Jewish values should mean advocating for civil rights of all marginalized groups | Opinion
ADL has changed
We had been longtime supporters of the Anti-Defamation League and its mission to “Fight Hate for Good.” It was thus very disappointing to learn that the ADL removed from its website the entire section of its long-standing mission: “To Protect Civil Rights.”
The ADL, a once admired organization, helped lead the broad fight for civil rights and against racism and hate toward any group. Under the ADL’s current leadership, that appears to no longer be the case. Instead, ADL’s leadership spends a large portion of its time labelling those who criticize the policies of the government of Israel as anti-Israel or antisemitic.
Because many of us in the Jewish community are highly critical of the Netanyahu government, the ADL stands to lose much of its credibility and influence. Additionally, not only is this “antisemitic” labelling by the ADL untrue and unfair, it also minimizes the blatant antisemitic actions of Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes and the leaders of the Heritage Foundation.
It is also disconcerting that current ADL leadership has moved the organization rightward, where it now mimics the actions and policies of the American Israel Political Action Committee, a right-wing Jewish organization. The ADL, like AIPAC, is a strong supporter of Israel’s government. Both groups have ignored the Netanyahu government’s assault on democratic institutions and relentless pursuit of West Bank control.
What occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas was abhorrent, savage and demanded a response. But in two years of subsequent war in Gaza, Netanyahu and many extremist allies have reacted in ways that violate core democratic and Jewish values: rampant starvation, children and civilians being deprived of medical supplies, indiscriminate bombing and seemingly ignoring the atrocious violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli settlers.
Those of us who love and support the Israeli state must remain committed to democracy, security and human rights for Israelis and Palestinians. If we believe in freedom of expression, we must tolerate dissent from those who support a separate Palestinian state. Advocating for a separate Palestinian state does not equal antisemitism.
Those of us who are steeped in Jewish values must advocate for civil rights for all marginalized groups. Those of us who love and support Eretz Yisrael must remain committed to democracy, security and human rights for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Louis Silber,
West Palm Beach,
Barbara Pariente,
retired Florida Supreme Court justice,
West Palm Beach
Keeping orders
The latest political stunt by Democratic politicians is to warn our troops not to follow unlawful orders. When questioned, they can’t name any unlawful orders that have been given or any of their constituents who have been directed to do something unlawful.
Our troops know not to follow unlawful orders. They’re indoctrinated in this throughout their careers. One may as well tell them not to be insubordinate or to commit crimes of violence or acts of treason.
What they are doing, however, is not sedition and those on the right who are saying this know they are wrong to suggest that it is. I was first told not to follow unlawful orders as a cadet at West Point in my mandatory law course. Those instructors were not committing sedition by telling me this.
One of the greatest lessons of the second World War was that following orders does not excuse one of crimes. Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to arrest those who directed soldiers not to follow their lawful orders during the Civil War. This is not rocket science. It is just politicians doing another reprehensible thing, as many do.
Charles Michael Sitero,
Ormond Beach
Book values
College students are facing rising costs in almost every part of their education, but one of the most overlooked expenses is the price of textbooks. A single book costing more than $100 has become normal and many classes require multiple books. For students who are already balancing tuition, rent, transportation and food, this added burden can make simply staying enrolled feel impossible.
Textbooks shouldn’t be a luxury; they’re essential tools for learning. Many professors are unaware of how much these materials cost. Students are often forced to choose between buying the book or struggling through the class without it. This isn’t just unfair — it directly impacts academic success.
Colleges should expand the use of open educational resources. These are free, high-quality digital textbooks available for many subjects. These resources have been proven to work just as well and sometimes better, than traditional books.
If higher education is supposed to create opportunity, then we must remove unnecessary barriers. Making textbooks affordable is a simple, realistic step that would help thousands of students focus more on learning and less on financial stress. Our institutions must prioritize accessibility and put students first.
Samantha Prieto,
Miami
Suing healthcare
Re: the Nov. 20 online op-ed, “Florida AG is using abortion rights as a political stunt and women will suffer.” The impact of Attorney General Uthemeier’s lawsuit reaches far beyond women in Florida — it negatively impacts our state’s healthcare system. Nearly 1.5 million Floridians will be priced out of health insurance coverage due to divestment in premium tax credits.
As a physician, too many patients tell me they will not have health insurance next year. Community clinics such as Planned Parenthood play an important role by providing affordable care to uninsured and underinsured patients. Additionally, with the ongoing shortage of primary care physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists in Florida, Planned Parenthood serves an important role in providing men and women with care. This is an issue that extends beyond women’s health.
The amount of money and resources that will go into this lawsuit would be better spent on investments in our state’s healthcare system. As an obstetrician-gynecologist, I have a long “wish list” of initiatives I would like to see implemented to improve healthcare for all Floridians: investment in rural healthcare, reducing interference of government into health and expanded access to health insurance, to name a few. Floridians deserve access and investment in health care, including at Planned Parenthood.
Akshaya Kannan Singh,
Tampa
Questions of principle
Should espousing the opinion that the military must not follow constitutionally illegal orders be “punishable by death?”
Didn’t the Nazi trials at Nuremberg teach exactly the opposite? What is happening to America?
R. Thomas Farrar,
Miami
Ditching principles
We should again be grateful to filmmaker Ken Burns for his thoughtful and informative documentary series, “The American Revolution.” A most incisive comment about that conflict and what it meant for the future of our United States and also for the nations of Europe occurs at the very end of the last episode. It cites a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Adams in 1821, when both were no longer in government.
Jefferson wrote: “I will not believe our labors are lost. I shall not die without a hope that light and liberty are on a steady advance…and even should the cloud of barbarism and despotism again obscure the science and liberties of Europe, this country remains to preserve and restore light and liberty to them.
In short, the flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776 have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism. On the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them.
In Ukraine, our nation’s administration has abandoned these precepts, which are sacred to those who defend democracy, independence and freedom around the world. Its actions or lack of are shameful to an extreme.
John K. Hager,
Pinecrest
Why freebie?
President Trump already owns a site for his “library:” the Doral Country Club. He carved out a parcel of land there and is planning to build a large condominium.
Why can’t he use that site for his library instead of getting a government freebie parcel of land next to the Freedom Tower?
Stephen G. Zeitz,
Miami Beach