Opinion | How American Jews Feel About Israel
Miles Mogulescu
Malibu, Calif.
To the Editor:
I commend Thomas L. Friedman for writing this column. However, seeing the words “American Jews, You Have to Choose Sides on Israel” makes me very sad.
Although I respect diversity, as an American Jew I do not want to see us divided and angry with one another. It is hard for me to understand how we can support the state of Israel, and support Benjamin Netanyahu as well. He is destroying the country! His policies are causing a resurgence of antisemitism!
We must stand together and fervently hope that the protesters in Israel cause the dissolution of the current government.
Ruth Menken
Mount Kisco, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Thomas L. Friedman’s excellent column urging American Jews to take sides in the current Israeli political controversy does not answer the critical question: What does it mean to take sides?
Does it mean, for example, not donating to the Jewish Federation, although most federation funds go to supporting U.S. charities? What about boycotting Israeli products or not buying Israeli bonds, which will hurt the Israeli economy and affect all Israelis — Jews and Arabs alike?
We need another column by Mr. Friedman answering this question.
Stanley Newman
Sarasota, Fla.
To the Editor:
American Jews do not “have to” have a position on Israel any more than Muslim Americans have to have a position on ISIS or Chinese Americans on Communism. Certainly many Jews do, and as long as that position is based on each person’s conscience, that is perfectly good. But to require American Jews to choose sides on Israel because they are Jewish is just wrong.
Irvin Cemil Schick
Newton, Mass.
To the Editor:
Israel is an imperfect democracy, as all democracies are, and like our own it is aspirational. Our talented founders hoped “to form a more perfect union,” and we are still working on it. Israel can change its flawed government the way democracies are meant to — by the next election.
