10 | JULY 30 • 2020 

Views

Thoughts on Rashida Tlaib
Many readers have submitted 
reactions to our July 16 cover story, 
which featured an interview with 
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, accompany-
ing article about her upcoming 
primary and an editor’
s note 
explaining our decision to publish 
the pieces. The JN received more 
than a dozen letters to the editor 
and more than 100 Facebook com-
ments. Here is a selection of the 
responses. Some have been edited 
for space and clarity.

‘
Outraged’
Myself, many of my friends and 
family members were outraged to 
see the picture of Rashida Tlaib 
on the cover of the Jewish News.
Indeed, what is the purpose 
of placing a picture of one of 
only two lawmakers to back the 
BDS movement on the cover of 
the Jewish News? Do we not have 
enough prominent advocates 
of the State of Israel and of the 
Jewish community who are more 
deserving of appearing on its 
front page?
Moreover, the extensive, five-
page interview of Rep. Tlalib 
failed to question her about the 
“hardcore”
, essential questions 
relative to her views of such basic, 
salient issues as her accusation 
that Israeli settlers murdered a 
young Arab boy, when in actual-
ity the boy drowned and Israeli 
first responders found him and 
tried to revive him. This is known 
in Jewish history as “blood libel”
.
I would suggest that the Jewish 
News focus its content to be a 
strong advocate of the Jewish 
people and of the State of Israel. 
During these crazy times, we real-
ly need to relay positive, valuable 
views and ideas, as they relate to 
Judaism and our Jewish State.

— Daphna Feldman

West Bloomfield

‘
Shining a Light’
It is always fascinating to see 

the stars line up. I saw that 
happen on Aug. 9, 2018, when 
I learned that my friend of 15 
years, Rashida Tlaib, had done 
the impossible. She would soon 
become a member of Congress.
It was an incredible honor for 
a woman many like to talk nega-
tively about yet have never actu-
ally met. Too often, we’
re exposed 
to information that repeats inac-
curacies and lacks context.
For the past two years, I found 
myself as a lonely voice among 
my Jewish family and friends 
defending this person I’
ve known 
and admired. A person with 
good in her heart. A person who 
I’
ve seen stand up against evil. 
And there is plenty of evil in this 
world.
I thank the Jewish News for 
shining a light on Rashida Tlaib. 
Clearly, we have a complicated 
world today that is energized by 
chaos. It is a difficult world for 
any new Congresswoman to nav-
igate. We need the stars to align 
and bring us elected leaders who 
really do have a pure heart. There 
are such people who serve the 
public and they have “good” in 
their heart.

— Irwin Danto

West Bloomfield

‘
Shameful’
Rashida Tlaib on the cover of the 
Jewish News? Really? The same 
Rashida Tlaib, supporter of BDS, 
who spews her disdain for Israel? 
The same Rashida Talib, support-
er of Hamas as they fire rockets 
into Israel? The same Rashida 
Talib, supporter of Hezbollah? 
The same Rashida Tlaib who 
glorifies terror against Israel? 
The same Rashida Tlaib who has 
refused to denounce Antifa?
Is this deplorable 
Congresswoman now a role 
model to be displayed on the 
front cover of our local Jewish 
newspaper? Could you not 
find a worthier person for this? 
Many come to mind — Alan 

Dershowitz, Bari Weiss, Mort 
Klein, to name a few. Are there 
not enough platforms for our 
enemies (and make no mistake 
about it, Rashida Tlaib ranks 
high among these) to spout their 
loathing? Is it now the role of the 
Jewish News to provide yet one 
more stage?
A shameful, shocking and 
appalling decision!

— Malka Littman, Ilana Berris,

Tami Brown, Faye Krut

Jewish Educators

West Bloomfield, MI

Can Jews Speak Out?
Rashida still comes to community 
meetings in my east side Detroit 
neighborhood. Of course, I have 
some differences with her — as 
with most politicians (I don’
t 
think Israeli academics should be 
sanctioned). But if people heard 
her story without knowing her 
religion — immigrant parents; 
first in her family to graduate 
from high school and college; 
works her way through law 
school; an activist who fought 
for civil rights and just causes — 
you’
d think she was Jewish. 
I was moved to read her reply 
to a Muslim woman who asked 
why people aren’
t speaking out 
against Trump and what he says 
about Muslims: “What were 
you saying when Mexicans were 
called rapists?” 
Jews used to be able to speak 
out like that — can we now? 
Speak out against the racism of 
Israel’
s government to others 
without the tired trope of being 
“against Israel?” I can speak out 
against racism in this country 
without being seen as anti-Amer-
ican. I’
d say we are better 
Americans for that. 
It’
s not people like Rashida who 
will destroy Israel or damage the 
Jewish position in the world. It’
s 
from within us, our behavior. 
Your children will see that. Many 
of us adults understand that. Jews 
were in the diaspora for many 

years — it wasn’
t unethical behav-
ior that held us together. We had 
laws. We had beliefs. We thrived 
in this country fighting ethical 
battles when we first arrived. 
What happened? We must relearn 
lessons we once understood, now 
from people who are closer to 
that suffering, whether they be 
Black, Muslim or immigrants. 
I look forward to more 
in-depth articles that explore the 
difficult truths, and the joys, of 
our history and our current situ-
ation.

— Sharon Luckerman

Detroit

Warning Was Needed
What? Are you kidding? On the 
cover? What next — Farrakhan? 
Nasrallah? Hitler?
So much for your series on 
antisemitism. I thought the pur-
pose of that series was to expose 
and prevent it, not justify and 
accept it. Interviewing her and 
thereby allowing her a platform 
to publicly and shamelessly extoll 
her abhorrent attitude toward 
Jews and Israel would have been 
objectionable enough, but to 
honor and promote her by put-
ting her on the cover is beyond 
my ability to understand. I am 
torn between a consideration to 
cancel my subscription in protest 
vs. my desire to “keep my ene-
mies closer.
”
It is so blatantly obvious that, 
after lying to you that she and 
her staff were unaware of your 
past attempts to talk to her, she 
only chose to speak to you now 
because she is in a fight for her 
political life in a close primary 
in two weeks. So she used you to 
influence public opinion and to 
try and placate the people she has 
most offended and alienated since 
taking office, and you took the 
bait faster than a hungry goldfish.
Furthermore, your Editor’
s 
Note column that offered a 
sheepish defense of the decision 
that you admittedly knew would 

letters

continued on page 12

