Letters to the Editor: Walk in Israelis’ shoes before criticizing their election choices
My letter to the editor in support of the proposed change to the campaign laws was rejected. For the purposes of this discussion let’s use the words of my letter because they, more than anything else, exemplify my concern:
“I cannot help but feel very uneasy about the proposed change to the campaign laws in Israel, which would allow for the use of propaganda materials that have the effect of undermining the election process.
Our new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, has been given a blank check by the Knesset to run a campaign. He and his party are not only free to use whatever they like, but, with the approval of the Knesset, can continue to use the government’s money to promote their own positions.
The proposal to change the law and give Ms. Bennett a blank check is therefore an invitation to anarchy.
As my dear friend Shalom Hacohen once put it, ‘We are all Jews first, and Israelis second.’ I strongly believe that we need to respect this idea. Otherwise, we are, as Shalom said, ‘all Jews first and Israelis second.’
—Kamil Hacohen
Horton, Minnesota
When I read today that the campaign law has been changed from open to closed, I felt a chill come over me.
I am from the Midwest, and I was educated in the liberal traditions of the American political system. I have a certain reverence for democracy and the freedom of the individual. However, my deepest concerns lie not in these tenets but rather in freedom of the press and free speech.
I can’t help but feel very uneasy about the proposal to change the campaign laws in Israel, which would allow for the use of propaganda materials that have the effect of undermining the election process. Our new Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, has been given a blank check by the Knesset to run a