4 | MAY 27 • 2021 

Pro-Israel Rally
Shows the Flag

Israel won and Hamas lost on 
May 15 in West Bloomfield 
where 200 supporters of Israel 
gathered waving flags and 
cheering a triumphant Israel.
Hundreds of cars passed 

the rally participants blowing 
their horns in support of the 
participants waiving American 
and Israeli flags.
Many thanks to rally 
creator Eugene Greenstein 
and his team of Kobi Erez, 
Shel Freilich (both ZOA-MI), 
Rev. Tim Munger (Friends of 

Israel) and Andre Douville 
(Walk for Israel) for their 
efforts with the very successful 
rally for Israel.
Remember that Israel 
has faced many difficult 
times such as this and it is 
incumbent on all friends 
of Israel to show support 

by joining pro-Israel 
organizations, writing letters 
to the media and to your 
politicians.

— Ed Kohl

Michigan Jewish Action Council

Rally team member

Please see a related story on page 20.

guest column

Important Truths About Israel vs. Hamas
T

he recent conflict in 
Israel has been a heart-
breaking experience 
for Jewish people around the 
world. We are horrified by the 
destruction and 
loss of innocent 
life. Beyond that, 
many of us are 
struggling with 
the lingering 
impact of this lat-
est confrontation 
in our day-to-day 
lives. 
It is impossible 
to avoid. We have 
been inundated 
with discussion 
and commentary, 
much of it in 
the media and 
in our Facebook 
feeds. It has been 
widely noted 
that the intensity 
and extent of the 
criticism of Israel 
is fundamentally 
different than it 
has been in the past. 
As lay and professional lead-
ers of the Jewish Federation, 
we feel an obligation to assert 
some important truths.

While there are many com-
plex and longstanding issues in 
the region, the reality of terror-
ism is simple. Hamas and other 
organizations are committed 
to the destruction of Israel 
and have chosen the murder 
of innocent civilians as their 
primary means to accomplish 
this end. The tragic deaths of 
Israelis and Palestinians alike 
are the direct outcome of this 
terrorist campaign. 
Furthermore, the compari-
son between terrorist aggres-
sion and Israel’s attempts to 
defend its citizens is inaccurate 
and deeply unfair. It is, in fact, 
the exact response Hamas 
intended by situating their 
launch sites in schools, hospi-
tals and apartment buildings 
in Gaza, turning children and 
other innocent civilians into 
human shields. 
The widespread condem-
nation of Israel, offered with 
little or no acknowledgement 
of the intent and actions of 
Hamas, serves to justify ter-
rorism and emboldens anyone 
who sees the murder of inno-
cent people as an acceptable 
tactic. The people of Israel 
want peace, and in recent 

years there has been tremen-
dous strides in cooperation 
and common purpose among 
Jewish and Arab neighbors, 
notably evident in Federation’s 
Partnership2Gether region in 
the Central Galilee. Hamas 
works to upend this fragile 
shared society with its assaults 
and rejects the idea of a peace-
ful two-state solution. One side 
seeks peace while the other 
vows destruction. 
For many years, Israel has 
been held to a different stan-
dard among nations. The 
same groups that admirably 
champion equality and justice 
are unwilling to recognize 
the democratic and culturally 
diverse nature of Israeli society, 
unique in the region. Instead, 
these voices are among the 
most strident in the wrongful 
portrayal of Israel, often invok-
ing Nazi Germany among 
other absurd and offensive 
comparisons. 
It is true, also, that these 
false narratives have amplified 
deep-seated animosities and 
fanned the flames of antisem-
itism across the world. We 
are seeing the effects of this 
playing out in hateful and 

frequently violent attacks on 
Jewish people around the 
world. This, too, is part of the 
strategic intent of Hamas and 
others. 
We must remain vigilant in 
the fight against antisemitism. 
The safety and wellbeing of our 
local community remains the 
Jewish Federation’s highest pri-
ority, and we will continue to 
actively safeguard our schools, 
synagogues and other institu-
tions. 
Acknowledging these real-
ities does not preclude open 
discussion and debate, and we 
sincerely welcome all voices 
from our community. Indeed, 
it is part of our tradition. In the 
future, we hope to find ways to 
productively engage with and 
explore the complexities of the 
situation, with the understand-
ing that we are unified in our 
hope for peace and stability 
for Israelis, Palestinians and all 
communities in the region. 

Matthew B. Lester is president of 

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan 

Detroit. Dennis S. Bernard is president 

of the United Jewish Foundation. 

Steven Ingber is CEO of Federation.

Matthew B. 
Lester

Dennis S. 
Bernard

Steven Inger

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