Israel Matzav: Israel-hatred as psychopathy

Israel-hatred as psychopathy

In London last week, an Israeli string quartet was shouted down by a group of anti-Israel protesters. Daily Telegraph blogger Douglas Murray understands what's behind the protests.

I won’t go on, other than to say the following two things.

The first is that this must constitute one of the most misanthropy-inducing acts imaginable. There are all sorts of disagreements which occur on the international stage – some you agree with, some you do not. But the idea that these disagreements should be fought out on the concert stage epitomises some new kind of low for anybody who believes that the world is improved, rather than made worse, by culture.

Which brings me to my second point – which is that this protest was of course not about culture, but about hate. What is happening to Israel, on our campuses and trade unions, in our Parliament and now in our concert halls, is a process of delegitimisation and exceptionalism which has been crafted with a deliberate aim in mind. Its aim is the annihilation of the Jewish state. That Jews aim to lead the way in this endeavour shows that this is not simply an opinion or an activity, but a psychopathy. At all times in human history people like them have existed. Ordinarily you find them on street corners, with placards round their necks, hollering, gibbering and selling pencils out of a cup. Nothing could shame them.

Unfortunately, we Jews have a long history of being self-destructive. The prophet Isaiah warned that those who would destroy us will come from among us. Unfortunately, we see that prophecy being fulfilled almost daily on the international stage. Check out how many attacks against Israel come from Jews. Look at the Jews in the US who have abandoned Israel because it no longer fits their liberal credos (not to mention the Jews in Europe who never supported Israel in the first place). It's truly appalling.

Israel Matzav: Israel-hatred as psychopathy