Distinguish between perceived, genuine bigotry

NDP MPP under fire for antisemitic remarks, Nov. 22

I take a dim view of the characterization of NDP MPP Joel Harden’s remarks and actions as antisemitic. Doubtless it was impolitic, provocative and just plain unjust of him, to confront his Jewish neighbours in Ottawa with jeremiads on the subject of Israel, for they are not proxies for the state of Israel, and certainly do not deserve, a priori, to be assumed to underwrite its actions relative to the Palestinians.

But what he said does not amount to antisemitism, in my view.

Harden has every right to expostulate about Israel’s misdeeds, and while I take issue with his asseveration that Israel is the most volatile and brazenly lawless state in the region, alas, it has, on the whole, hardly been a generator of peace and comity.

These are hypersensitive times, but we must all take pains to distinguish between perceived and genuine bigotry. Pouncing on the former does a disservice to ongoing efforts to combat the latter.

Oliver Lenhardt, North York