London Review of Books editor Mary Kay Wilmers is lashing out at critics of her decision to publish The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy. And all we can do is scratch our heads in wonder. Peter Beaumont of The Observer writes:
Wilmers believes, too, that the most angry denunciations of anti-Semitism – while designed to serve the purpose of censorship by those attempting to forestall criticism of Israel – may actually encourage anti-Semitism in the long run.
‘It serves a purpose. No one wants to be thought of as anti-Semitic because it is thought of as worse than anything else, although it is not worse being anti-Semitic than being anti-black or Islamophobic.
‘Really, one of the most upsetting things is the way it can contribute to anti-Semitism in the long run just by making so many constant appeals and preventing useful criticism of Israel. No one can say Israel’s posture does not contribute to anti-Semitism, yet charges of anti-Semitism are used to justify that policy.’
Does anyone understand what Wilmers (or Beaumont, for that matter) are trying to say?
