Trump might as well be targeting Jews
I write to express my revulsion to the positive reaction Donald Trump received at the AIPAC policy meeting (“AIPAC report: thumbs up, down and sideways for Trump,” March 25). Jewish Americans, like all Americans, of course have the right to vote for someone as vile and repugnant as Mr. Trump. But we should know better. As the quintessential minority, we understand when demagogues deflect legitimate economic, political and social concerns by blaming minorities. As such, we should react against Trump’s scapegoating Muslims and Mexicans just as if he were targeting Jews.
Furthermore, we’re supposed to be smart. If we were, we wouldn’t be taken in by the vapid promises of the huckster who promised to revitalize casinos in Atlantic City (before going bankrupt), to teach business acumen to Trump University students (before being sued for making false claims), and whom his butler describes as making up facts and needing to have his ego stroked with exaggerated estimates of his golfing prowess.
All decent people should run from Trump as if from the plague. Jews should run faster.
Yonkel Goldstein | San Carlos
Hillary’s AIPAC speech: what world needed to hear
Much as I admire Bernie Sanders, who has some social ideas pleasing to this Canadian-raised person, I’ve avidly watched and volunteered in American presidential elections for over 50 years (even before I became an American citizen) and believe that Hillary Clinton is the most qualified and most seasoned candidate. It’s time for America to have an intelligent woman as president. I think Hillary’s speech to AIPAC (“Trump’s foreign policy ‘dangerously wrong,’ ” March 25) was what the world needed to hear from the next American president.
Celia Menczel | Walnut Creek
Regents not acknowledging legitimacy of Zionism
The recent ugliness at U.C. Davis during Israeli diplomat George Deek’s March 7 presentation was not a protest. This was a “marking territory” effort to dominate and intimidate through organized disruption of Jewish-related events on campus. This disrespectful behavior has no place on a U.C. campus.
But the powers that be at the University of California have just presented us with verbal gymnastics, restricting only “anti-Semitic anti-Zionism” (“U.C. regents: ‘anti-Semitic forms of anti-Zionism’ not permitted,” March 25). The regents are unwilling to acknowledge that Zionism, Jewish nationalism, is as legitimate as any other nationalism, such as, for example, the nationalism of the Islamic state of Iran.
Try expressing “legitimate criticism” of Palestinian nationalism on a U.C. campus and see what happens.
Julia Lutch | Davis
Shout-out to U.C. regents
I am an American Israeli Jew, a California resident and the current Pacific Northwest campus coordinator at StandWithUs. Working with U.C. students on a day-to-day basis, I know firsthand the impact and pervasiveness of anti-Israelism and anti-Semitism within the U.C. system.
I thank the U.C. regents for bringing the conversation about anti-Semitism and all other forms of identity-based hatred to the forefront of our campus consciousness.
From swastikas being keyed on cars and spray-painted on Jewish fraternities, to a pro-divestment student senator calling for Israel’s demise, to Jews being overtly discriminated against in student government because of their identity, to the most recent attempt to disrupt an Israeli diplomat speaking at U.C. Davis, it is clear that anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are linked and have no place on U.C. campuses.
I applaud the working group for crafting a strong policy which successfully balances the crucial fight against all forms of bigotry in the U.C. system with upholding free speech and academic freedom. I urge you to recognize the experiences of Jewish students and other targeted communities on campus, and fully endorse the principles of tolerance.
Noa Raman | Greenbrae
Torah text on J. cover will lead to desecration
Last week’s cover of J. (“Hebrew not required,” March 25) is very problematic. The page of Hebrew text shown corresponds to a section of the Torah (Book of Genesis). Jewish law forbids desecrating texts that contain full quotes from the Torah, or one of G-d’s names. Most people are ignorant of this and will throw their copy of J. in the recycle bin or the trash can. These texts are supposed to be saved, and later placed in a geniza (special burial for sacred texts in a Jewish cemetery).
J. is therefore going to be the direct cause of thousands of episodes of desecration of the Torah, and there is little that can be done about it at this point. How about an apology to your readers and a promise not to repeat this in the future? That would be a good “teaching moment.”
Moshe Meir | San Carlos
Editor’s note: You are absolutely right. We work hard to avoid this, yet slipped up last week. Our apologies.
Peace Now blaming victim?
On March 8 we witnessed a remarkable act of heroism. Yonatan Azarihab was stabbed by an Arab terrorist. Azarihab was able to take the knife out of his neck and stab his attacker. He not only saved his own life but that of other potential victims.
The head of Peace Now, Yariv Oppenheimer, condemned the security forces who went on to kill the terrorist at the scene. He called it an extrajudicial killing. These comments are absurd. It’s akin to blaming the rape victim for killing her attacker because it deprived him of a fair trial.
Peace Now is obsessed with Jews living across the Green Line. This obsession has led to insanity. If that is what they believe, so be it. Meanwhile, I will support and honor those who defend the State of Israel and her people. I will not condemn them for saving lives.
Gil Stein | Aptos