New Delhi, Aug. 11 -- Before analyzing the war in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe now afflicting its people, it is essential to set out a number of indisputable premises. The failures of the current Israeli government and the shocking images of Gaza's destruction and famine must not obscure certain fundamental realities - realities whose neglect could once again plunge us into the horrors of anti-Semitism and the trivialization of the Holocaust.

1. There are legitimate criticisms of the policies of Israel's government, its leaders, or its prime minister when he places his personal and political interests above those of the State. In the case of Israel, this is particularly serious.

2. There are also criticisms rooted in anti-Semit...