LTE: 'Support For Palestine And Its People Is Not Antisemitism'

The following Letter to the Editor is by Redding resident Lisa Feldstein:

Dear editors:

I was distressed by the tone of the story about the pro-Palestinian posters that had been glued to a bridge in Fairfield, CT. It is important to understand that support for Palestine and its people is not antisemitism. I am a Jewish woman who is horrified by and deeply ashamed of Israel’s war against Palestinian civilians and Israel’s unapologetic and continued war crimes against the Palestinian people. Hamas is not the Palestinian people, yet Netanyahu has used the Hamas bombing and kidnapping of people in Israel — an incident, by the way, about which Israeli intelligence had advance knowledge they chose to ignore — to bomb hospitals, starve people, refuse outside aid groups access to provide food, water, and medicine, by refusing to allow Palestinians to flee to safety, and to promise “safe zones” which are then bombed. My synagogue has built relationships with people in Palestine and our weekly phone calls with those people feature straightforward, factual accounts of the horrors being perpetrated against the Palestinian people in our (Jewish) name financed by our (American) tax dollars.

I do not excuse the violent actions committed by Hamas against Israel and the Israeli people. I don’t know anyone who does. Hamas is guilty of terrorist acts and should be brought to justice. But this in no way excuses Israel’s response.

Personally, I am tired of being told that any criticism of Israel is antisemitic. I love my people and my faith, and I recognize that as a member of my community it is imperative that I not sit silent when we are bad actors. What is unacceptable is to label as antisemitic anyone who doesn’t believe Israel can and should act with impunity. For the Patch to amplify this perspective flies in the face of good journalistic practice.

Sincerely,
Lisa Feldstein
Redding, CT