Susan Shapiro wrote an article to say something that is
clear enough, but in the process also said something that can lead to a useful
idea.
She wrote “Old-school hate at The New School,” an article
that also came under the subtitle: “The university is wrong to put Linda
Sarsour on a panel.” It was published on November 26, 2017 in the New York
Daily News. The point Shapiro makes is that hate is bad, Linda Sarsour is
spreading hate, therefore Linda Sarsour and all those like her must not be
allowed to exercise their right to free speech. She could not be clearer than
that.
But when you analyze what Shapiro says Sarsour is saying,
you conclude that Sarsour is also decrying the spreading of hate because it is
a bad thing. The difference between the two women is seen in the manner that
each wants to remedy the situation. Whereas Shapiro says: “Deprive my opponent
of her First Amendment,” Sarsour says: “Do not deprive the American people of
their constitutional right to buy what they wish to consume, or to boycott what
they feel is immoral to encourage”.
Glossing at the two arguments in a cursory way, we find them
to be equally compelling. If they don't to some of us, we pretend they do at
least for now. We do because we must designate one of the arguments as winner,
and be fair about the process that leads us to making our choice. Lucky for us,
we discover that Susan Shapiro has already tried something along this line. She
set up a test by which to determine how bad some activities are, and who
practices them. A condensed version of the relevant passages to that effect
follows:
“When someone scapegoats Israel but ignores the crimes
committed by the 1.8 billion people in 50 Muslim-majority countries, which
proves racism against Jews. Why don't Sarsour and BDS proponents boycott Syria ? Or Saudi Arabia ,
home of beheadings? Most lists of countries with human rights abuses include
Jordan, Libya, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates, Yemen,
Iraq and Kuwait –– none of which Sarsour publicly rallies against. More worthy
of slurs and sanctions is Hamas. They spend millions on explosives smuggled
through underground tunnels. Though less than 2% of the U.S. population is Jewish, the FBI has
documented anti-Semitic hate crimes surging in America too”.
In saying that someone is scapegoating Israel , Shapiro says that someone is victimizing
Israel .
She goes on to claim that 1.8 billion Muslims commit similar crimes, but are
ignored. Thus, she concludes this can only be an expression of racism. But what
did Susan Shapiro really establish with that passage?
For one thing she has admitted that Israel commits
crimes for which it is held accountable. But does that mean the Muslims are not
held accountable? She seems to so insinuate but then contradicts herself by
admitting that not just one list but “most lists of countries with human rights
abuses include Jordan , Libya …” These
countries are on the list to be held accountable. So then, what does it mean
that Israel
is victimized? It means that Susan Shapiro is playing the demonic game of
attributing to Israel the
pain that Israel
is inflicting on the Palestinians. It's the occupation, stupid! That's the
crime which sets Israel
apart from everyone else.
Shapiro goes on to ask: “Why don't Sarsour and BDS
proponents boycott Syria ?
Or Saudi Arabia ?
Or the list of Arab countries –– none of which Sarsour publicly rallies
against.” The answer to those questions is simple. For every Sarsour rallying
against Israel 's occupation
of Palestine ,
there are ten thousand Jews rallying against the Arab countries for every
little thing they commit, and everything they are falsely accused of
committing.
The writer of the article now switches her attention to
Hamas. She says that they deserve being slandered and boycotted more than
anyone because they spend millions of dollars on explosives. True or false,
exaggerated or not, if what Shapiro wants is justice, and knowing that for
every dollar Hamas spends on weapons, Israel spends ten thousand dollars, it
must be she mentally processed that Israel is ten thousand times “more worthy
of slurs and sanctions [than] Hamas”.
And this could well be the reason why her subconscious mind
made her cite this piece of statistics: “Though less than 2% of the U.S. population is Jewish, the FBI has
documented anti-Semitic hate crimes surging in America too.” It means Shapiro has
finally realized that Jews are hated not because humanity suffers from a
genetic defect called anti-Semitism, but because the Jews work hard to create
anti-Semitism, nurture it and maintain it.