Letters to the editor
Readers respond
Summer Lee is not the best choice for the Jewish community
Is Summer Lee really the best choice for Jews (“Summer Lee is ‘the best person to support the Jewish community,’” Feb. 9.)? Somehow, I think that Honey Rosenbloom is trying to fool me into believing an untruth. Because I have eyes and ears, I can determine for myself, and I see clearly that this can’t possibly be the case. Just this week I learned that Summer Lee has been invited to give an address to CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Philadelphia chapter at its fundraising dinner on March 2.
Just as Lee has the wherewithal to choose to give a speech wherever she wants, we as voters are free to note the fact that CAIR is an enemy of the American Jewish community.
The Washington Free Beacon reports that CAIR is known for its anti-Israel views and was labeled an “unindicted co-conspirator” of Hamas front groups during the Holy Land Foundation terrorism investigation in 2007. CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said in November that he was “happy” that Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. He also said that Israel “does not have that right to self-defense.” The White House condemned Awad’s remarks as antisemitic. Awad contributed $1,000 to Lee’s primary campaign on Dec. 29, according to campaign finance records.
No doubt, Lee is well funded. She is supported by the Democratic National Committee and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries from their large cash reserves and wealthy donors. In stark contrast is Bhavini Patel, who is pilloried by Lee’s supporters for alleged ties to Indian nationalist interests, whatever that means. These are just code words meant to suggest something sinister about her character and motives. If Indian Americans support Patel, is there something wrong with that or is it only if they are Hindus?
These baseless taunts are all a piece of the rest of the identity politics we see from the so-called progressive end of the Democratic Party. Is the issue that Patel is the wrong minority? I believe there is nothing to attack Patel on except her support for Israel’s moral self-defense and disdain for racial essentialism. I for one am sick of skin color tests. Let’s look at what these candidates do and stand for. I know what CAIR is and has done. I know their leaders and positions.
Given ample evidence in her record and her bullying, divisive tactics, I am far from convinced Summer Lee is the best candidate for the Jewish community.
Spare me the lies.
Annette Kolski-Andreaco
Pittsburgh
Surprising omission in ‘Blazing Saddles’ article
I began to read, with interest, the article by Stephen Silver about the movie “Blazing Saddles” (“‘Blazing Saddles’ marks a half-century of hilarity — and controversy,” reprinted from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Feb. 16). I ended up with some degree of surprise/shock that Norman Steinberg was not even mentioned.
Norman co-wrote “Blazing Saddles” with Mel Brooks. He attended Taylor Allderdice High School in the 1950s before his family moved to Maryland. He then came back and graduated from Pitt Law School in 1964 with me. Although I went to law school with Norman, I did not stay in touch with him, but there were a number of Pittsburghers who did maintain a relationship with him over all those years.
He died in 2023 and his obituaries all mention his “Blazing Saddles” and Pittsburgh connections. That a Pittsburgh Jewish community newspaper did not is incredible.
Maurice A. Nernberg
Squirrel Hill
Hamas started the war, not Israel
Maya Fischhoff is incorrect to state that it is Israel’s “war on Gaza” (“Looking for more nuanced perspective,” Feb. 16). It is Hamas’ war on Israel, currently prosecuted in Gaza by Israel, which cannot live next to the genocidal terrorist organization Hamas. When Maya understands that Hamas started the war, all the rest of her complaints about a Jewish newspaper supporting a Jewish country, and Netanyahu’s failings, fade away.
It is true that Israelis want another prime minister. They also want a new military head and a new head of intelligence. They will get these when the war is over, but first the war must be won. Remember 9/11? Many thought that George W. Bush was incompetent, but all Americans rallied behind him because, incompetent or not, he was our president and it was wartime.
Larry Shapiro
Calgary, Alberta Canada
comments