US Jews and Iran

While I have long read and enjoyed Rafael Medoff’s writings on matters related to the Shoah, having just read his latest (“Understanding the poll of US Jews on the Iran deal,” July 27) on the reasons for the American Jewish reaction to the new Iran deal, I believe some of the views presented are dated and off the mark by a wide margin.

Iran is not a new issue for Jews anywhere in the world. And the danger that they pose to us in Israel is absolutely existential. There is really no need to become acquainted with the fine points of the “deal” in order to be able to reach an understanding of what the government of Israel has been saying out loud to the world for years.

Quoting Professor Arthur Hertzberg, Medoff raises the idea that American Jews today still adhere to their grandparents beliefs that they must “avoid expulsions and pogroms.” Seriously, is Medoff kidding? Does that really explain where American Jews are at in 21st century America?

Medoff doesn’t address the underlying problem that is facing the vast majority of Jews of America and that filters now through everything they think about their Jewish brethren in Israel: Caught up in their liberalism and assimilation, and suffering from ever weaker Jewish identities, they increasingly do not wish to even identify with issues like Iran that today threaten Israel. How could it be that in New York City, with the vast number of Jews in its metro area, there were at best only 10,000 attendees at the major Iran protest rally held in Times Square last week? Does anyone remember the days of the Soviet Jewry movement when there would regularly be 200,000 turning out in support? Sadly, large numbers of Jews in America today are embarrassed, angered or indifferent with regard to major issues facing us in Israel. HOWIE MISCHEL

Modiin