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Notes -
That doesn't necessarily mean that accusations of anti-Semitism are wrong. When people apply double standards to Israel; when people who don't usually care about third-world people suddenly care a great deal about Palestinian Arabs; when those same people don't care about the way Lebanon treats Palestinian Arabs; etc., it's difficult to reach any other conclusion that their views are substantially informed by anti-Semitism.
I heard a counterargument from Daryl Cooper of Martyr made podcast that it is okay to have double standard and expect more from Israel - because they are western democracy. It is the same logic where US military has to behave perfectly despite fighting literal genocidal maniacs and other lunatic cults. Everybody expects that Putin or Xijinping will do gangster shit. Nobody is surprised that some muslim radicals are right this second genociding Christians in Darfur or Nigeria or that there are literal slave markets in Libya selling black slaves - not even BLM gives a shit. But that all pales in comparison with war crimes of western countries.
In a sense it is cynically logical - you will criticize somebody you can actually influence. There is no need to criticize Kim Jong Un, he does not care. Not even new pope Leo criticized him yet, in fact he is supposedly building diplomatic bridge with North Korea. Of course pope had a lot to say about US immigration policy or conduct of Iran war or about tyrants waging war - while dining with literal murderer Cameroon leader who is in power since 1982.
I don't know Daryl Cooper, but my question is this: Is he also willing to grant Israel more leeway; more support from the West; etc. because Israel is a "western democracy"?
For example:
Of course Israel having nuclear weapons is not a big concern -- Israel is a western democracy.
Of course we should be comfortable with US arms sales to Israel -- Israel is a western democracy.
No, the International Criminal Court should not go after Israeli leadership. Israel is a western democracy and if Netanyahu had actually committed any war crimes, his own government would have prosecuted him.
No, Israel is not an apartheid state. Rather, it is a western democracy.
Of course people should side with Israel over Hamas. Israel is a western democracy and Hamas is a terrorist organization.
The UN's extreme bias against Israel is show by its condemnation of Israel -- a western democracy -- far more than the most brutal and ruthless dictatorships.
Or how about this:
Yes, I am criticizing Israel at the moment, but while doing so I must emphasize that Israel, as a western democracy, is far superior to its enemies in terms of respect for human rights.
If he is willing to do these things, or least some of them, then his position is defensible. Otherwise, it sounds like a rationalization to me.
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