Roger L. Simon writes about the controversy over the statements of a UC Berkely professor concerning the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Simon even takes the usually excellent Eugene Volokh to task for a lukewarm, seemingly non-judgemental response. I must admit, Volokh's post raised my eyebrow just a tad, not that I believe Volokh doesn't have the right opinion about the incident, but I was surprised at even his inability (unwillingness? inability to find it necessary?) to make a judgemental statement.

Belief in "The Protocols" is a litmus test for anti-semitism. Belief in them is prima facie evidence of either intentional or naive anti-semitism (naive in that the individual in question may not really have any knowledge or intent of malice, but they have unwittingly accepted the positions and "data" of those who do).

While many Egyptian "intellectuals" may accept them as fact, we should hope that our American intellectuals have figured this thing out by now. We should hope, and we should not accept anything less, but that our universities and our own opinion leaders take it upon themselves to give an opportunity for those espousing such a belief, especially in the Academy, to show whether they are overt or naive propagators of such canards.

The Berkley professor in question is repeating what readers of blogs like mine already know, that the authenticity of The Protocols is widely accepted throughout the Arab world. Such a belief, what it means, and where it comes from, is part of their problem.

We (Jew and non-Jew alike) should be fighting very hard not to make it our problem, too.