The left could do a much better job criticizing Islam on humanitarian, authoritarian, and secular (a hallmark of the left going back a long time) grounds. The left is hesitant to do that because of the cultural aspect and the idea that "it's not our religion." These are different issues, I think.
As to Israel, I've become more sympathetic to Israel over time, and am now, which has nothing to do with religion.
They are right-wing extremists and the left's tendency to ignore it because of some misguided sense of tolerance is frustrating.
Concur.
