In the Arena

And, er, What About the Settlements?

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The neoconservative assault on Peter Beinart’s fine book, The Crisis of Zionism, continues. It has taken many forms–ad hominem attacks usually and now, mocking his sales figures. Indeed, it has taken many forms but one: there still  is no coherent response to Beinart’s argument that the West Bank settlement policy is a long-term demographic threat to Israel’s security. The beating Beinart has taken hasn’t been pretty, but it has been revelatory: neoconservatism has strayed a long way from its intellectual roots toward witless schoolyard bullying. Those of us who truly love Israel would hope for a less coy, more intelligent and, well, rational argument from Zion’s alleged defenders.