Some more irony: The Jewish case for anti-Semitism

As if the Gaza's housewife's ironic longings for Israeli bombs weren't enough for one day. Now how about this sentiment, which appeared in yesterday's Wall Street Journal?

UCLA law professor, Eugene Volokh, makes the case that anti-semitism is good for Jews - well, in small enough doses, at least.

Some excerpts from his case:

Modest amounts of anti-Semitic speech and unfair criticism of Israel, it seems to me, can strengthen American Jews' self-identity as Jews, and thus indirectly both support the preservation of the American Jewish community as a community, and strengthen support for Israel. Feeling embattled as a group tends to strengthen group solidarity. Hearing unfair criticisms for Israel tends to strengthen the sense that Israel is unfairly embattled and deserves more support. Feeling some fear of anti-Semitism reminds American Jews of the value of preserving American Jewish institutions. And it reminds American Jews of the value of protecting Israel, in case one day American Jews may need refuge somewhere just as European Jews once did. ("Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in.")

This observation, suggests Professor Volokh, demonstrates why it is important for Jews to guard free speech rights even if this means protecting in a sense their traditional enemies. As he writes:

Free speech is valuable because it informs people--and it informs people not just when the listener hears and believes the facts the speaker says, but also when the public learns more about the speakers. Publicly visible anti-Semitic advocacy is, at least in America today, an important informational tool: It informs American Jews of the value of Jewish institutions, and it presents this information in an especially emotionally effective way. Again, in my view this is not the best reason to support free speech, or even close to it. But those who don't share my views about the broader moral and instrumental value of free speech should, I think, consider this more immediate instrumental value.