From The Guardian letters
One’s heart sinks as Mark Gardner plays the dog-eared antisemitism card for the fifteen hundredth time (Letters, 17 November). Steve Bell (16 November) derided Tony Blair for sycophancy to power, aggression and the profitable employment flowing from it. Netanyahu is attacked not as a Jew but for wanting to wage aggressive war. Equally, the state of Israel is not attacked by Steve or any other decent person for the Jewishness of 55% of its population, but for the brutal things it does. Nobody attacked the old South Africa for being Afrikaner, only for apartheid.
Edward Pearce
York• Mark Gardner can’t be allowed to get away with the old trick of pretending all criticism of the Israeli government is antisemitic. As a Jew, I feel insulted on behalf of Steve Bell and others at the suggestion they are antisemitic simply for pointing to the ability of Binyamin Netanyahu to successfully manipulate British and US politicians. It is not the integrity of the Guardian that is at risk here, but the reputation of British Jews as supporters of justice and humanity. I for one would prefer to speak for myself.
Mike Scott
Nottingham• This must be the most preposterous argument yet for the deeply misconceived notion that criticism of particular Israeli governments must, ipso facto, be avoided because it demonstrates prejudice against the Jewish people themselves. Heaven forbid that the Guardian should bow to the wishes of such zealots.
Steve Smart
Malvern, Worcestershire
