Zionism isn’t Judaism, it’s a flawed ideology
Kanpur, India: Judaism is 3,000-plus years old; a religion, culture, languages (Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino), food, philosophy, ethics, spiritual traditions — a whole civilization. Zionism is a political movement from Europe created in the late 1800s mostly by secular Jews to make a Jewish nation-state in Palestine.
Zionist institutions pushed the messages that Israel represents all Jews, criticizing Israel is antisemitism and supporting Israel is part of Jewish identity. This framing helped politically but created massive confusion and resentment, and silences Jewish voices who don’t agree. After the Holocaust, the world rightfully had huge sympathy for Jews. But some political actors used that trauma to shut down criticism, justify harsh policies, demand automatic support and emotionally pressure diaspora Jews. Using trauma as a shield may work short-term, but long-term, it backfires. Zionism promised safety but didn’t deliver. Israel is constantly at war and Jewish communities in the West get blamed for its actions. Many Jews feel guilted or manipulated into supporting things they don’t agree with.
Zionists often call Jewish critics, like Jewish Voices for Peace self-hating, traitors and naïve. This is toxic relationship behavior: guilt-tripping, gaslighting and emotional blackmail. It shuts down debate instead of engaging with it. The heart of the conflict is nationalism versus an already inhabited land. Zionism needed that land for a Jewish state. Two nationalisms collided. Someone was going to get hurt. This is not “blaming Jews,” it’s analyzing a political project. And ethno-nationalist projects always produce conflict. Ideas should rise or fall on logic, not identity. Zionism is an idea. Ideas can be debated, challenged and replaced. Mixing identity with ideology always creates harm. Let’s separate them — for everyone’s sake. Adnan Aslam
Lawful migration
Brooklyn: To Voicer John Woodmaska: There was no plot to transfer Jews to Palestine. Jews immigrated there to escape persecution in Europe. The Zionists legally purchased their land, drained malarial swamps, irrigated desert, developed farms and factories, and in 1925 established the first university in Palestine, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The 1937 report by the British Peel Commission on Jewish land purchases stated that the Jewish presence in Palestine resulted in increased employment opportunities and a higher standard of living for Arabs. The Arabs caused the chaos and oppression by starting the wars of 1947 and 1948. Arab leader Haj Amin al-Husseini was an antisemite whose goal was not to form an Arab state, but to prevent the emergence of a Jewish state. In 1921, he wrote to Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill demanding that Palestine be absorbed into Syria or Trans-Jordan, which would have prevented the establishment of Israel. Lawrence Freedland
Deprivation is violent
Karachi, Pakistan: Explain to me how blocking a flour shipment makes your border secure, how a mother’s milk is a suspicious material, and why a fisherman’s boat is called a “Hamas vessel.” The words “aid delays” and “restrictions” are a coward’s terminology. The true words are starvation policy, enforced famine and a program of nutritional extermination. When you control the borders, roads and calories and people starve, that’s not war. That’s a hostile takeover of metabolism. “Food insecurity” is a propaganda negation. What’s happening in Gaza is food terrorism. Mothers are boiling tree bark and grass because the flour warehouses are empty. Children are fainting in schoolyards and doorways from pure calorie deficit. Lines of fully loaded UN trucks are parked in the sun 10 miles away while people inside drink saltwater to feel full. We punish the soldier who disobeys an illegal order. Who punishes the government that writes the illegal order into law? Yumna Zahid Ali
Innocents everywhere
Manhattan: When you report on Sudan (and other places) and the many deaths, why don’t you say “mostly women and children”? Sound familiar? It’s there, too! Do you only quote Hamas? S.D. Rosenbaum
Sympathy insanity
Brooklyn: With several recent cartoons in support of Venezuelan drug dealers, Bramhall takes Trump Derangement Syndrome to new heights, and the Daily News to new lows. Jack Flynn
Not even in war
Redondo Beach, Calif.: If Pete Hegseth had commanded the Royal Navy in World War II, he would have ordered the killing of the 110 German sailors who survived the sinking of the Bismarck. John Chevedden
Mutiny mouthpiece
Westfield, Mass.: Let’s ask Sen. Mark Kelly to define what he means by an “illegal order.” What this senator and his fellow Democratic politicians did and said is treasonous — to our president, and more importantly, to the American people. We have seen Democrats follow an increasingly ugly path to subvert President Trump, thinking this is the way to regain power. We have seen censorship of news. We have seen corruption of our justice system, with lawfare against political opponents. Now we see a sitting U.S. senator advocating for soldiers to commit treason for reasons he will not define. God help us, America. Where is the bottom? Shame on Kelly, and a shout-out of shame to Arizona’s voters if they allow this to continue. Rich Hilbert
Defenseless victim
Staten Island: I understand why the defense team is attempting to exclude crucial evidence in the Luigi Mangione trial. That is their job. But Brian Thompson was collateral damage to Mangione’s mania. Having the video of Mangione aiming directly at his target (with a 9-millimeter handgun) along with his notebook outlining his “intent to wack a health insurance executive” should be enough for sentencing him to life in prison without parole. He is not deserving of any due process. Myra Goodman
Over the airwaves
Brooklyn: Am I the only one who thinks podcasts are the same as when our grandparents and generations before gathered around the radio to listen to stories? Thanks again to older folks — good ideas still working, or reworking. Joe Many
Single-payer state
Manhattan: Trump’s OBBBA will jeopardize health care availability for all New Yorkers. To counter this, our state Legislature has crafted the New York Health Act (NYHA) to provide comprehensive health coverage to all state residents. It establishes a trust fund to hold money for patients and to pay providers. Patients’ choices of physicians would not be limited by networks or prior authorizations. All New Yorkers would pay a progressive, graduated annual tax scaled according to income. Capital gains and stock transfers would be taxed as well. Additional funds would be available from Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP. Patients would make no further payment at the point of care — no co-pays, deductions or denials. No one would have medical debt. More public support is needed before legislators will advance the bill to a vote. Passage would be progress toward what we really need — a national Medicare for All. Marc H. Lavietes, MD, board member; Physicians for a National Health Program; NY Metro
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Buzzword
Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.: It seems like candidates for public office are in love with the word affordability. It wasn’t mentioned as a major topic in local or nationwide elections in the last six to eight years. There were other concerns. Now affordability is a catchword for a certain political party, and it’s working. Peter McKenna
No sway?
Glendale: As the owner of Madison Square Garden, the Rangers and the Knicks, one would think that James Dolan would have substantial influence with the NBA and the NHL regarding scheduling. For the past few years, I’ve noticed on numerous occasions that the Knicks are scheduled to play head-to-head with the Rangers. This leaves us Knicks/Rangers fans having to choose between watching one team or the other. Unless I am missing something, this schedule reduces ratings. As an astute businessman, one would think that Dolan would be able to use his influence to mitigate this situation. Thomas Murawski
Changing cityscape
Whitestone: I was born in the building at 831 First Ave. in 1930. I have tears in my eyes from how much the city has changed. No more unlocked doors, open windows or neighbors loving neighbors. Didn’t matter where you came from, everyone was there for everyone. We used to swim off the 49th St. pier in the East River, and on 53rd St., the river had a small island attached to it. Now that island is gone. The pier is also gone, and soon I’ll be gone. But the life that New York gave us was the best. How sad for the ones to come, a city lost forever. Sally DeFelice
