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03/07/2006:

"Accusations of anti-semitic chic are poisonous intellectual thuggery"

Attempts to brand the left as anti-Jewish because of its support of Palestinian rights only make it harder to tackle genuine racism.

Variants of this theme have become common since the breakdown of the Middle East peace process, and especially since 9/11. The left is said to be in the grip of what the rightwing American columnist George Will has called an "anti-semitic chic". Instead of declaring its hatred of Jews openly, this new antisemitism is expressed indirectly through criticism of Israel or even opposition to Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. A particularly meretricious version suggests that opposition to American foreign policy, or even criticism of neoconservatives, is really a coded form of anti-semitism.
guardian.co.uk