To famed attorney and author Alan Dershowitz, neutrality bites.
In his new book “The Case for Israel,” Dershowitz stands before the court of public opinion and argues passionately for the Jewish state, while eviscerating much of the pro-Palestinian view of Middle East history, past and present.
In a time of rising anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, Dershowitz’s book is a welcome tonic to those who believe in Israel. Because Dershowitz has been an outspoken critic of many Israeli government policies, he cannot be labeled a useful idiot of the Zionists. He is, rather, an independent thinker of rigorous intellect. That intellect is put to good use in his approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
While that conflict is famously complex, Dershowitz adroitly distills it into 32 questions. In each chapter he states an accusation against Israel, the contradicting reality and its irrefutable proof.
Among those questions: “Is Israel a colonial, imperialist state?” “Is Israeli occupation the cause of all the problems?” “Is Israel the prime human rights violator in the world?”
Through logic, reason and historical fact, Dershowitz undermines the stridency of the anti-Israel crowd. One of his most effective devices is the use of quotes from anti-Israeli critics, e.g., Noam Chomsky and Edward Said, whose vitriol strays into the realm of anti-Semitism. For supporters of Israel, it’s sweet to have Dershowitz rebut these apologists for terror, using their own words against them.
In the chapter “Did Israel create the Arab refugee problem?” Dershowitz quotes Chomsky: “The Israelis engaged in ethnic cleansing during the 1947-1948 War … [historian] Benny Morris has shown that the Arab population ‘was driven out’…” He goes on to show that Morris, a critic of Israel, actually contends a very different view, and that the ongoing Arab refugee problem was almost entirely caused by Arabs themselves.
To cite another example, in “Is Israel a racist state?” Dershowitz debunks the notion propounded in the chapter title. Hacking away at the hypocrisy of the other side, the author notes how all neighboring states in the region have an officially established religion, Islam, and discriminate against non-Muslims, especially Jews. He contrasts that fact with Israel’s pluralistic society, adding: “Several other states and the Palestinian Authority have laws of return, and Jordan has a law prohibiting Jews from becoming citizens, but only Israel is condemned for its law of return.”
While the author methodically tackles one question at a time, when taken as a whole, his book brings into focus just how effective Israel’s enemies have been in their propaganda war. By asking 32 tough questions, each of which has been muddied with disinformation, Dershowitz tacitly acknowledges the inroads Israel’s detractors have made.
“The Case for Israel” is comparable to those handbooks some Jewish groups hand out to deflect Jews for Jesus and other missionary groups. Friends of Israel need ammo. They need cogent, reasoned arguments to counter those that would take down the Jewish state. Dershowitz’s latest work provides them, and he should be applauded.
On the down side, for supporters of Israel, satisfaction with Dershowitz’s “Case for Israel” goes only so far. The most enduring feeling one is left with after reading the book is something akin to a dull hangover: Why was this book even necessary? Are that many people around the world so deluded, so willing to swallow unpardonable lies about Israel? Clearly, ominously, yes.
“The Case for Israel” by Alan Dershowitz (272 pages, John Wiley & Sons, $19.95)