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Read other letters about this article
"Not everyone believes the myth. In fact, only a minority of Americans do. But the Israel rules must be obeyed nonetheless, lest one be accused of anti-Semitism, radicalism, sympathy for terrorists, or, more subtly, lest one anger or offend one's friends and acquaintances."
Like no other issue that I can think of, except abortion, this one brings out the extremist thinking and positions, with most people's attitudes hardened for or against Israel. That's why I like Kamiya's article, in addition to his command of facts: his understanding of the various mythical, psychological, and cultural bases for the American support of Israel--to our detriment, and ultimately theirs.
In my community, there has been a longstanding "war" in the letters column of our newspaper between local Zionists and those few (foolhardy) folks who attempt to present the Palestinians' side of things. The latter are viciously savaged after every letter they write, often by faraway rabbis, with rhetoric that usually includes some charges of anti-semitism, as well as the usual folk tales about Israelis and Palestinians (Israel the Noble Victim; Palestine the Backwards Fanatical Terrorist). I know for a fact that some of them are treated as personas non grata in some circles--if they could be cast out of the community, some people here would love to do that. Needless to say, people who agree with them and are critical of Israel look at what abuse they suffer and think "not for me." You could lose important business, professional, and social contacts in a relatively small city in the Midwest just by virtue of proclaiming sympathy for the Palestinians. This obviously is not good for the Jews, which the most progressive of them see only too clearly.
It is always disturbing to see otherwise intelligent, caring people harden their hearts against the obvious carnage going on in Gaza right now. Over time, you grow weary of trying to understand the historical basis for their hatred. You just want them to wake up and realize that hatred gets them nowhere--they have to try to help Israel grow up.
