Jon Stewart did a great bit the other day about how criticism of Israeli policies is considered beyond the pale in Washington. He concluded by saying "but you know where it's okay to criticize Israel. Israel." Then he showed a raucous (and typical) scream fest at the Knesset.

Of course, he's right. The only problem is that it is at least as important to freely examine Israeli policies (and American policies toward Israel) here as it is in Israel. And here, despite movement in the right direction, debate is constrained, to say the least.

Democrats are no better than Republicans.

Some of the loudest liberal Democratic critics of the Iraq war, uberdoves on US policy, are hawks when it comes to Israel. The House of Representatives, in particular, is full of people who see no inconsistency about being utterly skeptical about Bush/Cheney foreign policy but utterly credulous when it comes to Sharon/Olmert/Barak/Netanyahu or whoever. Not only that, these same legislators try to keep everybody else in line.

Pretty hypocritical but standard. (You don't believe me? Check and see what your favorite Congressional liberal has to say about the occupation, the settlements, Gaza, etc. Suddenly Jane Fonda is Dick Cheney).

It's different in Israel.

Remember the brouhaha about the Walt-Mearsheimer book here? The two authors were banned in Boston, condemned in Cleveland and defamed in Detroit. Not since Salman Rushdie have we seen so much fear and trembling about a book.

Then the authors went to Israel. And, guess what, the Israelis proved to be friendly and receptive. This is not to say that W&M were given the keys to Tel Aviv. But they were received without the rancor and terror that characterized their reception in major American cities and universities, where there was an all out campaign to shut them up.

The Israeli peace group, Gush Shalom, put together a digest of the press coverage of their Israel tour. It's very telling. When will Americans be able to discuss Israeli policies with the freedom that Israelis do?