Kudos to Stephen Flatow
As one who resides close to the border with Gaza and a frequent correspondent on the Middle East, I can fully confirm all that Stephen Flatow contributed in his well-crafted piece “Peter Beinart’s children are in for a surprise” (March 30).
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece on April 3, Alan Clemmons wrote about J Street and reminds us of the standard used by the U.S. State Department, and other institutions, to determine when criticism of Israel crosses the line into anti-Semitism based on former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky’s three D’s: delegitimization, demonization, and double standards. As such, Clemmons wrote, “measured in this way, J Street is itself anti-Semitic.”
Indeed, how can anyone who embraces the policies of Israel’s enemies claim to be pro-Israel?
Recently Dennis Prager addressed the Israeli-American Council (IAC), where he stated categorically that “If you want to critique Israel — make aliyah.” He stated rhetorically, “Who am I to tell Israelis how to vote?” He referenced a punch line from the Haggadah, “In every generation somebody arises to annihilate the Jewish people,” and noted that there is only one nation on earth targeted for annihilation.
To Prager, we live in a world that is morally broken. One in which Israel is the object of a new blood libel. One in which the UN has spent more time condemning Israel than all the undemocratic countries.
Perhaps the most profound declaration in Prager’s oration is the disproportionate number of Jews who hate being Jewish. No other group has produced as many unhealthy people as the Jewish people!
It surely is time for the guilt-ridden J Street and the balance of America’s Jewish leftists to recognize that their newfound brand of liberalism is a far cry from classical liberalism.
Alex Rose
Ashkelon, Israel
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