Geoff Sifrin attacks anyone who defends Israel stridently

Gary Selikow, Johannesburg

Two comments particularly stuck in the craw.

Sifrin writes: “Some people on the right claim Israel’s record is as clean as a whistle compared to the sickening Syrian violence – the latest outrage being a gas attack by dictator Assad on his opponents. And that the world should stop complaining about little Israel.”

In Sifrin’s world view, anyone who defends Israel stridently is right wing, and “right wing” is his favourite label of reproach. His targets of scorn and mockery are always Zionists, US President Donald Trump, Brexit and anti-jihadi patriots in Western countries and Europe (particularly in Britain). I have never seen him devote a column to attacking Islamic extremists or BDS.

In a later comment he says: “The value of human life is a Jewish precept, including a Palestinian demonstrator’s life.” In fact, no. These demonstrators are aligned to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, whose sworn aim is the violent destruction of Israel and a second Holocaust of Israeli Jews.

The aim of the demonstration was to break through the border between Gaza and Israel. An attack on Israel’s sovereignty is not for liberal or left wing Jews in the Diaspora to tell Israel how to defend itself.

It seems a tall order to expect Israelis to give way to those (in this instance, the Palestinians) who want to burn their children alive and drive them into the sea.

It is reprehensible and vile for liberal, leftist Jews in the Diaspora to threaten to withdraw their support for Israel if Israel defends herself with too much force.

I generally enjoy reading SA Jewish Report, but Sifrin’s column puts a damper on it.