Special Pleading

Winston Pickett writes in the British outlet, the Jewish Chronicle:

As Jews, we tend to be a surprisingly timid lot when it comes to expressing outrage — at least publicly. We shy away from what Americans call “playing the grievance card” — or what the British tellingly refer to as “special pleading”, with all that phrase’s overtones of deference and supplication.

It's true, though I've come across many who would disagree. Some will tell you we spend all our time "playing the Holocaust card." But this is what sticks for me: When Mearsheimer and Walt's infamous article came out, every American newspaper had an editorial, each written by a Jew, saying that M & W clearly weren't antisemites. The editorial would go on to argue that they were wrong, but would never touch on antisemitism. Each writer felt the need to buy credibility by abandoning the issues that matter most. Today, I bet each of them regret it.

It's not special pleading - it's just recognizing the truth.