Author uses distortion to demonize the Jewish state

In the Forum article of July 1, the author, like the organization that he represents, once again uses false equivalence and distortion in his unending quest to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish state.

Whereas Central American parents are bringing their children to the U.S.-Mexican border in order to seek asylum from the violence wracking their home countries, the Palestinian parents, encouraged by Hamas, are bringing their children to the border with Israel with the express purpose of doing violence, trespassing over a de facto border and endangering the lives of Israeli civilians and soldiers as well as their own lives. In the United States, parents would be indicted for child abuse for much less.

Unlike those detained by the Israeli authorities, none of the Latino children, some still in the nursing stage, are rolling burning tires toward the border fence, nor are they hurling rocks with the intention of maiming their targets.

The Latino children and adults who seek asylum in the U.S. want to become citizens, to work gainfully and to add to the benefits that immigrants have brought to the United States for more than 200 years. The “children” who foment violence on the Gaza border and elsewhere, on the other hand, want to destroy the country they are attempting to enter.

Finally, most of the “children” the author cites are teenagers, often over 16 and very capable of doing significant harm as we have unfortunately learned from recent events in this country. In fact, teenagers who commit felonies may, at the discretion of the court, be treated as adults in the American judicial system.

Arthur L. Levy M.D. Chairman, Israel Committee Jewish Community Relations Council of

the New Haven Jewish Federation