So often in this country today when anyone, Jewish or Gentile criticizing Israel's policy in the Middlle East, and it damn well needs thorough condemnation, it's met with the absolutely phony charge of anti Semitism. Norman Solomon who is Jewish says that in a Common Dreams article dated May 7, 2006. These false charges of anti Semitism stifle debate and the completely justified criticism of Isreal which Arch Bishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela have made comparing Israel's treatment of the Palestinians with racist Apartheid South Africa's treatment of blacks.

An Israel military officer has admitted Israel that his country used cluster bombs up the kazoo in Lebanon. Add to that Israel uses its own death squads to knock off Palestinian leaders Israel doesn't like. It has policies toward the Palestinians which as Mandela and Tutu above refer to are really apartheid, separatist policies. Such policies are a formula for permanent war as are this US administration's foreign policies.

Here's a clue. Look at what Albert Einstein and other prominent American Jews said about Menachem Begin and his followers, who were surely less far to the right than those currently controlling the Israeli government. In a letter to the New York Times on December 4, 1948 they said, "Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our times is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the 'Freedom Party' (Tnuat Haherut) a politcal party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and soical appeal to the Nazi and Fascist Parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the Irgun vai Leumi, a terrorist, right wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine." The letter continues, "The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the Israelit elections. . . Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. It is inconeivable that those who oppose fascism throughout the world, if correctly informed as to Mr Begin's political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents."

On April 1, 1952 Einstein expressed concern about the need to curb "a kind of nationalism which has arisen in Israel if only to permit a friendly and fruitful coexistence with the Arabs." What would Einstein be saying now almost surely would be much more critical as things in Israel have much further to the right.

As Solomon so aptly points out Tricky Dick was surely a strong booster of the Israeli military and government,
but his anti Semitism is absolutely documented by Oval Office tapes showing a most extreme bigotry against Jews. Solomon also makes the most essential point that anti Semitism and opposition to Israeli policies are completely distinct matters, and need to be kept that way to avoid stifling needed debate over those policies. Like many other American Jews, Solomon visited Israel-- visited relatives on a kibbutz and in Tel Aviv in 1959. Solomon says if the US news media covered the Middle East with a single standard instead of the current double standard always favoring Israel no matter what, then debate over the Middle East would show how US Government support for Israeli policies then it would put in jeopardize this government's support for such policies. This he bases on information from the Israel human rights organization B'Tselem. The information documents systematic violation of Palestinian rights. Generally, Solomon contends Palestinian violence gets front page coverage and prominent broadcast coverage, but Israeli horrible homocides against Palestinians get little coverage with a tone lacking in any emotion.

The last two decades has seen more and more American Jews willing to criticize Israeli policies, despite such Israel-can-do-no-wrong outfits as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the American Jewish Committee, and the anti Defamation League. As Solomon puts it the USA's "biggest anti Semitism problem (today) has to do with he misuse of the label as a manipulative tactic to to short circuit debate about Washington's alliance with Israel."