Roger Waters on The Daily Show. Photo: Screenshot.

Last week, the Algemeiner published my “Open Letter” to Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart, asking that they not appear with Roger Waters at an upcoming NY benefit.  The scope of the public response has been remarkable, particularly after a petition began circulating with a simple request to Messrs. Seinfeld and Stewart: help us expose the BDS campaign as the fraudulent, anti-Semitic, hypocrisy that it is by refusing to be associated with Mr. Waters.  Within three days, there were signatories from 5 continents, 14 countries and 27 states.

Several years ago, Mel Gibson was virtually shunned from the entertainment industry for his overt anti-Semitism since, in the U.S. (unlike other western countries), such Jew-hatred and conspiracy theories remain passé.  However, many, including Mr. Waters, have received a pass by cloaking those same sentiments in what they deem, and sell as, “legitimate criticisms” of Israel.  Of course, such criticisms are fraught with double-standards and historical amnesia that are ignored not just by the movement’s purveyors, but by those mediums that report and publicize their baseless, misleading charges as well.

For Mr. Waters, that means continuing in his duplicitous campaign, slandering Israel with spurious charges of “apartheid” and “ethnic cleansing” – practices that are the official policy of the same Palestinians he openly supports.  Such lies and paranoia reveal that, despite whatever public services Mr. Waters might otherwise be engaged, his only relation to a “Braveheart” is his deserving commendation of the “Mel Gibson Treatment”.

This might be a “fool’s errand”; however, the BDS movement has the potential to be as destructive to Israel as the Nuremberg laws were to Jews in 1930s Germany. The intentions behind both are similar and we cannot afford to be complicit by remaining silent. Previous generations missed their opportunities to confront lies that, after going unchallenged, were accepted as (illegitimate) fact.  Will we fall into the same traps of apathy and fear?  As Rachel in Toronto wrote when she signed the petition: “if we as Jews do not speak out against our enemies and the lies they perpetuate, then who will stand up for us?”  I couldn’t agree more…and if not now, when?

Please take a moment and sign the petition here.