opinion

Americans should be troubled by Israel’s influence

I recently read that the U.S. Senate has passed legislation to discourage trading partners from boycotting Israel. Ironically, I saw this in the English version of Russia’s Pravda. Where was news of this in our newspapers? In America, we have safeguards so we can speak truth to power without undo intimidation. When, however, the sovereign state of Israel tries to tell the American government what to do, curtailing our freedoms by silencing dissent, Americans should be troubled.

Organizations, churches, some synagogues and individuals resent this interference and they are supporting boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), which is a movement designed to allow Americans and other nations to take peaceful action to express their disapproval of Israel’s behavior. It is particularly apropos for Americans to speak up and find a way to condemn Israel’s actions because America boldly provides large sums of money and weapons so that Israelis can do what they please, often ignoring international laws and pushing us to make wars we do not want.

We Americans do act when see wrongdoing, even if our government doesn’t, and what better time for us to do whatever we can to get Israel to find the will to recognize international human rights laws or get cut off from U.S. largesse. Onward BDS, and thanks to those who support it. And it doesn’t mean you’re anti-Semitic.