Cross-posted at [http://www.iowaliberal.com Iowa Liberal]
Richard Cohen has endured no shortage of contempt for his irresistable urge to occasionally be a complete bonehead (look at the google search of his name and "idiot"). However given his recent piece on Al Gore and today's column on the Walt and Mearsheimer paper, he's demonstrated that he's not required to be a bonehead, he just volunteers sometimes.
Today he definitely hits the mark. The fact that those who do hate Jews will sieze upon anything critical of Israel does not mean one can no longer criticize Israel. The same smear tactic has been used baselessly against Noam Chomsky and Juan Cole.
The difference is that those who do hate Jews are rather transparent about it, whereas honest critics of Israel must have most of their character and beliefs ignored in order to capitalize on their most provocative statements and conclusions. In my experience, about the second I open my mouth on Israel somebody's calling me an anti-Semite (see my Dkos diary scuffle "Euston Meat Beat Manifesto"). As Cole says, the main target of the criticism are Likudniks. In other words, the Israeli version of the one third of the American populace that still thinks George W. is doing a stellar job.
Small minds think alike. One who has a problem with fascist fundamentalists in America is seen as waging war on Christianity. One who has a problem with fascist racists in Israel is seen as waging war on all Jews. Why? Well, of course, they think they're the only true members of their clan. Only fundamentalists are real Christians, and only Likudniks really represent Jewish people, in their minds. In reality, they are minorities who cannot resist rhetoricaly clinging to the larger group in self-defense. Like the true brothers they are (even though the fundamentalist Christians think the Jews are going to hell), they will say anything and feel no shame.