Richard Landes on Muslim anti-semitism

An important article in the Journal for the Study of Anti-Semitism by Professor Richard Landes:

We are faced with two opposing narratives: one in which the Muslims/Palestinians are victims who might be forgiven their imperialist Israeli-hate; and one in which the Israelis are victims, who might be forgiven their resistance to assaults from paranoid, sadistic antisemitism.

Why not toss a coin? Aside from the fact that in so doing one would greatly increase support for the imperialist Zionists to 50 percent, there are serious consequences to misreading this situation.

If I am wrong, and Palestinian hatred is merely a result of the occupation, then Israeli concessions should lessen Palestinian hatred. Of course, if the Palestinians really are rational—really want their own state rather than to destroy Israel, then they should be amenable to making some important moves toward reconciliation, such as, for example, cutting off the hate incitement on TV, and resettling their refugees out of the miserable camps they’ve been confined to since 1948.

If I am right, if Muslim antisemitism is profoundly rooted among Arabs and Muslims today, then it’s another story entirely. Solving the refugee problem by allowing these poor victims of war to have a real home is not on the Palestinian agenda. On the contrary, these refugees are designated victim-weapons in a war of annihilation.

If I am right, then every time Israel makes concessions, it encourages further aggressions. So despite the politically correct paradigm, each time Israel engages in anti-imperialist activities—withdrawing from most of the West Bank (1994-2000), southern Lebanon (2000), and Gaza (2005)—increased aggression occurred.

Read the whole thing.