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Stanley M. Rosenblatt

American Jews Who Criticize Israel

American Jews have the right to criticize Israel.  Those who do so have the sensitivity of a rock.  October 7, 2023 was a tragic demonstration of what Israelis have always had to deal with.  An enemy that will murder unarmed civilians, women and children, in the cruelest way imaginable.  An enemy that will call their mothers bragging about what they have done.  The reaction of the mothers – joyful praise.

Yes – by all means give them a state.  Hamas is not some kind of fringe group, they are mainstream Palestinians.  They are popular among the masses.  Palestinian suicide bombers have murdered hundreds of Israelis – Palestinian terrorists have attacked families in their homes, in restaurants, in shopping malls, at bus stops.  They have attacked kindergartens, schools, hospitals.

Yes – by all means give them a state!

American Jews in the comfort of their homes, in the safety of America dare to criticize.  They are too stupid and insensitive to understand that their criticism provides cover to the anti-semites allowing them to say –

“I am not a Jew hater, I am only against the policies of the state of Israel.  I am simply agreeing with these two very prominent Jews – Thomas Friedman of the New York Times and Bernie Sanders the United States Senator from Vermont.”

Friedman and Sanders are both enemies of the Jewish people.  Sanders advocated for stopping arms shipments to Israel unless they followed the directives of the Biden Administration.

Friedman is revered by thousands of liberal Manhattanites and of course he has the prestige of being the number one opinion columnist for the New York Times.  He would argue that he really loves Israel, it is only Netanyahu whom he hates.  He has condemned Netanyahu in stronger language than he ever used against Arafat or even the leaders of Hamas.

He said that if Netanyahu were to be reelected Israel would no longer be a democracy.

Here are his words from his column of July 10, 2019 –

“If you care about Israel pay attention, because the outcome of the election could tear apart your synagogue and your community.  Every Jew who cares about the Jewish state will have to make an ethical choice whether or not to continue to support Israel” – (if Netanyahu were to remain as prime minister).

As Friedman is a Netanyahu hater, he is also a Trump hater.  He said in a December 11, 2019 column that unless Trump were to be impeached, democracy in America would not survive.

My guess is that in all the hundreds of columns that he has written over the decades he has never explicitly taken sides in an election for the leader of any democratic country.

Like Netanyahu or not, and there are many things about him that I don’t like – are you totally insensitive to the fact of how unseemly it is for you, an American Jew, to viciously attack a man who has fought in Israel’s wars, whose heroic brother was killed at Entebbe in a rescue mission to Africa to save the lives of kidnapped Jews.

Netanyahu has seen Jewish body parts, children’s body parts – throats cut – mangled bodies caused by Palestinian terrorists.  He has seen friends and fellow soldiers in the prime of their young lives blown to bits by Arabs.

There have been hundreds of lone wolf stabbing attacks. Families have been knifed by Palestinians as they have walked on the sidewalks of Jerusalem. Tom, I don’t think you are looking over your shoulder in Manhattan.

This is what Israel has to deal with every day while you sit at your computer in the comfort and safety of your luxurious home.

This is what Friedman had to say in a column on January 21, 2025 – the day after Trump’s inauguration.  After having viciously attacked Trump for years he now saw Trump as a savior, the one guy who could remake the Middle East, who could bring peace to the Middle East.  It is the column of a highly educated, well-informed fool.

He thought it was wonderful that Trump pressured Netanyahu to accept the cease fire deal.  Naturally he didn’t say a word about his empty threat – “all hell to pay” – if all the hostages were not released by inauguration day on January 20.

Friedman had praise for Antony Blinken, Biden’s Secretary of State, who has consistently pushed for a Palestinian state.  And of course Friedman having learned nothing after October 7 also prattled about his belief in a Palestinian state.

Only a fool could believe that a Palestinian state could ever be a democracy.  Only a fool would believe that Hamas or Islamic Jihad would allow a Palestinian state to exist in peace next to Israel.

Only a fool could fail to recognize that in over 20 sovereign Arab countries, not a single one is a democracy.  They are either royal dictatorships or military dictatorships.  Tragically Friedman and Sanders have had a lot of company over the years.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was very much against the Obama/Kerry nuclear deal with Iran.  He explained why in an invited address to both Houses of Congress.  A Jewish organization called – “Tikkun Community, The Prophetic Voice of Liberal and Progressive Jews and Our Non-Jewish Allies” took out full-page ads addressing the prime minister:

“You do not speak for American Jews.  Most polls indicate that a majority of American Jews oppose the expansion of West Bank settlements and support the creation of an independent Palestinian state living in peace with Israel”.

The ad was signed by well over 100 Jewish professors, doctors and rabbis.  The ad invited readers to their website for the full list of some 2,400 signers.  Beyond pathetic! The anti-Semites of course loved the ad.

Israel since its inception has been surrounded by enemies. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for many years under Arafat, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iran, the Houthis of Yemen. Plus dozens of terrorist cells. Yes – any American who criticizes Israel has the sensitivity of a rock.

It is okay to criticize privately amongst your fellow Jews and Israelis. It is not okay to criticize to the world at large. The phonies always talking about the possibility of the disappearance of democracy. Idiots – Netanyahu has been elected four times – that is the essence of democracy. There are multiple political parties in Israel competing for influence and votes. That is the essence of democracy.

On the issue of saving Jewish lives there must be Jewish unity. It is an anti-Semitic myth that Jews always stick together. We should strive to transform that myth into a reality.

About the Author
Stanley Rosenblatt, with his wife and law-partner Susan, challenged the Tobacco Industry’s half- century of lies resulting in the largest jury-verdict in American history – $145 billion. They also managed to raise nine children and have been blessed with over thirty grandchildren. Stanley hosted “Israeli Diary” on PBS and his interviews included Ariel Sharon, Yitzhak Rabin, Moshe Ahrens and Shimon Peres. He is the author of six books – most recently: “America: What is the Matter with Us?” (2024)
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