The critics of Israel insist they do not hate Israel or the Jewish people; they merely oppose the policies of the current Israeli government. If that claim were consistently true, their outrage would be directed exclusively at Israeli political leaders, government ministries, military decision-makers, and the policies they believe are objectionable. Political disagreement is a normal feature of every democracy, including Israel’s own vibrant and often contentious political system.

Yet that is not what we increasingly witness.

Instead, anger over Israel frequently spills far beyond the borders of the Jewish state and lands squarely on Jews who have no influence whatsoever over Israeli policy. The line separating criticism of the Israeli government from hostility toward the entire Jewish people is crossed with disturbing regularity.

What needs to be answered is why are synagogues vandalized and Jewish community centers threatened? Why are Jewish-owned businesses boycotted, defaced, or attacked? Why are Jewish cemeteries desecrated? Why are visibly Jewish men and women assaulted on city streets thousands of miles from Jerusalem simply because they wear a kippah, a Star of David, or other symbols of their faith? Why are Jewish students........

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