Student protest a slap in the face
Is it OK to slap a fellow student in the face at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (“Imprisoned Palestinian girl draws student protest in D.C.,” Feb. 8)? Apparently it is, given the position of Ilan Cohen and others protesting in favor of freeing Ahed Tamimi, the Palestinian arrested for slapping two Israeli soldiers.
I have no problem with Palestinians peacefully protesting Israeli policies, but violence cannot be supported. Protesting the arrest of an individual who assaulted an IDF soldier is shameful. Many of these IDF soldiers are former JDS students who are risking their lives to support Israel. They defend their country and follow orders because they love Israel and understand chain of command.
To Ilan and others who protested: While you didn’t personally slap these soldiers in the face, you certainly have metaphorically. Remember, some IDF soldiers were once JDS students, like you. A future IDF soldier may be the kid in your math class.
Russell Subin
Potomac
Ahed Tamimi is no innocent
Your recent report omitted key information about Ahed Tamimi, the girl who was arrested after being filmed attacking Israeli soldiers (“Imprisoned Palestinian girl draws student protest in D.C.,” Feb. 8.) Ahed has not, as your article claims, “confronted Israeli soldiers.” Rather, Ahed — who is, according to both the Palestinian Authority and Israeli law, an adult — has been the witting propaganda tool of her family, who for years have encouraged their children to attack soldiers for film and staged photographs as part of the “Pallywood” industry.
Her father, Bassem Tamimi, has promoted claims that Jews “detain Palestinian children to steal their organs,” and her mother has expressed her “awe/reverence” for the teenage Palestinian terrorist who murdered a 13-year-old girl in her sleep. Ahed herself praised “martyrdom-seeking operations” in her “Message to the World” that her family proudly posted on Facebook after her arrest. Absent this essential background, reports on the Tamimis are more of an advertorial.
Sean Durns, senior research analyst, Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA)
Silver Spring
No kosher options? For shame!
The most recent issue of the Washington Jewish Week listed nine treif restaurants and not one kosher establishment in its homage to romantic eateries (“9 restaurants to wow your sweetheart,” Feb. 8). But there are at least two that could have been listed: Char Bar in Washington, and Al Ha’esh in Rockville.
Perhaps these kosher restaurants are not as fancy or as expensive as the treif ones all over the area, but for the people who keep kosher, they are a great option. They should have been listed, especially in a “Jewish” newspaper.
Jules Meisler
Silver Spring
Not in the right
David L. Barkey makes a fundamental mistake, one endemic to our society (“How the Trump administration condones discrimination in the name of religion,” Feb. 8). He equates laws and rights. He implies that current laws prohibiting discrimination are equal to, and in some cases overshadow, fundamental rights.
The founders of our union believed that human beings possessed certain rights, as a consequence of being human. And the Bill of Rights was enacted to protect, not grant, those rights. Freedom of religion being mentioned first could be considered paramount, but has suffered the most attack by those within and outside our government.
Larry Rothstein
Burke, Va.
