In a May 10 Press Herald op-ed, the director of the Capital Area New Mainers Project, Chris Myers Asch, shares why he loves Israel (“How can a liberal love Israel?”). At a time when Israel is responsible for over 35,000 deaths and many thousands more missing under the rubble, the writer decides to share his love. To say I and many others are shocked would be an understatement. Readers can choose to go back to that op-ed; I am not going to repeat what is in it. Instead, I would like to offer a response to his love.
For more than 200 days, Israel, with major support from the United States, has bombed and starved more than 2 million people and successfully wiped out the infrastructure of Gaza. Illegal settlers continue their violent expansion and the violent taking of Palestinian homes and land in the West Bank. Like anyone following this historic genocide, I could choose to continue to list all the incredible harm that is being done to the people of Palestine but instead will focus on these two reasons why I find a love of Israel so shocking: Israel has bombed and starved more than 2 million people in Gaza, and illegal settlers continue their violent expansion and taking of Palestinian homes and land in the West Bank.
Why the writer would choose to share this viewpoint at this time in history is a mystery to many.
Mary Dunn
Member of the Maine Coalition for Palestine
Whitefield
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