Conditional love for Israel
I enjoyed reading the “Israel at 70” supplement (Spring 2018), especially the stories of N.J. couples and other Anglos who made aliyah. However, I did not appreciate the negativity and the explanations offered in many articles as to why there is disengagement from Israel by American Jews. Some reasons cited are anger by American Jews about Gazans killed at the border, the lack of resolutions on the West Bank issue, and the lack of egalitarian prayer space at the Kotel.
Many American Jews only love Israel conditionally and are ashamed and annoyed with so much of what Israel does, instead of accepting and supporting the Jewish state, with all its faults. After all, Israel is a miraculous country and has made such incredible strides in a mere 70 years of existence. As Jews, there is a lot for us to love about Israel and to be very proud of, even if the country is not perfect.
Bella Scharf Zelingher
Morganville
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