I never heard anyone say someone can't speak. They have a right to say that what you're saying is reprehesible, just as you have a right to say that what they're saying is reprehensible.

Part of what's at issue is whether calling Israel an "apartheid" state is a lie or not. I actually believe it is false to characterize Israel as "apartheid." The dispute, as others have observed, is a land/national and not a racial one. If you look at the rights of Muslims in Israel, they in no way face the discrimination faced by blacks in South Africa.

One could also look at countries like Canada, the US, Mexico, Australia and others where there is an indiginous population that had their land taken and that were treated far worse than the Palestinians and yet no one is trying to de-legitimize these countries.

I don't think any fair-minded person would disagree with the assertion that Israel is by no means the worst violator of Human Rights in that region. In fact, by most standards, it's got the best Human Rights record in the mideast, considering the other countries there are Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and so on.

So, for the sake of discussion, let's  assume I'm correct in what I said in the last 3 paragraphs, and I think one would acknowledge, even if you disagree with their being correct, that a great many people believe them to be correct. So such being the case, it begs the question why a democratic country, Israel, is singled out for unfair criticism when so many other countries that have outrageously worse human rights records are not. And it also begs the question of why Israel's opponents among the Palestinians that use brutal, violent tactics directed specifically at civillians are completely absolved of criticism by the IAW proponents.

I believe racism and bigotry are not the prime motivators for the criticism of Israel among the majotity of the IAW advocates, but it is very easy to see how it would look like it is to most people. What is sad, is that a lot of it is based on an anti-capitalist, anti-colonialist viewpoint that is being unfairly applied to Israel while other countries, Canada included, are not being held to the same standard. So in the case where IAW isn't motivated by racism, it most certainly is open to the charge of hypocrisy. In either case, not only is its legitimacy in serious question but it's become counter-productive and you only have to open any mainstream newspaper to see that.