Israel's most ardent, right wing supporters have been relatively successful in silencing its critics. Outspoken Palestinians have been labeled as extremists, Muslim groups have been labeled as terrorists, and everyone else has been called anti-Semitic. In each case, their credibility has been called into question. Robert Fisk, a long-time Middle East correspondent, has said that those who speak out against Israel are "vilified for telling the truth".

"...The degree of abuse and outright threats now being directed at anyone - academic, analyst, reporter - who dares to criticize Israel (or dares to tell the truth about the Palestinian uprising) is fast reaching McCarthyite proportions," wrote Fisk.

Indeed, Israeli supporters have smeared even the most well known Palestinian intellectual Edward Said. Some have attempted to have him fired from various positions, while others have gone so far as to suggest he does not even have the right to call himself Palestinian.

In an article about Said called "My Beautiful Old House and Other Fabrications", Justus Reid Weiner makes the ridiculous assertion that Said, "in retailing the facts of his own personal biography over the years...has spoken anything but the plain, direct, or honest truth."

"Instead, he has served up, and consciously encouraged others to serve up, a wildly distorted version of the truth, made up in equal parts of outright deception and of artful obfuscations."

But now, especially since the outbreak of the second intifada, it has become increasingly difficult for these Zionists to discredit the growing number of Jews who have spoken out against the litany of atrocities perpetrated by the Israeli government. To many of these pro-Israeli fanatics, these Jews are seen as a threat to their well-oiled propaganda machine, which has thus far been relatively successful in keeping American public opinion in their favor. Unfortunately, some of these zealots have resorted to threats and intimidation.

Recently Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun Magazine, a bimonthly Jewish publication covering political issues, has received death threats for his outspokenness over the unfair treatment of the Palestinians. Rabbi Lerner has taken a strong stand on Israel, saying that they must end the occupation, dismantle settlements and take partial responsibility for resettlement of Palestinian refugees, including allowing hundreds of thousands of them to return to their homeland.

The California rabbi says that these "normal threats" have now taken a turn for the worse, and are now scaring his wife.

The Web site http://masada2000.org, presumably run by supporters of the Jewish terrorist Rabbi Meir Kahane, has identified Lerner as one of the five enemies of the Jewish people and printed his address and driving directions to his home. As a result of this Web site, he's received hate mail and threats such as this one:

"You are a selfhating (sic) little kike. One bright day, someone will come and kill you. Wish you to rot in hell, pig"

And this one came from Hebron:

"YOU SUBHUMAN LEFTIST ANIMAL. YOU SHOULD BE ALL EXTERMINATED. YOU ARE THE LOWEST OF THE LOW LIFE."

Understandably concerned about these letters, Rabbi Lerner turned to the very organization established to protect Jews, the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. But the ADL is turning a blind eye, telling him that the threats are not a "hate crime". However as the rabbi astutely points out, if someone were to give death threats to the head of the Conference of Presidents (a major Jewish organization) on the grounds of their stand on Israel, do you think that the Jewish community would say "well, it's not a hate crime, -it's merely political?" Not likely.

These groups like the ADL, which operate under the guise of human rights and democracy, care not to defend anyone, including one of their own, especially when he or she so boldly refuses to tow the party line. Instead, they are treated like pariahs.

So by refusing to defend Rabbi Michael Lerner, the people at the ADL are no better than the fanatics making the threats.