“When it finally happened, and someone I knew compared Israelis to fascists, I looked at her post for an hour before I gathered the courage — after four decades of keeping quiet — to speak up. Virtually, at least.”
–Margarita Gokun Silver, “From Russia With Anti-Semitism” (OZY)
“I feel a bit like a curmudgeon when I complain that the march’s wonderful joining of the victims of the attacks—journalists, polices, and Jews alike—felt hypocritical. But, given the silence at every other attack on Jews, it seems clear that the only reason the public at large paid attention was because of the Charlie Hebdo connection. I sadly predict that in the future, if only Jews are victims, people will just shake their heads and move on.
I stress: I am not asking for sympathy. I ask the general European population to recognize that these attacks directly threaten them and the liberal democratic society they treasure. It begins with the Jews but it never ends with them. They must realize that they ignore atrocities against Jews at their own—not just our—peril.”
Source: Deborah Lipstadt, “Hypocrisy After the Paris Terror Attacks” (Tablet)
“Regrettably, instead of giving voice to the aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis, this text addresses the concerns of only one side. It is deeply imbalanced and contains many elements that are not conducive to negotiations between the parties, including unconstructive deadlines that take no account of Israel’s legitimate security concerns. In addition, this resolution was put to a vote without a discussion or due consideration among Council members, which is highly unusual, especially considering the gravity of the matter at hand. We must proceed responsibly, not take actions that would risk a downward spiral.”
–Ambassador Samantha Power, “Explanation of Vote at the Security Council Session on the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question”
“[The American Historical Association] would instead be correctly seen as an organization that places political opinions ahead of assiduous scholarship. It would send a chill especially to young scholars whose careers could be ended or damaged if they were to take a different view of these events.”
–Jeffrey Herf, quoted in “US Academic Org Ushers in New Year with Anti-Israel Vote” (The Times of Israel)
“[N]ot only does the committee stop short of calling for Salaita’s restoration, it also cites ‘legitimate concerns’ about whether Salaita’s anti-Israel expressions on social media make him ill-equipped to stand before a classroom.”
–Liel Leibovitz. “U. of Illinois: Donors Didn’t Derail Salaita Hiring” (Tablet)
“Why, indeed, is it that the Palestinians rejected Israel’s offer for an independent Palestinian state comprised of virtually all of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and a capital in East Jerusalem in 2000, in 2001, and then again in 2008? After all, acceptance of any of those peace deals would have resulted not just in an end to the settlement construction that the Palestinians assert is the obstacle to peace, but the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from the West Bank. What inference is a reasonable person to draw from that rejection?”
–Jeff Robbins, “A ‘Very Good Question’ in Mideast Conflict” (Boston Globe)
“Moreover, we were distraught about his implication that so many news sources have anti-Israel tendencies because Israel is in the wrong.”
–Hayley Nagelberg, “Today I Was Asked By CNN If I Am Brain Dead” (The Times of Israel)
“Another opportunity in the Holy Land has been lost. The waste is unconscionable, tragedy indeed.”
–Roger Cohen, “Why Israeli-Palestinian Peace Failed” (The New York Times)