I am the first to admit, and regret, the disturbing and intemperate
language of the paragraph, but in context its meaning is not
alarming. My correspondent has reproached me for showing no
interest in further investigations into Jewish power. Having
failed to demonstrate that Jews control America, he nevertheless
wants me to endorse open-ended, unsystematic investigations into
Jewish ownership. He wants me, that is, to help him dig up dirt on
the Jews, in the guise of pursuing The Truth.
In this context, it could hardly be clearer that my reply concerns
my political writing, not my academic work. My political writing
has a political, not an academic purpose; it is to help the
Palestinians. For reasons detailed in the "Jewish power' article
under discussion, I believe that the myth of Jewish control of
America - an antisemitic myth - harms and discredits the Palestinian
cause. So I say that, even if it is true that Jews own this or that
or the other thing, I am not *interested* in such truths.
...
What then of the statement: "If it means encouraging vicious,
racist anti-Semitism, or the destruction of the state of Israel, I
still don't care"?
In the first place, as the preceding statements make clear, I am
stressing the importance of the Palestinian cause by considering
extreme possibilities. I first say that "if talking about Jewish
power doesn't fit my strategy, I won't talk about it." In other
words, I first say that I will not uncover truths detrimental to the
Jewish people if that doesn't help the Palestinians. This hardly
sounds like the project of an antisemite.
In the second place, the statement is neither antisemitic, nor does
it encourage antisemitism. It raises a remote possibility, and
says that, should what I do - my writing - encourage antisemitism,
that will not deter me. As I said in my letter to the National
Post: "I will not self-censor my writings because they may be
misused by antisemites, and it is only in this very particular and
limited sense that I 'don't care' about encouraging antisemitism.
Antisemites misuse all sorts of materials, includin g the statements
of committed Zionists and of Mahatma Gandhi. It would be futile and
impossible for me to tailor my writings to avoid such misuse." The
notion that I would even contemplate deliberately cultivating
antisemitism is absurd, not only because my family has been
decimated by (Nazi) antisemites, but also because I have argued, at
length, that Zionists manipulate antisemitism to their own purposes.
