In his column, “Raining On The Parade” (June 15), Gary Rosenblatt expressed his frustration and disappointment at “the missing majority of New York Jews” from the June 3 Celebrate Israel Parade. However, Rosenblatt also managed to malign a group of Jewish attendees who are arguably among the Jewish state’s strongest supporters. He wrote: “A few individuals on the edges of the communal spectrum brought shame to their cause, seeking to disallow the participation of groups they are opposed to ideologically.”
Brought shame to our cause? Our cause is the protection of Israel and all of her citizens.
One of the groups whose participation in the parade our passionate contingent protested is B’Tselem.
Noah Pollak, in Commentary magazine, wrote: “In making such a profound contribution to the Goldstone Report, B’Tselem was performing the task to which it has truly dedicated itself: not the defense of human rights in the West Bank and Gaza, but the delegitimization of Israel and its existence as a Jewish state.”
Is Rosenblatt in support of this behavior? Were we “on the edges of the communal spectrum” in raising our voices against the inclusion of an organization that took such vile, anti-Israel actions?
We were proud to have protested the parade participation of the New Israel Fund (NIF), an organization that funds groups which support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel, and the groups that support BDS that marched with the NIF.
If someone, indeed, brought shame to their cause, it was you, Mr. Rosenblatt, for castigating us for standing up for Israel, and for painting us as an extreme element within the Jewish community while whitewashing the anti-Israel participants in the Celebrate Israel parade.
Buddy Macy, Pro-Israel activist
Helen Freedman, Executive Director, Americans For A Safe Israel,
Richard Allen, Founder, www.jccwatch.org
Editor’s Note: The New Israel Fund, according to its website, “opposes the global (or general) BDS movement, views its use of these tactics as counterproductive, and is concerned that segments of this movement seek to undermine the existence of the state of Israel. NIF will not fund global BDS activities against Israel nor support organizations that have global BDS programs.”
