November letters to the editor

Thank you, Steven A. Baker

It was with gratitude that I read Steven Baker’s article on the Question 7 Providence divestment resolution and its clarity on what is being overtly and covertly stated. It is with sadness that I also read Zach Kligler’s article in support of Question 7.

Being Jewish is a heavy and relentless lift. For all the joy and simcha we experience we are always tasked with defending our existence. Jews supporting Question 7 are to me simply tired and/or lazy, couching their lack of clarity and exhaustion by wrapping themselves in a garment of “Jewish Values.” Pikuach Nefesh, preserving a life, does not mean at the expense of one’s own, which is exactly what is proposed here. Arguments saying Question 7 does not single out Israel ignores the motivation for the proposition in the first place. (Note Mr. Baker’s numbers for Russian, Iran and China.)

There was no divestment outcry before a targeted PR campaign, started around 15 years ago, singled out Israel. My experience of the volunteers campaigning for divestment was to be called a “Zionist, Racist, Baby Killer” outside Whole Foods on North Main Street simply for asking if I could offer a different opinion. There is not a thoughtful framework in those street campaigning for this measure, anger based on lies singling out the Jewish State and, by association, the Jewish people.

My call to action: If you are so concerned about Israel’s morality, which by default would mean that you actually care about Israel, then put an Israeli flag in your window next to your “Vote Yes on 7 Sign.” What? Afraid to do so? Thinking someone might view you as a colonizer, a racist, a genocidal Zionist? Thinking you might lose a friend or ten? As I said, being Jewish has never been easy. And if you do not believe in the Jewish people and the Jewish state, then stop hiding behind a wall of Hebrew phrases. To do otherwise is a shanda.

Gershon Stark

Providence

Disappointed in the RIIC ad

I'm sending this to voice concern and disappointment for the RIIC advertisement at the bottom of page 22 in your most recent edition. Allowing Question 7 to be equated to the violence experienced Oct. 7 is a desecration to the memory of the lives taken that day and a grossly inflammatory exaggeration of the stakes on the table with this bill. 

Even and especially in a publication that makes space for broad ranges of belief, yours has an obligation to uphold ethical conduct and not contribute to the spread of disinformation or the manufacturing of additional political panic for its own sake. A retraction of this ad and an apology should be issued for platforming this rhetoric with a commitment to responsible advertisement moving forward.

As a rabbi and a therapist, I speak with people every week who are experiencing clinical levels of distress because of fears related to antisemitism and the ongoing war. Including an ad that suggests that Question 7 is the same as Oct. 7 has the potential to have a catastrophic impact on people who are already incredibly vulnerable psychologically. Including this ad is actively harmful to Jewish and non-Jewish members of our community alike. 

I look forward to hearing from you and learning more about how you will uphold ethical standards moving forward. 

Thank you,

Heather Shore

Pawtucket

JVP's values aren't those of Judaism

Mr. Zigler, author of the pro-divestment article in your previous issue, is an excellent propagandist. He started his essay with the new blood libel of genocide and apartheid. He has learned that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. He then cherry-picks the universalist visions of Judaism and neglects any ties Israel has to the land that was divinely promised to the Jewish people. He claims that Jewish Voice for Peace is for justice and Palestinian rights. He omits that JVP is anti-Zionist, against a Jewish homeland in our ancestral lands. JVP has never criticized the Arab governments that refuse to give citizenship to the nearly one million Palestinian refugees who have lived for generations in Arab countries. JVP’s organizational materials overwhelmingly focus criticism on Israel, the U.S. and Western support for Israel; condemn Israeli policies; and call for ending U.S. military support. If you look at their website, JVP has endorsed only anti-Israel candidates.

Contrary to its name, one does not need Jewish ancestry to belong to JVP. Membership in JVP is defined by alignment with Palestinian self-determination; backing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement; and opposing U.S. military aid to Israel, so even calling JVP a Jewish organization is a lie. JVP funding is obscure, coming from anybody opposed to the existence of Israel.

Mr. Zigler claims to love the Jewish community. JVP is known for protests outside synagogues and Jewish institutions. JVP loves Jews and others who hate Israel. Most Jews that I know care about the plight of the Palestinians. Those who know the history understand that Israel has repeatedly tried to make “land for peace” deals with the Palestinians. Each of these deals has been rejected or, literally, blown up by Palestinians. There will not be peace until the Palestinians abandon their desire to destroy Israel. Voting for divestment will only increase the distrust Israel and pro-Israel allies have, decreasing the likelihood of peace.

Farrel I. Klein

Providence