Critics of Birthright
Regarding Eli Reiter’s op-ed “Anti-Birthright ‘gotcha activism’ shuts down debate” (Jan. 17), if young Jewish advocates are truly interested in promoting the Palestinian cause, why are they bothering with Birthright Israel trips at all? These young people would gain more insights into the Palestinian situation by living among Palestinians and volunteering in Palestinian communities rather than going on Birthright Israel trips in order to force their agenda on other Birthright participants.
Palestinian organizations do not give a voice to an Israeli narrative of events and, in a typical display of the double standard applied to Israel, no one is insisting they do so. Birthright is a privately funded organization that is under no obligation to present any viewpoint other than its own.
N. R. Pollock
Manhattan
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