Before I went to Israel in 1973 as a fellow of the Ford Foundation I had heard many words used to describe Israel as a nation. Some of the most frequently used were “neocolonialist,” “expansionist,” “imperialist,” and “racist.” The Israelis were described as “arrogant,” “pushy,” “cold,” and “racist.”

Usually when these terms were tossed around I was in the middle of a heavy “rap” with those of my students who described themselves as of the New Left or with blacks who claimed lo be militant. Invariably my ears perked up, and became keenly attentive when I heard the word “racist.” For years this reaction had been as automatic to me as salivation at the smell of good food, a result of being black in America for over thirty years. As time went on, it became increasingly important for several reasons for me to look into alleged Israeli racism.