David Bernstein has written an articulate defense of those who, like him, refuse to denounce the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, or in some extreme cases even admit that an occupation exists. (“Why I Don’t Call Israel Out on the Occupation,” Opinion, July 8) He argues that simply calling for an immediate end to the Occupation does not recognize the complexity of the situation and will not bring peace and security to Israel.
Sadly, however, my friend David has missed the mark. The occupation can be denounced without calling for immediate withdrawal.
The occupation is evil. It is immoral. It is un-Jewish. When I carried my JNF blue “pushka” on the streets of Brooklyn as a child, when I literally leapt for joy as I listened to the announcement of results of the UN vote in 1947, when I worked, together with David Bernstein at the American Jewish Committee and now at the JCPA, and as chair of Americans for Peace Now, for the safety and the security of the State of Israel I did not dream of a Jewish nation that would be the oppressor of another people.
"(It is permissible for Israeli soldiers) to satisfy the evil
inclination by sleeping with beautiful gentile women against their will, out of
consideration for the soldiers' hardships and for the sake of general
success."
This law is a gross violation of Israel's freedom of
expression that specifically targets only peace and human rights
organizations. It intends to divert the Israeli public discourse away
from the occupation and silence opposition to the government's policies.
On Monday, July 11 2016, the Brookings Institute published the results of the most recent surveys
on American attitudes toward the Middle East, conducted by Shibley Telhami, Nonresident Senior Fellow. The
newest poll was conducted within two weeks of the shootings in Orlando, focusing on American attitudes toward
Muslims and Islam. These results were compared to those of similar polls carried out in November 2015 and May
2016 to see whether there has been a shift in public opinion since two important landmarks: The most vital
months of the presidential election campaigns, and the Orlando massacre.