In response to Rabbi Mark Levin’s column, “Must Israel become racist?” published in the March 26 issue, I understand his reaction to Natanyahu’s election day political blunder. I winched when it was reported. Rabbi Levin says he was saddened and angry and I believe he over reacted. The Israeli democracy process worked and 13 Arab Israelis were elected to the Knesset. Yes, I know that prejudice exists in Israel. In spite of that, Israel has taken in Ethiopian Jews, Yemenites, Jews from India and elsewhere. Columnist William Safire wrote that it was the first time in history that Africans were taken to freedom, not slavery.
What concerns me the most about Rabbi Levin’s column is that it reminds me of the 2001 U.N. World Conference Against Racism in Durbin, South African that revived the charge that “Zionism is Racism,” that was originally declared in a 1975 U.N. resolution. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}The 1975 action was not repealed until 1991. Jimmy Carter contributed to these despicable outcries by calling Israel an apartheid state. Rabbi, you may have given comfort to those who do not love Israel, as you do. You really did overdo it.{/mprestriction}