Israel not a child

Regarding Iris Borman’s letter (April 13), she objected to including certain groups in the Salute to Israel parade. There may be political rationales for including them in the “big tent.” However, even though these groups love Israel, they persist in spanking as a way of correcting the behavior of this wayward child.

Israel, however, is not a child. It is a democratic country with many voices, and a democratically elected government that must strive to respond to consensus.

Unfortunately, the editor stated that these groups are trying to make Israel more democratic. That is often coded

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language that means more accommodation to Arab demands. But the rhetoric often included with these demands denies Jewish rights to any of the land – denies that there was any Jewish history there before the Holocaust (when they admit there was a Holocaust) – and refuses to acknowledge Israel’s existence.

For peace and democracy to flourish those views must change.

That is where pressure belongs, not on Israel’s flaws. The fixation on Israel’s flaws has already resulted in both anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism that has become global.