I am responding to John Ziv’s April 6 letter to the Gazette [“April Fools’ Day column antisemitic, unfunny“], in which he attacks J.M. Sorrell’s April 1 column, “April news for the wise,” (which is obviously tongue in cheek), and describes her column as antisemitic.
Ms. Sorrell supports the Jewish people at a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing and allies are far and few between. She calls out anti-Zionism for what it is: a mask for antisemitism. (The only country that is told that it has no right to exist is the one tiny Jewish one).
The letter is merely an excuse to demonize Israel. The writer bemoans that Sorrell conflates Zionism with Judaism, when in fact Israel is important in the Jewish religion. For 2,000 years Jews have faced Jerusalem to pray. Jewish rituals are tied to the land’s agricultural rhythms, and Israel is mentioned in the Torah 2,507 times. (Jerusalem is mentioned 641 times).
The letter writer blames Israel entirely for Palestinian suffering without mentioning Hamas, (which uses its people as human shields and forbade Gazans to use its 300 miles of tunnels as a bomb shelter). He ignores the massacres and terror attacks which have preceded Israeli military responses. He accuses Sorrell of a lack of balance, but shows no empathy towards Israelis, who have lived with terror since their country’s inception.
I applaud the Gazette and appreciate Ms. Sorrell for having the courage and moral clarity to present facts about Israel and antisemitism, and for bringing balance and nuance to a complex situation which is often portrayed simplistically as oppressed versus oppressor.
Rhonda Wainshilbaum
Leyden