Congenitally angry UCLA Prof. Saree Makdisi, typically for him, took a legitimate subject in this morning’s Los Angeles Times and turned it into mashed potatoes laced with rat poison.

Mr. Makdisi is more widely known for his screaming accusations rather than sensible solutions.

Like a human cement mixer, he routinely takes a richly delicate subject – when is criticism of Jews and Israel valid? when does it spill into anti-Semitism? – and pours gasoline onto this perpetually steaming debate.

Summoning maximum bullying puerility, his favorite tactic, instead of becalmed professorial reflection, he grinds fragility into garbage.

As an American-born Arab Christian, ham-handed Mr. Makdisi, a career radical, could have performed a magnificent service for Jews, Arabs, Muslims and curious Gentiles.

How many times in our circle we have privately scoured the contents of legitimate criticism of Israeli policies, and line-crossing anti-Semitism, arguing which charges qualify.

It almost is like distinguishing between snowflakes with the naked eye.

Sometimes that line is ephemeral.

If you lean forward until your back resembles a horseshoe, wince until you are centering on a scant sentence, concentrating until pain shoots down one arm and half of one leg, attaining cerebral balance thought only to be available to the most scholarly minds, and an answer still can be greasily slippery.

Checklist in hand like an old-fashioned neighborhood grocer, Mr. Makdisi ticks off numerous raps against Israel that he claims are legitimate.

Reaching out with both arms, he spans such a vast space that – by golly – any blame you can assess against the Jerusalem government, surprise, is volubly legitimate.

(To be continued)