Letter to the Editor - The Lakeville Journal - 11-30-23

Vigil on Israel-Gaza hardly representative of Salisbury

I was surprised that one of the top, front page articles in last week’s Lakeville Journal reported on an “Interfaith Vigil” as if it were representative of how people feel in Salisbury about the Israel-Gaza situation.  Based on all the quotes of the participants in the article, one would think that poor Israel is the sole victim, and the problems it faces are a result of Palestinian aggression and antisemitism.  The first sentence of the article states that the speakers were unequivocal in their support for Israel.  This would appear to be contrary to the sentiments of most Americans, who are disgusted by Israel’s gratuitous killing of tens of thousands of innocent people, including many thousands of babies and children.  One should be ashamed to justify this under any circumstances. 

Did the vigil organizers open their event to the public?  I think not, as it wasn’t publicized for “security reasons.”  However, the group was presented as representing an interfaith voice of Salisbury.  This is spurious given that the group was self-selected, with participants overwhelmingly representing one side.  How many Arab-Americans or Muslims (not necessarily the same as Arab) were invited to this “interfaith” gathering?  I suspect none.  Perhaps the attendees don’t want to accept that the vast majority of demonstrations throughout the world, including in the U.S., are against Israel’s obvious genocide of Palestinians.  I participated in an anti-war demonstration in front of the White Hart Inn in Salisbury last Saturday where signs were displayed stating Stop Palestinian Genocide, No More Occupation, Palestinian Lives Matter, Ceasefire Now, Stop Using My Tax Dollars to Fund Palestinian Genocide, We Will Not be Silent and Stop Bombing Babies.  Here are the results of my very informal “poll” of several hundred cars that passed by.  About half the people in the cars reacted.  The overwhelming majority of that half either made the peace V sign with their fingers or honked as if they were in favor.  Only two parties gave the middle finger.  I believe that this informal poll better reflects the sentiments of the people of Salisbury, the U.S., and the world.   

I fear that antisemitism will only get worse due to the selfish, short-sighted objectives of Israel and their American government enablers.  Maybe one should ask the interfaith vigil attendees how they might feel if they were locked up in an open-air prison all their lives and had their dignity stripped away as they endured abuse by a racist, apartheid regime.  And then they were bombed to oblivion.  Would they despise and want to kill their prison-keepers?

The objective of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians has been to expropriate the Palestinians’ homes and land while treating them like and calling them “animals.”  The Israelis and their lobby accuse anybody who dares criticize them as being antisemitic.  I guess that means if one criticizes the American government for their hegemonic policies (or any other reason, for that matter), they are anti-American.  Go figure.

The Israelis have been inflicting a slow death on the Palestinians for years, and now they are trying to exterminate and maim them via carpet bombing.  Imagine that one out of every one hundred residents of Gaza have already been killed, and many more injured.  That is the equivalent of killing 3.2 million Americans, or over one thousand 9/11’s.  The result of these actions will be to unfortunately create Hamas 2.0.  The Israelis can do better than that towards their fellow human beings.  After all, Judaism considers all life sacred.

Israel has the means to solve the conflict with their fellow neighbors by granting equal rights to all human beings living in Israel and the territories which they occupy or subjugate.  They really can have peace if they want it, but a continued land grab and the inhumane treatment of Palestinians needs to end.  Instead of unequivocally supporting Israel’s policies, it is in everyone’s interest if the attendees of the interfaith vigil were to have urged Israel to adopt more sensible and just policies aimed at a long-term resolution of conflict.

Lloyd Baroody

Lakeville