Are Critics of Israel Anti-Semitic?

Are critics of Israel truly motivated by the suffering of the Palestinian Arabs or by their own hatred of Jews? That is the question that I would like to consider.

On the evidence of comments listed in the media and in books, the real cause of the misery of the Palestinian Arabs is not seriously considered by critics of Israel. The inescapable conclusion is that critics of Israel are mainly motivated NOT by sympathy for the Arabs but by hate for the Jews.

What do I mean? Only this: the chief cause of the misery of the Palestinian Arabs is not Israel but the leadership of the Palestinian Arabs, first Arafat and then Abbas and Hamas.

How did Arafat mistreat the Palestinian Arabs? Only in the following ways:

1. Arafat stole most of their money. At the time of his death, Arafat had a fortune estimated by various sources of at least 300 million dollars, or as much as 3 billion. Money that had been contributed for the development of the Palestinian Arab nation was stolen by Arafat and hidden in foreign accounts. Substantial amounts were paid to Arafat's cronies who built grand seaside villas and drove Mercedes automobiles. Also, Arafat's wife who lived in Paris with their daughter received a stipend of $100,000 per month. At his death, she accepted a settlement of $22 million.

2. Instead of providing an excellent education for Palestinian children (a requirement for developing a modern democratic state with a high standard of living), Arafat taught them to hate Jews, gave them guns and explosives and directed them to become suicide murderers.

3. Instead of providing jobs for his people, he sent them to be day workers in Israel in low level jobs. At the check points, Arafat's cronies extorted payments from these poor people.

4. Open sewers in the streets of Gaza.

5. Miserable living conditions inside and outside the refugee camps.

6. No freedom of speech. Beatings and disappearances.

7. And in the typical fashion of a tyrant, incessant defamation of Jews.

None of these crimes committed against the Palestinian Arabs by their own leaders are even considered by the enthusiastic critics of Israel. What could the reason be? Obviously, the "high-minded" critics really have no concern for the Palestinian Arabs. What they have is a hate for Jews. So they accept uncritically the fantasies cooked up by Arafat, Hamas and their ilk and have a go at Israel.