Israel's dilemma

An excellent letter in today's
LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/letters/la-le-0714-thursday-20110714,0,3440041.story?page=3

Israel's dilemma

Re "New Israeli law targets boycott campaigns," July 12

So the "only democracy in the Middle East" will now penalize those who wage boycott campaigns against its occupation of the Palestinian territories. A nonviolent protest tool used by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and opponents of South African apartheid is too threatening to be tolerated.

What does Israel fear? Deligitimization of the occupation? Financial harm to a rich country? Whatever it is, Israel's new law shows it is beginning to fear the collapse of its expansionist policies.

Too bad it is less concerned about the collapse of the two-state solution.

Erica Hahn

Monrovia