In a bit of a bind (at Columbia)

Questioning the Anti-War Coalition

via Solomonia:

.... It seemed like an easy enough task. Most Columbia students, like most Americans, oppose the war. Because the war is so baseless and infuriating, it should not have been hard to provide good reasons to convince other people to join the cause. But at this meeting, which was called to talk about ways to organize opposition to the war in Iraq, there was only one idea that people wanted to discuss: protesting Israel.

This sad fact leaves us and most other liberals on campus in a bit of a bind. We support Israel. Israel is a liberal democracy in a part of the world that is decidedly illiberal and pointedly undemocratic. The groups attacking Israel are usually armed religious fundamentalists. Just like our opposition to the war in Iraq, our support of Israel flows naturally from our progressive values. And what CAWC told us is, "To work with us on Iraq, you have to work with us against Israel."