To the Editor:
In pointing out the possible astonishment at the chutzpah of Jeremy Ben-Ami to assume the mantle a la Elisha of the Bergson Group on behalf of J Street, the following excerpt from his father Yitshaq’s book will suffice to be an example why the son should be ashamed:
"Western political leaders have acquired a concern for ‘Arab-Palestinian homelessness’, which is selfishly economic rather than humanitarian. At the same time they ignore that three quarters of the original Palestine Mandate area is now under Palestinian-Arab rule. The sooner disaspora Jews and the Hebrew nation recognize these new realities, the stronger they will be.
"The Hebrew renaissance offers a painful choice to Jews. They can live in the diaspora, often facing isolation, persecution and ambivalent identities, or
they can return to their ancient land and face perils, but with a chance for honorable self-fulfillment and an end to wandering …"
That can be found on page 544 of Yitzhaq Ben-Ami’s book "Years of Wrath, Days of Glory." I do not think there can be a greater abyss between the outlook of two closely related people.
Yisrael Medad
Shiloh, West Bank
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