Shameful on all sides

To the editor:

For many years I’ve been, and still am, a critic of what I clearly see as the maltreatment of the Palestinian people by the state of Israel (i.e. its government and security/defense agencies) and, with few exceptions, Western mainstream news-media’s seemingly intentional tokenistic (non)coverage of it. 

Still, I, one with no Jewish heritage, never expected the level of antisemitic attacks in the West, notably the U.S. and Canada, since the initial Hamas attack against Israelis. For one thing, the Jewish people in Israel and especially around the world must not be collectively vilified, let alone physically attacked, for the acts of Israel’s government and military, however one feels about the latter’s brutality in Gaza.

It’s blatantly immoral for them to be mistreated, if not terrorized, as though they were responsible for what is happening there. And it should be needless to say that diaspora Palestinians and Western Muslims similarly must not be collectively blamed and attacked for the acts of Hamas violence in Israel or Islamic extremist attacks outside the Middle East. 

There seems to have been much latent animosity towards Jewish people in general, perhaps in part based on erroneous and disproven stereotypes, and thus completely unmerited. 

Also concerning: What would young Jewish children think and feel if/when they hear such misdirected vile hatred towards their fundamental identity? Scary is the real possibility that such public outpour of blind hatred may lead some young children to feel very misplaced shame in their heritage!

While the conflict can and does arouse a spectator-sport effect or mentality, many contemptible news trolls residing outside the region actively decide which “side” they hate less, thus “support” via politicized commentary posts. I anticipate many actually keep track of the bloody match by checking the day’s-end death-toll score.

Frank Sterle Jr.