David Newman: Antisemitism is not a reason not to debate Israel

There is a famous old Jewish joke, which goes like this. Two people have an argument and they to go to the rabbi for him to decide who is right. The first person puts forward his case and immediately the rabbi tells him that he is in the right. Then, the second person gives his side of the story, and the rabbi replies that he, too, is in the right. The rabbi's adviser is nonplussed and, thinking that perhaps his boss is losing it, gently chides him. "Rabbi," he says, "it can't be that both of them are right." The rabbi scratches his head and declares: "You are also right." I was reminded of this joke when reading the comments by the Israeli ambassador in the Daily Telegraph concerning the growth of antisemitism in the UK and the lack of balanced debate which, in his view, has taken over British university campuses and which,... [read full story]