If, tomorrow, George W. Bush had a sudden change of heart about his priorities in the Middle East, decided that he needed above all else to liberate the Palestinian people, concluded that Israel’s Likud government was responsible for countless atrocities against the Palestinians, and therefore issued an ultimatum to Ariel Sharon — dismantle the settlements, disarm your country, and discontinue your anti-Palestinian policies within 48 hours, or face military action — if, hypothetically, this highly unlikely scenario occurred, how would the average “antiwar” protester react?

It’s impossible to prove, of course, but I suspect a fair number would be entirely thrilled. These are the same people, after all, who routinely carry signs that say “Free Palestine” at the same time that they oppose U.S. action to free Iraq. Which raises an interesting question: is it okay for Muslims to oppress other Muslims, but not okay for Jews to oppress Muslims? And if so, why?