O pinion
Condemnation of Marjorie Taylor Greene
Needs to Come From Both Sides
BY MOSHE PHILLIPS
WHY ARE SOME right-of-
center Jewish groups finding it
so difficult to publicly condemn
anti-Semitic congresswoman
Marjorie Taylor Greene?
A few, such as the
Republican Jewish Coalition
and the Coalition for Jewish
Values, have spoken out. Herut
too condemns Marjorie Taylor
Greene’s extremism and her
endorsements of anti-Semitic
conspiracies. But too many
others have remained silent.

massacre and various school
shootings were hoaxes.

Just a couple weeks ago,
shortly before the three-year
anniversary of the Parkland
school shooting, a 2019 video
surfaced of Greene confronting
Parkland shooting survivor
David Hogg, who Greene has
called “little Hitler” on Twitter, in
Washington, D.C. Hogg ignored
her, which she said in the video
was because he was a “coward”
getting paid by George Soros —
another Jew at the center of her
conspiracy theories.

Considering how often Jews
have been targeted — and hurt
— by conspiracy-mongering,
you would assume that every
Zionist and Jewish organiza-
tion, from right to left, would
speak out against Greene.

Those on the left have. But not
all those on the right have.

Those in the Jewish
community who claim to fight
anti-Semitism are credible
right condemn her, it matters.

It packs a punch. It shows
that even people who might
agree with her on some other
issues have come to recognize
that she is a beyond-the-pale
extremist. At the end of the day,
anti-Semites don’t make polit-
ical distinctions. They hate all
Jews. To counter them, Jewish
organizations likewise must
take a bipartisan approach of
condemning all anti-Semites.

Is it possible that some
Jewish groups that were sympa-
thetic to President Donald
Trump are silent on Greene
because Trump has praised
her? I hope that’s not the case.

The first responsibility of
leaders of Jewish and Zionist
organizations is supposed to
be to their members and to
the Jewish people, not to a
particular political party or a
particular former president.

The fact that the Trump
When groups on the right condemn [Marjorie Taylor Greene], it matters.

It packs a punch. It shows that even people who might agree with her
on some other issues have come to recognize that she is a beyond-the-
pale extremist.

The silence of other organi-
zations surely cannot be
because of any doubts regarding
Greene’s record of espousing
anti-Semitism, violence and
lunatic conspiracy theories.

After all, that ugly record
speaks for itself — in volumes.

In videotaped diatribes,
tweets and retweets over the
past several years, Greene has
irresponsibly shared conspira-
cies that the Rothschilds started
brush fires in California, railed
against “Zionist supremacists,”
promoted the anti-Semitic
QAnon movement, encouraged
violence against congressional
leaders, and claimed that the
9/11 attacks, the Las Vegas
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM only if they loudly and clearly
denounce hatred when it
comes from all camps, not
just from the camp of their
opponents. Republicans who
only condemn anti-Semitism
from the left are no more
credible than Democrats who
only condemn anti-Semitism
from the right.

It’s not just a matter of
credibility. It’s also a matter of
effectiveness. When groups on the left
denounce Greene, it doesn’t
have much impact. They’re
obviously her
political opponents. Their criticism is
not particularly impressive.

But when groups on the
administration took a number of
pro-Israel actions does not mean
that the Jewish community has
some obligation to follow him in
embracing Greene.

We can appreciate the reloca-
tion of the U.S. embassy to
Jerusalem without embracing
every fringe element on the
American political far right.

We can praise the U.S. recog-
nition of Israeli sovereignty
on the Golan Heights without
subscribing to thoroughly
debunked conspiracy theories
about the recent election. We
can support the reduction in
U.S. aid to the Palestinian
See Phillips, Page 30
JEWISH EXPONENT
KVETCH ’N’ KVELL
Remembering Cantor Wall
WHEN I GRADUATED from Hebrew High at Har Zion
Temple in 1962, my class was each asked to sing a portion of the
Birkat HaMazon. I cannot sing at all.

Cantor Isaac Wall (“Longtime Cantor Isaac Wall Dies at 103,”
Feb. 11) took me aside and coached me through my section.

I will always remember his kindness.

Marilyn Halpern | Philadelphia
Remembering Cantor Karpo
Your piece on my beloved Cantor Karpo (“Longtime Cantor
Sidney Karpo Dies at 93,” Feb. 4) was amazing.

He was a truly remarkable human being. As a six-time past
president of Ner Zedek, I remember arguing with him to sit and
chant and not retire. He said that would be against everything
he believed in.

I still can close my eyes and hear him chant Kol Nidre. There
was only one Karpo.

And, yes, he taught my son for his bar mitzvah and then
performed the wedding ceremony. He and Sylvia danced up a
storm that night.

I had just sent him a birthday card in November and spoke to
him on Yom Kippur.

He will be truly missed.

Maxine Goldman | Northeast Philadelphia
Protect Us From Iran, Love Israel
I read with interest the excellent opinion column by Penn student
Sophia Rodney (“I’m a Student and I’m Afraid of Where My Party
Is Headed,” Jan. 28). I totally agree with everything she wrote.

Anyone who believes that the Iranians will tell the truth about
anything has their head in the sand. They will lie, cheat and
steal to accomplish their goals, one of which is the destruction
of Israel. I do not understand the American Jews who do not
support Israel. Israel started with nothing and through hard
work and brilliance have developed many of the truly great
technological and pharmaceutical advances in the world today.

What has been happening on many college campuses is very
disheartening. Instead of listening to both sides of an argument,
students boycott and prevent speakers they disagree with from
talking. Anti-Semitic acts are common. Jewish students are
fearful of speaking out against them on some campuses. Students,
even misguided Jewish ones, have supported the BDS movement.

We are former Philadelphians who live in Florida. We hear about
campus anti-Semitic acts from our local ADL chapter.

As I approach my 90th birthday, I hope and pray that the
administration in Washington, D.C., comes to its senses and
helps protect Israel and the Jews in America from Iran and our
homegrown anti-Semites. l
Howard Hatoff | Boca Raton, Florida
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published. FEBRUARY 18, 2021
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