Re: Letters (Nov. 7)

I am writing to reply to the Nov. 7 letter to the editor by Nina Tannenwald, Re: StandWithUs.

As chairperson of the Oct. 29 event, I find it very interesting that all the comments by Ms. Tannenwald were about the attendees at the event rather than the content of our program. As I said in my introduction that evening, our mission will be twofold: 1) to provide more pro-Israel programming in R.I. and 2) to counter the anti-Israel programming as well. For example we assert that we support the democratically elected government of Israel, that Israel has a right to defend itself, that Israel protects the rights of all of its citizens including women, gay persons, Arabs, Christians and other minorities. We also assert that: Israel is not an apartheid state, that it is not a racist state and that we condemn the boycott, divestment and sanction movement whether that is being carried out by Jews or non-Jews.

It was apparent that our program struck a chord in the attendees that evening, and I have a feeling that was so because people are concerned by what they see in our community, and on the college campuses, and they are hungry to know what they can do about it. Ms. Tannenwald discounts the problem of anti-Semitism today. However, there are scores of news reports on the soaring rates of incidents targeting Jewish students. 

Many of the attendees at the event have attended Brown University events about Israel sponsored by the Watson Institute in which Ms. Tannenwald is a professor. At those events, we have not been allowed to ask questions, though the Institute pays lip service to the right to free speech. Our organization will continue to welcome all opinions.

Stefanie Feld

Providence