Helen,
The issue is the blockade is utterly ineffective and propaganda victory for Gaza. If there was a complete and utter cutoff from Israel – no people in, no people out, no goods out, no goods in and no fuel supplied, no “humanitarian aid”, no money, no taxes – nothing. Just say as far as we are concerned Gaza simply doesn’t exist and most importantly keep to it then it might have been worthwhile. What is happening now is the worse of both worlds, that Hamas gets the PR victory without much of the pain. Useless Israeli politicians boast about what they will do when every person with two brain cells know nothing is going to be done. That’s the objection – which I think Ms Goldman is referring to.
Judy, whilst I would love to think that “anti-semiticism” is the reason, I am afraid most of the “academics” are ignorant sheep and condemning Israel because it is a easy popular cause that ticks off the boxes – supporting “underdog”, tick; anti-american, tick; unlikely to have any consequences on my travel or academic arrangements, tick; unlikely to endanger me, tick; popular down the pub without having to learn any details, tick.
