Large segments of the public, the media, and certainly Israeli politics have turned the doctrine of “hasbara” into an art form, built on a victim mentality: the idea that as Israel’s standing in the world deteriorates, its share of responsibility for that deterioration diminishes — and that there are countless other culprits to blame.

This perception is self-reinforcing and essentially unchallengeable, because it is built on the premise that everything happening “justifies” it. When more countries distance themselves from Israel, when students protest around the world, when young and old Jews alike distance themselves from Israel and what it represents, and when public opinion turns against us — the conclusion is always the same: the world has gone mad.

The immediate suspect is always antisemitism. It does indeed exist, it is raising its head, and it demands a determined struggle. But in Israeli discourse, antisemitism has become more than a dangerous phenomenon — it has become a public relations laundering machine. Every criticism is fed into the washing machine, washed and wrung out thoroughly, and emerges as proof of antisemitism. Anyone who criticizes Israel is automatically labeled an antisemite. This allows us to avoid the uncomfortable question of whether Israeli government policies have any connection to how the State of Israel is perceived in the world — and to avoid any self-reflection whatsoever.

When antisemitism is not sufficient as an explanation, Qatari money is invoked. Qatar, it turns out, funds almost everything: campus protests, editorials, human rights organizations, congressional criticism........

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