I have a serious dislike of Netanyahu and what he’s doing. It does NOT mean I don’t have respect for Israel. It’s the same as disliking Trump but not disliking USA.
I think Donald Trump is a global embarassment, a shyster and a mafia boss. As much as I cannot deny he was elected (by the thinnest margin in 25 years), I insist that he does not represent our country, what we believe in and what we stand for. Kudos for our neighbors to the north who elected a grown up – Mark Carney – as their new Prime Minister.
As much as I dislike Trump, I still love my country. I do fear that somme of our elements unique greatness are at risk, but I still love what we have always stood for, even if we haven’t always practiced it – fairness, freedom, rights , due process, and national pride.
I dislike what Netanyahu is doing as the autocrat running Israel, and I sense (from a safe distance) that many of his citizens are as unhappy with him as we are with Trump. What Hamas did in October of 2023 is of course horrendous. What Netanyahu is doing – continues to do – is just as bad, if not worse. Palestinians are not the problem, Hamas is. Palestinians were in this territory long before Israel moved in and took it from them. An agreement to share territory has been in sights for a long time, but Netanyahu has discarded this objective, treating Palestinians as non-citizens witout rights. What he’s done in the West Bank is disgusting. What he’s doing in Gaza is worse.
yet I still have respect for Israel, for what they stand for and for Israelis. Do not call me anti-semitic for being critical of Netanyahu and what he’s doing (oh, by the way, my blood is Ashkenazi jewish).
mikesteinharter.com 