Alexander Cockburn (EDT), Jeffrey St. Clair (EDT) The Politics of Anti-Semitism

Annotation

Critics of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza have often been tarred with the epithet of anti-Semitism. In this series of 18 essays drawn from the print and online versions of the journal CounterPunch , writers such as journalist Robert Fisk and historian Norman Finklestein describe their own encounters with the phenomenon and dissect its impact and role in stifling political debate. Others explore definitions of anti-Semitism, drawing distinctions between the genuine malignancy of prejudice and rational criticisms of policy. The role of the Israel lobby in U.S. Congressional foreign policy decisions is discussed in a number of contributions. Finally, the late scholar Edward Said describes the horrors experienced by the Palestinian people under the occupation and the proper moral response of one who respects human dignity for all people.