Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By simmons on February 13, 2017

Israel a point of refuge

I am troubled that The Herald would have given Mr. Dan Turner a platform to bash Israel (Zionism is a racist ideology.) Zionism is the belief that Israel is the Jewish homeland. How is this racist? There are 57 Islamic countries. Yet, most of these countries are far less tolerant than Israel. Why does Mr. Turner single out Israel?

There is a reason that oppressed Africans take refuge in Israel as do members of the LGBT community from neighboring Arab countries precisely because it is not racist. Moreover, Mr. Turner is misinformed when he states that the Israelis never offered peace to the Palestinians. It was the Palestinians, and not the Israelis, who rejected the UN partition in 1947. Bill Clintons book sets the record straight on who rejected peace.

Mr. Turner attempts to give his opinion some legitimacy by stating he was a past president of Congregational Beth Israel. I am a longtime member of the same congregation, and can assure the public that Mr. Turners extremely hateful views toward Israel are shared by very few temple congregants, if any. Disagreeing with how Israel fights terrorism is one thing implying that it is racist is simply ignorant.

Don Pompan, Salinas

Outrageous accusations

Dan Turners op-ed is just plain false. Zionism is the goal of a Jewish state in Israel, the former Palestine of the British Mandate. Turner made outrageous accusations about what Zionists have said about Palestinians. I have not seen Zionists spend time verbally personally attacking Palestinians. Zionists have rightfully criticized the terrorism by Palestinians.

Jews are indigenous to Israel and the West Bank, having lived there for more than 3,000 years. This land is not and never has been Palestinian land. He tried to use the analogy of foreigners occupying California, when a better comparison would be that the U.S. defeated Mexico in a war, and Mexico lost possession of California to the U.S.

Norman G. Licht, San Carlos

Full life possible for all

Jews contributed creative endeavors for the benefit of mankind and won Nobel Prizes. This despite the anti-Semitism they endured in Europe, where Mr. Turner says great scientific advances were made. Palestinian hate and self-pity, not an accident of geography, prevent Palestinians from contributing to the common good. There is nothing blatantly racist in this observation.

Britains post-WWI Palestine Mandate was divided between Israel, including the Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria west of the Jordan, and The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, lands east of the Jordan. The Hashemite clan is from Saudi Arabias Hejaz. Jordans first king arrived there from the Saudi Hejaz in 1921. Are the Hashemites settlers on Palestinian land?

The Washington Post in 2006 reported: Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday warned all Israeli Arabs to leave the port city of Haifa so the militant group could step up attacks without fear of shedding the blood of fellow Muslims.

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This is exactly what Arab leaders were saying in 1948.

The Arabs in Israel are citizens, and serve as judges, doctors and in other ways that make Israel the only country in the Middle East where a full life is possible for all.

Julia Lutch, Davis

Palestinian exploitation

Dan Turner should be commended for his condemnation of the Netanyahu governments support of ultra-orthodox Israelis position on exploitation of Palestinians (Zionism is a racist ideology, Feb. 5). Their destruction of ancient olive groves and seizure of Palestinian land is clearly in violation of international agreements.

Support of this position by United States Jews is contrary to the best interests of Israel. Sowing the seeds of hatred among Muslims will only assure the eventual destruction of Israel. This position is not anti-Semitic and is supported by our organization, http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org.

Bill Donovan, Carmel

An act of bravery

A profile in courage has recently been expressed by Mr. Dan Turner, former president of Congregation Beth Israel. Although thousands have spoken out against the continuing unjust treatment of the Palestinians by Israel, it is something else to have it come from one within the flock.

His willingness to not ignore the valuable principles that the Jewish religion actually teaches, is not only commendable, but given the pressures that are put onto the American Jewish populace by the Zionist movement, his written truth becomes an act of bravery.

Joyce Hamza, Monterey

Originally posted here:
Letters to the editor, Feb. 12, 2017: How is Zionism racist? - Monterey County Herald

Category: Zionism
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