The Jihadists have shown us how brilliantly they can manipulate for their own purposes something as irrelevant as half-a-dozen cartoons in a Danish newspaper. Thus, it is rather unimportant whether Israel’s destruction is or isn’t their main goal (it isn’t). They seem to have discovered through trial and error that the hatred of Jews is alive and well in the West and, as the Nazis did before, they are using it not only to further their own different goals, but to recruit collaborators and to paralyze whole countries and societies as well. It goes without saying how terrible this is for the Jews themselves, but it is at least as dangerous to the rest of the West that is allowing anti-Semitism to be used against itself. Hatred of the Jews and of Israel is the loaded weapon the Jihadis are putting in the hands of a civilization that’s willing (again) to commit suicide. ~Nelson Ascher, Pajamasmedia.com

Naturally, “Faster, Please” Ledeen is thrilled with this, but I suppose I must raise the inconvenient question: where exactly are the legions of Western anti-Semites upon whom those clever jihadis are relying?  For that matter, where is the active hatred of Israel outside of a very, very limited fringe?  I count myself one of the more intense critics of Israel during recent weeks, and I can’t say that I could be bothered to care enough about Israel or any other country enough to hate it.  How can any ordinary Westerner actually, honestly hate Israel?  Israel has even attacked American sailors in the past, but I am not inclined to make that a cause of lasting hostility; neither am I likely to be joining any enthusiastic booster clubs on its behalf. 

Why does anyone take this nonsense seriously?  Why are people who take this seriously (such as Ledeen) considered serious observers of international affairs by anyone?  Why is it taken seriously at National Review, and why does anyone listen to National Review if it encourages this sort of nonsense?  Anyone?