By M. W. Schwartzwalder, Walden
I am extremely confused by the letter about Democratic Party Anti-Semitism in the 1/8/20 edition of the Wallkill Valley Times.
Could my liberal Democratic Jewish friends who don’t like Prime Minister Netanyahu or his policies be considered Anti-Semites ? Mr. Netanyahu is the only sitting Israeli Prime Minister to face indictment and he is about to enter into a third election to try and form a government, because at least half of the population of Israel doesn’t like him or his policies.
Are the Israelis who vote against Mr. Netanyahu Anti-Semitic? President Trump said there were some good Nazis chanting “ Jews Will Not Replace Us “at the horrible confrontation in Charlottesville, Virginia. Does Mr. Netanyahu’s friendship with President Trump make the Prime Minister Anti-Semitic? Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines Semite as a member of any of the peoples whose language is Semitic, including the Hebrews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians and Babylonians.
Are Jewish Israelis who brutalize Palestinians as guilty of Anti-Semitism as Palestinians who brutalize Jewish residents of Israel? Wanting Israel to truly be a democracy is not Anti-Semitic unless democracy can be considered to be Anti-Semitic.