Letters
Not About Right and Left, but About Rights of Jews
It is ironic that the editorial in the July 23 Jewish Exponent (“A Hunger for Civility”) discussed Jewish divisiveness as leading to tragedy, while in the same issue there was a false and divisive news story whose premise was that building in eastern Jerusalem is being led by right-wing Jews (Israel & Mideast: “Pressure Points: Goal Is to Lead Way to Peace”).
This JTA article mentions that the land in question was purchased in 1985, but omits a salient point that the purchase was under the auspices of then Prime Minister Shimon Peres, whom the article later refers to as “on the left.”
The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations — a group that comprises Jewish entities that span the breadth of the political spectrum — recently came out strongly in favor of Israel’s right to build anywhere in Jerusalem — east, west or otherwise.
The statement said, in part, that the Conference of Presidents “has long advocated and supported the unity of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel. We find disturbing the objections raised to the proposed construction of residential units on property that was legally purchased and approved by the appropriate authorities.”
We would like the Jewish Exponent to clarify that it is not “right-wing Jews” causing dissension, and that rights exist for the Jewish people to build anywhere in the unified city of Jerusalem.
Leonard Getz
National vice president
Zionist Organization of America
Philadelphia