Incident not anti-Semitism

You recent reported an incident where two students in the night-time ran off with another student's flag of Israel which hung outside his door. [April 7: "4Better or Worse"]

You reported this as an incident of anti-Semitism. I don't know that you can really say that, and I wonder if your response is simply a conditioned knee-jerk reaction.

In my opinion, the act could be an expression of anti-Zionism which is decidedly different from, and is not, anti-Semitism. It is unfortunate that this act was done under cover of night, but it is intimidating to speak out against Israel's doublespeak diplomacy, Palestinian injustice, and abuses of power.

Zionism is a secular political entity, comparable to Tea Party Republicanism or Democratic liberalism. If it generates an emotional opposition, I believe you obfuscate the issues to call that anti-Semitism.

Janna Hall
Albemarle