Exactly. What you wrote. Use 'em where they fit the agenda, take them down ASAP if they go off the agenda. The MLK comparison is right on. And Coates, like MLK and Baldwin, will not toe a line drawn by hypocrites.

In response to Dokoupil's initial questions Coates articulated his position very well, for anyone who was listening to understand why Coates wrote as he did (regardless of agreeing or disagreeing). Dokoupil was not interested in understanding Coates' perspective and motivations - he was only interested in making him wrong (and defending Israel's aggression).

A major irony here is when Dokoupil talks about Coates seeing Palestinians as only victims, while attempting to defend a nation that constantly plays a "world's biggest victim card" despite 70+ years of white-empire backed aggression towards its neighbors.

Meanwhile the fact that Israel is surrounded by Arab nations is the responsibility of the global powers who put it there, and the original Israelis who accepted that location. One could ask, "what were they thinking!?!," since the location is so ill-considered in multiple aspects. But in terms of building and maintaining white empire, it must have seemed a good idea at the time.