This passage, I have to say, is amusing:
There’s certainly no denying that antisemitism figures quite prominently in the ideological outlooks of radical Islamists and Jihadi extremists, and it’s plain for all to see in the Hamas Charter. Bright and Pollard are among a number of people who see it as their duty to make a special point of exposing the antisemitism of such Muslims and their terrorist objectives. And the two journalists are driven by the perception that Western Arabists and left liberals are particularly susceptible to whitewashing groups like Hamas either because such groups conform to the stereotype of the underdog, the modern-day oppressed, or because the Western sympathisers romanticise Islam and the Arab way of life, or because it’s an outlet for Arabist and left-liberal antisemitism. While there are elements of truth in all of these characterizations, Bright and Pollard obsessively take them to extremes. And a manifestation of that obsessiveness is regarding any attempts to open a dialogue with representatives or sympathisers with Hamas and similar groups as not only reprehensible, but actively encouraging their racism, antisemitism and terrorism. Whether intended or not, this emerges as a generalised anti-Muslim discourse.
Let’s break that down.
1. Cor blimey, look at that, genocidal racist groups do appear really to want to kill Jews and say so all the time.
2. Some people think that “Western Arabists and left liberals” have a certain sympathy for genocidal racist groups, which they promote.
3. There is an “element of truth” to this concern.
4. However, only an extremist would object to engaging in dialogue with genocidal racists, or would suggest that inviting them as honoured guests to conferences encourages their genocidal racism.
5. Objecting to genocidal racist organisations constitutes “anti-Muslim discourse”.
Two assumptions emerge from this passage:
(A) The best way to combat genocidal racist groups is not to oppose them: but to “engage” with them.
(B) In Lerman’s view, Muslims are so closely associated with genocidal racist groups, that to criticise the promotion of genocidal racist groups is in effect to attack Muslims.
The answer to these points are as follows:
(A) No, you’re wrong.
(B) No, it isn’t.