” or would they shrug their shoulders and contend, “in western democracies all people are allowed to publicly condemn other countries and their peoples. It is their right?”

Let’s Stop Calling Them Anti-Semites When They Are Anti-Israelites

I am not for a moment suggesting that it is anti-Semitism which is the problem here. I agree with these anti-Israeli voices when they claim that being anti-Israel is not synonymous with anti-Semitism. It isn’t. They don’t hate Jews, they point out, they just hate Israel. They admit that are “anti” Israel and have every right to make any claim about Israel without being branded “anti-Semitic”.

I agree. However such reasoning legitimizes hatred towards a nationality. While anti-Israel sentiments should not be classified as anti-Semitic, they can still be considered morally wrong just as it would be morally wrong for someone to claim the Dutch government is responsible for the genocide of another peoples- if the Dutch government is not guilty of that crime. Unless these critics of Israel can prove that the Israeli government has a secret plan to commit genocide, and that the government of Israel commits genocide against the Palestinians, they should not be allowed to make these charges in public arenas.

Ah, you say, that would be censorship.

Not really, just accepted norms of behavior in a civilized society. If someone writes an article in a newspaper or publishes it on the Internet that former US president Bill Clinton is a pedophile as well being a child abuser, unless proof can be shown of these charges, Bill Clinton could sue that person in a court of law for liable. Why then, should the state of Israel, be treated any differently? It is possible to sue a nation state for damages for a variety of reasons and causes. Why then can’t a nation state sue someone for “maligning its character” in public?

In a civilized society should it be permitted to publicly hate another country and its people and be able to accuse its leadership with such horrible crimes as “genocide” and “massacres”? While everyone should be free to make and publish those charges- they need to have proof. Having it as someone’s personal opinion does not quality for proof and does not give someone a right to express hatred towards another people or nationality.

If the crimes Israel is charged with by anti-Israel forces were directed against another country, say the UK, Germany, Finland, Belgium or Italy, these country’s ambassadors would be in Washington demanding and end to the campaign of hate against the good name and reputation of their country. Unfortunately, however, anti-Israelism has become accepted as a legitimate political expression. In most civil societies anti-Jewish sentiments are frowned upon. Yet in those same countries it is perfectly acceptable for Arabs to express hatred of Israel.

In other words, anti-Israel voices claim they are anti-Israel but not anti-Semitic and thus have every right to reserve their hatred just for Israel. Yet if you identify yourself as being anti-Egyptian doesn’t it mean you don’t like the Egyptian people or the Egyptian state- or both. If I am anti-France I am anti the French people. Would it be morally acceptable to say: “I don’t hate the Italian people, I just hate Italy?”

Why is it not permissible to hate Jews but it is permissible to hate Israelis?

A public expression of hatred against another country must be confronted in the courts with libel and slander suits. No one has a right to use the public airwaves to incite hatred against another country or its people. The normalization and legitimization of hatred of Israel must be arrested. It isn’t permissible to hate Israel anymore than it is permissible to hate Greece, Nambia, Denmark, Japan or Brazil. Anti-Israel forums and organizations should not be allowed to so freely preach hatred against Israel. It should be a crime to preach hatred against another country or its people.

Time For Anti-Israel Voices To Either Put Up Or Shut Up

The right to free speech doesn’t mean one can scream “fire” in a crowded theater. Accusations against another country can still be made. But they must be backed up by a reasonable amount of proof. If they have the proof and aren’t afraid of being sued, then by all means it should be presented to the public in all spheres. At the very least, anyone making the accusations should be aware that they face libel and slander suits if they can’t back up their accusations with a reasonable amount of proof. This should apply to all public political discourse- not just in relation to Israel.

People can think anything they want and they should be able to discuss these views in a private setting. This breaks no laws of liable nor does it promote hatred in public. However what they should not be allowed to do is to publicly express hatred towards another people or country and use a university or other public institutions and airwaves as arenas to spread hatred against Israel.

Unlike many in Israel or the Diaspora Jewish community, I am ready to admit that Israel is committing war crimes and mass genocide against the Palestinians. I just want someone to show me the proof instead of giving me his or her opinions.
For all those anti-Israel critics on the Internet and on college campuses I say, either put up or shut up. If there is proof of Israel’s long-time plan to suppress Palestinian nationalism and keep them from returning to lands they once left, or of a conspiracy to commit war crimes against the Palestinians, then show it to us.

If Israel is “massacring the Palestinians”, then show us the tens of thousands of corpses as proof. If you don’t have anything of substance to back up your claim, then shop making these inflammatory accusations in public or risk civil suits in the courts.