Apply bigotry logic to Israel
As a gay Jewish American, I was pleased to see your editorial, “It is bigotry, not religious freedom” (April 14).
There is no question that the Mississippi and North Caroling laws are examples of simple bigotry against LGBTQ people. What I fail to understand is why you are not applying this same logic to
Israel, where Palestinians who are taxpaying Israeli citizens suffer far worse discrimination than anything discussed in this editorial.
Why aren’t you pointing out that these citizens of Israel who happen to be Christian, Muslim or Druze are prohibited from living in more than 400 communities or that Israel has more than 50 laws that discriminate based on religion? Our parents and grandparents fought land covenants against Jews, why are we ignoring land covenants in Israel against non-Jews?
Our Jewish values mandate that we take an honest look at bigotry and discrimination in Israel as well as in the United States.
SETH MORRISON
Arlington
Democracy Spring op-ed was deceptive
Michael Pollack’s depiction of Democracy Spring, with which he is apparently affiliated, (“The burning bush and the future of American democracy,” April 14), particularly that there are both liberals and conservatives in the organizations, is deceptive.
The endorsers of Democracy Spring are overwhelmingly leftist. There are about a half-dozen Bernie Sanders-affiliated groups. There are a similar number of climate activist groups, radical anti-war groups and general purpose leftist groups. Among the individuals endorsing Democracy Spring are Medea Benjamin, known for, among other things, her functionally pro-Hamas activities, and Noam Chomsky, who has been called, by Der Spiegel the “ayatollah of anti-Americanism.”
I couldn’t find an endorser that I recognized as conservative but perhaps one is. Anyone who gives funds to Democracy Spring should be under no illusions about who they are.
MARTIN WEISS
Potomac
Van Hollen merits support
This year Maryland has an opportunity to replace its renowned senator, Barbara Mikulski, with another proven leader, Chris Van Hollen.
I have known Chris for more than 30 years, since he was first elected as a delegate in Maryland after working on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It is as clear now as it was then, that Chris is dedicated to public service and getting things done.
In Congress, Chris has introduced major legislation on many important issues, and serves as the highest ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. His current opponent has no such leadership credentials, nor the substantial record of accomplishment. Another contrast is that Chris has been a staunch defender of the State of Israel, while his opponent has consistently voted against Israel’s interests. The Washington Jewish Week endorsed Chris as “the fitting bearer of Mikulski’s Democratic legacy.”
On April 26 please join many in the Jewish community in voting for Chris Van Hollen for Senate.
BOB BAUM
Germantown
Of course, Martin Weiss would weigh in on this matter. For him, the Left is never right, and the Right is never wrong.