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Judith Bulter's (2004) Precarious Life, in particular the essay "The Charge of Anti-Semitism: Jews, Israel, and the risk of public critique," is worthy of reflection in the wake of the flotilla crisis. Throughout the work Butler attempts to illustrate the vulnerability we face as social creatures dependent upon one another for the maintenance of our health and safety. Our fear of violence drives us to place a premium on safety while failing to critically investigate the very causes of violence. Butler focuses in a number of sections on the the anti-intellectualism plaguing the public sphere in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and the essay is a response to Lawrence Summers (now Obama's chief economic advisor) on the ease at which being charged as anti-Semitic can lobbed against those who reject Israel's use of violence.
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