I haven't read the original article by Susan Sontag, so I can't really be sure if this author is correct or not. But the article sets my teeth on edge. The author here seems to be sticking words in Sontag's mouth and accuses her of cowardice but basically seems to be ignoring her central point.

The author here looks like he is making one of the commonest intellectual mistakes of our ages, conflating an explanation and an excuse. To explain why something happened is not to excuse it's happening, but radicals on both fringes often use this method because it so effectively pushes reason out of the debate. Once you have cast any sane explanation as an excuse, it's much easier to push what ever agenda you have to the front.

Jay