It's meant in a positive connotation. (the silver lining on the cloud) That's the ironic thing about this. He admits that cultural isolation benefited the Jews to a degree, just as it did for the Japanese at one point. They want to deny that privilege to all nations now - except Israel.

It's meant in a positive connotation. (the silver lining on the cloud) That's the ironic thing about this. He admits that cultural isolation benefited the Jews to a degree, just as it did for the Japanese at one point. They want to to deny that privilege all nations now - except Israel.