Opinion

Howard Jacobson the antisemite

July 30, 2010 12:49
1 min read

In today's JC (http://www.thejc.com/comment-and-debate/comment/36256/anti-zionism-facts...), Howard Jacobson somewhat surprisingly comes to the defence of Caryl Churchill. Whilst being unequivocal in his condemnation of her play, "Seven Jewish Children", he concedes that "I'd be surprised if Caryl Churchill ... turned out to be antisemitic in her person".

However, Jewish critics of Israel don't get any such benefit of the doubt. "When it comes to Jewish anti-Zionists, their Jew-hatred is barely disguised, not in what they say about Israel but in the contempt they show for the motives and feelings of fellow-Jews who do not think as they do."

So, according to Jacobson, Jews qua Jews are not entitled to hold opinions which other people are. Strikes me as a classic example of antisemitism.