Singling out Israel
Regarding Stephen J. Lyons’ op-ed “Why can’t I criticize the war in Gaza without being called antisemitic?” (Feb. 5): Of course, it is possible to criticize Israel’s government or policies without it being antisemitic. Just like it’s possible to criticize the U.S. government’s policies without it being anti-American. Where criticism of Israel becomes antisemitic is to deny the legitimacy of the very existence of the state of Israel and to describe all of Israel as “occupied land” that must be liberated “from the river to the sea.”
Criticism of Israel also shades into antisemitism when Israel becomes the sole focus and target of protest and criticism of its policies.
It is true that Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, including for its defense. It is also true that the U.S. is the largest individual contributor of foreign aid to the Palestinians, primarily through the U.S. Agency for International Development (more than $5 billion since 1994), and is the largest single donor to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides humanitarian aid to Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank.
It should be noted that UNRWA has long been criticized by European Commission officials for educational materials used in UNRWA schools for Palestinian children that are filled with hateful propaganda. Also, Israel has alleged that at least a dozen UNRWA staffers participated in the Oct. 7 attack against Israel. Israel has also provided evidence that more than 1,000 UNRWA members are members of Hamas.
I am certainly in support of reviewing the United States’ foreign aid, to ensure that the money is spent wisely for its intended purposes and in accordance with our nation’s values and security needs, so long as this process is done for all recipients and not just focused on Israel. And given USAID’s and UNRWA’s alleged involvement with terrorist groups and antisemitic activities that do not promote the cause of peace, the United States should certainly be reviewing its contribution to those agencies as well.
In short, if someone doesn’t want to be considered antisemitic by others, apply the same standards of judgment across the board to all nations, not just the sole majority-Jewish nation in the world, which has been singled out, vilified and invaded for the “crime” of its existence for the past 75 years.
— Stephen Bayer, Chicago