You describe the relentless psychological war on Israel with great precision in your Editorial, “Who’s Teaching (Defending) Zionism Anymore?” (Feb. 28). It’s one thing to question Israeli policies, virtually a national sport in Israel itself. It’s quite another to assert that Israel is illegitimate, or to seek through boycott, divestment, and sanctions to undermine the nation and flood it with enough refugees to alter its Jewish character. These latter opponents give immeasurable comfort to anti-Semites everywhere. Even legitimate questioning of Israeli policies in non-Jewish, public venues emboldens those with more nefarious motives than changing a national policy. That’s not an argument against engaging in such questioning; it’s a plea for care and caution.
The unrestrained emotions of those who question the Zionist enterprise sometimes stand in contrast to the stunned and docile reactions of those who support Israel. This situation reminds me of the William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming” in which the poet writes: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity.” It’s time for friends of Israel to summon the will and determination to stand up against this psychological onslaught with facts and boundless energy.
