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Bernie said Israel's response in Gaza was "disproportionate." He subsequently admitted he misstated casualty figure five fold...even over the numbers used by Hamas. So, Bernie, now that you are using lower numbers, was the response still disproportionate? Or is the important thing simply to echo the cliches of the left, regardless of the numbers?

Here's the thing. Criticism of Israel, whether we agree with it or not, is not, in itself either antisemitism nor anti-Zionism. But ideological anti-Zionism, meaning demonization and delegitimization of Israel and those who support Israel, is almost always accompanied with anti Semitic assumptions and, in any event, a prejudice in its own right even when the more blatant expressions of anti Semitism are not as apparent. On campus, it means that Jewish students face a hostile learning environment and intimidation in and out of the classroom. There is bullying. Threats of genocide of Israel's population and politicide of a member state of the UN is intolerable.

Rejecting Israel, the largest and most important enterprise of the Jewish people in modern times - and possibly ever - will meet with hostility by the Jewish community. The country has a mystique - which helps it and also hurts it - but when that mystique morphs into demonization, those who demonize have proven themselves bigots - in a society and at a time when bigots will find themselves correctly marginalized.

The term "McCarthyism" is misused in this article. McCarthyism is the criminal misuse of government power to misrepresent and ruin people by capitalizing on fear. Private philanthropies aren't government agencies and no laws have been violated. Additionally, McCarthyism isn't the same thing as anticommunism. There were prominent anticommunists who denounced the smear tactics and lies of Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthyism isn't even the same thing as blacklisting. In effect, most agencies blacklist, insofar as they will not invite certain persons who are not likely to advance their goals.

I am not saying I approve of the action of the JNF. I do not. I think there is room for left of center voices and think we need to listen to them. My only concern is the misuse of the loaded term "McCarthyism," which is, itself a smear tactic. Criticize the JNF, if you will, but do it accurately.

http://www.haaretz.com/wwwMobileSite/opinion/.premium-1.705254?v=F3F778CFF19F74900293D345B8042303

Al Quassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas, sent out this tweet. I suspected that they were lying, so I had a closer look at the photo. You'll see that the IDF is most certainly not placing a knife. Looks like they are inserting an IV.

Virtue. It is a good policy. It won't save you from all trouble and distress, but its rewards are greater than any alternative. My point is that doing the right thing is usually the easiest thing to do. And if so, why do anything else? The only real questions are 1. defining "the right thing," and 2. mastering ones self, passions, subjectivities which can get in the way of clear vision.

On Chanukah, we play with a dreidel. On Purim we make noise with a gragger. We spin both. The gragger, we spin from below and the dreidel, we spin from above. What does this teach us?
On Purim we were saved by the faith of a courageous woman, Queen Esther, who approached a human king. On Chanukah, we were saved by the courageous Maccabees, who put their faith in the Divine King. On Purim, we were saved from below, on Chanukah, from above.

Those who support Israel are often accused of conflating antisemitism with anti-Zionism. The two are, of course different, but often overlap and it is pointless to deny that Jew-hated lurks in corners of the BDS community.

I am posting a copy of a tweet that was sent out the other day by the Associate Editor of the Electronic Intifada to her 75 thousand followers. You can judge for yourself if this crosses the line.

I humbly suggest that it is a bit much to blame hostility to Muslims as principally the work of "Zionists" (which means Jews and their "Crusader" allies), spending their Jewish money. The zealous actions of many Islamic state and non state actors might--just might--have something to do with Islamophobia.

This tweet isn't about settlements or checkpoints. It is conspiracy theory nonsense. It is hate speech.

By all means criticize Israel. States should be criticized. But it is important that everybody assume appropriate responsibility. One of the greatest strengths of the West is the willingness to be self critical. It is a virtue worthy of emulation.

Dr. Ben Carson has said that a Muslim shouldn't be president. His comments aren't acceptable.The Constitution guarantees equality before the law. While we all know that the social reality lags behind that ideal - and so does the law itself, on occasion, when unfairly applied - we have every right to expect that a U.S. President will faithfully execute his/her office to  uphold, protect and defend the Constitution. There will be no religious test for public office. None. Anybody who can't be reconciled to that requirement, has no business running for president.

New UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn refused to sing the National Anthem at a service commemorating the Battle of Britain. He is against the monarchy, which is his prerogative. Perhaps he doesn't want God to save the Queen.

Question: he is a member of Parliament. Did he take the following oath, required of all MPs before taking their seats? Could he explain why he took a monarchist oath, but refused to sing a monarchist anthem?

He is entitled to be a republican and work toward the abolition of the monarchy. He is not entitled to misrepresent himself. To be an MP, he doesn't have to be a monarchist, but he must be loyal to the constitution as presently constituted, even if he subsequently works to change it.

Additionally, he is a pacifist. That is very sweet, but is it his intention to disband HM Armed Forces?