Anti-Semitism, Nader, Israel and name-calling.
By: Hank Kalet
Over the weekend, I wrote a short item criticizing Ralph Nader for his use of some unfortunate language in his criticism of Israel. The responses were harsh and misconstrued my position on the entire affair. (Much of it also was vicious and nasty, a screed of name-calling and bullying straight out of the Bill O’Reilly playbook.)
First, I am very critical of the Israeli government and the occupation. I am supportive of either a two-state solution or a single, non-religious state and think the U.S. government has not been an unbiased actor in the region.
Second, Mr. Nader seems to have carefully constructed his criticisms to play to the worst elements on the left and some on the right. It is not anti-Semitic to criticize Israel and I do not think Mr. Nader is an anti-Semite. But his language, by evoking the Jew as puppeteer, plays to sympathies the anti-Semites.