While the purpose of Birthright Israel is to give every young Jew in the world a free trip to visit Israel, Israel’s purpose is to give every Jew in the world the right and ability to live anywhere in its Jewish, ancestral, historic homeland. It is incredible that seemingly educated and moral people would not only criticize Israel’s anti-boycott legislation but also seek to punish Israel for its “occupation of the West Bank” and for its failure to bring about another Arab state there (Page 1 news story and Editorial, May 5).
What these liberal critics from Birthright, Americans for Peace Now, J Street U and others fail to understand is that the conflict between the Arabs and Israel is not territorial but existential.
The Arabs have been trying to destroy Israel long before it rightfully reclaimed Judea/Samaria (West Bank) during its defensive war in 1967. Jews had been expelled from there by the Jordanians during 1948.
Israel has 3,000 years of history, legality and morality to back up its claims.
By attempting to punish Israelis who want to realize these claims, it is the height of foolishness, folly and indecency. It is the right of every democracy to protect all of its citizens — wherever they live — against those who seek to cause them harm.
Jerusalem
