Let Me Say This About That

Give me a break!

By Linda Cohn, Portland

article created on:

To the editor:

I had to laugh at Naomi Chazan’s lament that the most visible American backers of Israel are Likud supporters and the Christian right (Jewish Review, Nov. 15, page 19, Guest Opinion: “It’s time for Jews to grapple with the ‘real’ Israel, flaws and all”).

I visited Israel in 2003 during one of its intifadas in order to give Israel some tourist dollars and “bless its economy.”

The only tourists I encountered during that visit were (mostly) Christian right and some Jewish Likud supporters. There were no members of the American Jewish Left present—none.

This is based not only on my experience, but by the Israeli shopkeepers I spoke to.

Surprise, surprise, you can’t be visible if you’re not there.

You bet the most visible supporters of Israel are the Christian right and Jewish supporters of Likud. We are more than fair weather friends.

Then, while Naomi Chazan berates Walt and Mearheimer (only the Zionist lobby gets heard), she sings her own lower octave version of the same song—only the Likud Americans and Christian right get heard.

Give me a break!