BRATTLEBORO-I am sad to see that a petition for a ballot article in Brattleboro and other towns that includes language calling for others to join in "working to end all support of Israel's apartheid regime, settler colonialism and military occupation."
Israel is not a settler colonial state. The existence of Israel is existential for Jews and a pillar of Jewish belief.
The proposed article disproportionately criticizes Israel and minimizes Hamas's, Iran's, and other nations' role in the current war in Israel and Gaza.
As described on the website of the Shalom Alliance, "Not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic. Criticism of Israel becomes antisemitic when it presents as one of the 'three Ds' as defined by Israeli human rights advocate Natan Sharansky:
"1. Delegitimization: denial of the Jewish people's right to self determination
"2. Demonization: portrayal of Israel and Jews as evil, demonic, satanic
"3. Double standards: criticizing Israel and only Israel on certain issues, but choosing to ignore similar or worse situations in other countries. Holding Israel to higher and impossible standards."
The article proposed includes antisemitic language. If it ends up on the ballot in your town, I strongly urge you to reject it.
Jean Anne Kiewel
Brattleboro
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