editor’
s note

The Question

Views

“W

hen are you 
going to do 
something 
about Rashida Tlaib?”
The Jewish News receives 
some variation of this 
question from 
our readers 
about once a 
week. Usually 
it’
s tied into 
something the 
Detroit Con-
gresswoman has 
said or tweeted 
about Israel, 
but the message is always the 
same: We are Detroit’
s Jewish 
publication of record. If a 
notable community figure 
has sparked a contentious 
national debate about Jews 
and Israel, it should be our 
responsibility to address this 
person in our pages.
Well, this week, on the 
occasion of her looming 

primary, new PBS 
 
documentary and various 
other news items involving 
her and her district, we have 
indeed “done something” 
about Rashida Tlaib. We 
have conducted our first-ever 
interview with her and 
prepared a separate feature 
about the local Jewish 
reaction to her.
I don’
t know if this will fit 
every reader’
s definition of 
“doing something” about a 
local member of Congress 
who expresses vocal support 
for the global BDS movement 
and isn’
t shy about criticizing 
(some would say slandering) 
Israel on the national stage. 
But this fits my definition 
and the publication’
s; the JN 
has been trying to talk to 
Rep. Tlaib since she assumed 
office in 2018. We often 
interview polarizing figures 
in these pages. Because 
this is what we do when we 

confront something difficult 
in our community. We talk 
about it. 
I imagine this issue will 
spark some debate. I hope 
that debate can be respectful, 
and I hope to hear from you: 
We will run responses to the 
interview in an upcoming 
issue. One area where Rep. 
Tlaib and I are closely aligned 
is that it’
s valuable to have 
conversations like this with 
people who may disagree 
with you, particularly when 
the matter at hand is so 
deeply intertwined with 
questions of religion and 
national identity.
We are living in a very 
challenging moment for 
Israel; for Detroit; for the 
Jewish people; and for the 
world at large. To survive as 
a people, we must be willing 
to talk: to each other and to 
others. After all, dialogue is a 
sacred Jewish value. 

Andrew Lapin

6 | JULY 16 • 2020 

letters

Inspiring Read
Having spent the 4th of July 
weekend either at Kensington 
Metropark or Heritage Park and 
then staying up until midnight 
watching a neighborhood fire-
works display, today I decided 
to stay home and read through 
back issues of the Detroit Jewish 
News before consigning them to 
the recycling bin. 
As an Asperger 
 syndrome 
patient myself dating back to 
my childhood in the 1950s, I 
read with interest the article on 
page 5 of the May 28 edition 
of JN in which William Dash 
tells of the problems he had 
in navigating the challenging 
waters he had to get through to 
earn his degree. 
Negotiating life’
s challenges 
is always going to be a problem 
for those with autism. Best 
wishes for William Dash to 
acquire the skills necessary for 
success in today’
s world. 
Regards for all the Detroit 
Jewish News does to keep us sane 
in these virus-riddled times. 

— Alex Kovnat 

Shabbat Shalom 
by Phone

I began Shabbat Shalom by 
Phone in 2011 as communi-
ty chaplain of Jewish Senior 
Life’
s Community Chaplaincy 
and Outreach Program. This 
program is a service of Jewish 
Senior Life and provides much 
needed outreach to older adults 
who are living in a variety of 
settings, including assisted 
living and nursing home com-
munities. 
Shabbat Shalom by Phone 
began with students of a local 
Jewish day school placing 
weekly calls to local older adults 

continued on page 12

commentary
Israel Must Reform 
Its Supreme Court
W

hen world cri-
ses the likes of 
COVID-19 strike, 
inevitably people will seek 
out a scapegoat. In the case of 
Israeli politics, Prime Minister 
Benjamin 
Netanyahu has 
been accused 
of abusing his 
authority, using 
the current 
pandemic to 
retain his seat in 
office and form-
ing a government (after three 
elections) at a time of national 

insecurity. NGOs like the New 
Israel Fund are demanding 
that the Israeli Supreme Court 
overturn the most recent elec-
tions, claiming PM Netanyahu 
is ineligible for reelection 
because he is currently facing 
criminal charges.
According to Israeli law, a 
prime minister who is charged 
with a criminal offense can 
continue to serve his term until 
found guilty in the court of 
law. This law prevents a major-
ity-elected prime minister from 
being ousted by high-powered 
officials in the justice system 

and police. 
Imagine a similar scenario in 
the United States: If it were not 
for this law, the Supreme Court 
could essentially override 
election results and hinder 
the democratic process simply 
because they disagree with an 
elected person’
s polices. Or 
perhaps they feel that they 
know better than the average 
voter. 
Alan Dershowitz, who 
studied the allegations against 
Netanyahu, recently said, “To 
bring down a duly elected 
prime minister on the basis of 

Kobi Erez

continued on page 8

