LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Who is speaking up for you here?

Posted

To the editor:

(re: “Weiss never speaks for me, but Bowman often does,” April 29)

It is not common to see an Orthodox Jew praise U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, especially in the pages of The Riverdale Press.

What’s really going on here? I have no idea whether Mr. Eisen’s — I apologize if it’s Rabbi Eisen — opinion of Rabbi Avi Weiss is correct or not.

Rather, it is his praise in the Point of View of U.S. Rep. Bowman that piqued my curiosity.

And then it hit me: the “Satmar” reference and the “Palestinian pain.” In this regard, Mr. Eisen — and attention, U.S. Rep. Bowman, this is critical for you to understand — is a member of a sect of Hasidic Jews that does not believe that Israel is a legitimate country, and refuses to recognize its existence.

They are vehemently anti-Zioinist, and pray for the destruction of the state of Israel.

Members of the Satmar sect generally believe in this and their offshoot, Neturei Karta, is the theological leader of the anti-Zionist (anti-Israel) Hasidic movement. To my knowledge, the only Hasidic group supporting the existence of the state of Israel is the Lubavitch.

So U.S. Rep. Bowman, beware of some people’s motives who support you. In this case, there is no doubt of the sincere nature of Mr. Eisen’s praise of you. It just comes along with virulent anti-Zionist — actually wishing for the destruction of the state of Israel — baggage.

Steve Gleit

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Steve Gleit,

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