Letters To The Editor – November 15, 2024

A Neturei Karta Story

In his “Collecting Jewish History” column of Nov. 1, Saul Jay Singer has yet again displayed a mastery of modern Jewish history, as well as a unique ability to tell a story. The fascinating narration of L’Affaire Schumacher, in which Yossele Schumacher was effectively kidnapped by his grandparents in Israel in 1960, bears an important lesson for us.

Grandparents Nachman and Miriam Shtarkes, suspicious that Yossele was not being raised in a sufficiently Orthodox manner by his more modern parents, parlayed the short-term custody Yossele’s parents had given them into a full-fledged kidnapping. They eventually spirited the young boy out of Israel to New York. It was there that a Mossad team found him.

The lesson is obvious: No one, well meaning as he or she may be, has the right to remove a child from his or her environment. The fact that Yossele’s upbringing did not measure up to the Shtarkes’ religious barometer is not a basis for kidnapping. And the further fact that great rabbis supported the abduction carries not one iota of weight; a kidnapping is a kidnapping.

It is to Yossele’s credit that he did not, later in life, hold a grudge against his grandparents, and that he forgave everyone except the Neturei Karta woman who smuggled him out of Israel.

One more point, and it regards Neturei Karta: Singer writes that the group “continues its disgusting alignment with the world’s greatest antisemites.” He is correct that a small fringe within Neturei Karta has cast its lot with our worst enemies, including Iran and Hamas. I saw these despicable individuals at a pro-Hamas rally in the Five Towns. However, these individuals do not represent mainstream Neturei Karta. We may reject Neturei Karta’s anti-Zionism, but excepting the evil outliers I mentioned, Neturei Kartaniks are our brethren.

Avi Goldstein
Far Rockaway, N.Y.

Taking Issue With Friedman’s Proposal

Regarding Michael Krampner’s book review “A Laudable Alternative To A Two-State Solution”: Krampner discusses Ambassador David Friedman’s argument that allowing Israel to annex the West Bank and granting citizenship to Palestinians who live there would work similarly to American rule over Puerto Rico.

Residents of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens who vote in regional and local elections but, since they do not live in a state, they do not vote for Congress or for president. In Israel, Palestinians would, similarly, be restricted to local and regional elections and not be allowed to vote for Knesset. I can think of several reasons that Friedman’s comparison is flawed.

First, between two to three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, meaning that Israel would be a place where a significant percentage of its citizens would be barred from voting in national elections. Second, Israeli Jews living in yishuvim in the same annexed geographic regions would continue to be allowed to vote in national elections as they are now. So according to Friedman’s proposal, the difference between citizens of the same country being granted the privilege of voting and being represented in the Knesset or not would be a matter not of location, but ethnic identity. That is inherently discriminatory and undemocratic.

The truism has always been that Israel has three priorities – sovereignty over all of Eretz Yisrael, its democratic principles, and maintaining a strong Jewish majority and national character – but has to choose two. For all of the obvious problems and challenges associated with a two-state solution, its theoretical advantage is that it is the best way, and perhaps the only way, to preserve Israel’s democratic character.

(Rabbi) Avraham Bronstein
Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

Antisemitic Rioting in Amsterdam

Regarding “Netanyahu: Amsterdam Pogrom Echoes Kristallnacht Assault” (www.JewishPress.com, Nov. 10): Schoolteachers sometimes have difficulty explaining to 21^st-century students the unbridled brutality that Jews experienced when they were openly cursed and beaten on the streets of Germany during Kristallnacht. Thanks to last week’s anti-Israeli rampage, schoolteachers now have video images to accompany these lessons.

Paul L. Newman
Via E-mail

We Must Heal Election Rifts

There were numerous articles in last week’s Jewish Press referencing the fortuitous re-election of Donald Trump. A vital matter that wasn’t addressed given the issues with much higher priority was the effect of the election on relationships between family members and friends.

The stakes were enormous and emotions ran very high, and have continued to simmer and boil. Family members and friends are furious with those that did not vote in accordance with each other’s wishes.

We should be reaching out to those we care about, and even those we don’t, endeavoring to achieve harmony notwithstanding the great divide that existed prior to the election. Yes, it will be challenging, but we must ameliorate the bitterness and acrimony. It will be a long and difficult road, but one that must be traveled for the sake of our country’s health and prosperity.

My fervent prayer is that we emerge from this a more cohesive and stronger nation with peace and tranquility, and respect for one another, and around the world. Yes, this may sound Pollyannic, but the alternative is continued strife and global conflict. Not a good option at all.

George Weiss
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Israel Should Keep Hamas’ Ill-Gotten Gains

The November 1 issue of The Jewish Press carried an installment of Barbara Diamond’s “My War Diary” saying that five hundred million dollars in American paper currency were found in the Rafah tunnel where Yahya Sinwar was killed. The article further claimed that this money would be kept by the Israeli government for the rehabilitation of Gaza at a future date when things have sorted themselves out.

What an astounding response! It makes me stop and ask who stepped on Israel’s neck to extract this public commitment? Those dollars are spoils of war and so belong to Israel. Gaza’s residents did not know this money existed and therefore were not expecting to have it returned. In addition, they cannot prove it belongs to them, which, of course, it does not. The money was no doubt gained from selling stolen goods, extorted from fearful parties, or collected from enthusiastic donor institutions across the world.

Why can’t this money be put to good use in Israel to rehabilitate the people, businesses, and countryside that have been traumatized, pauperized, and degraded? This is not a rhetorical question. Why this money acquired by Hamas cannot be used for Israel’s benefit requires an answer.

Jerold Levoritz
West Hempstead, N.Y.

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