Letters to the Editor | May 19, 2024

For a moment, but for too precious a price, people of goodwill sympathized with Israel after the Oct. 7 pogrom. There were exceptions. Some justified Hamas’ “resistance” and were exhilarated by the unprecedented success of its bloodthirsty terror campaign. But, until Israel began defending itself, the world generally concurred that Israel had the right to defend itself.

It is tragic, infuriating, and frightening that Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been dragged into defending themselves against Hamas’ Islamist worldview and criminal military tactics. It is tragic because of the undeserved death, destruction, and misery inflicted, primarily by the Israelis, on so many. This was not a war Israel chose to wage. It’s infuriating because the world seems to devalue Jewish life and to scapegoat the Jewish state. It’s frightening because Israel is becoming increasingly isolated, and this is a pattern all too familiar in Jewish history.

The United Nations, rather than censuring Hamas, is preparing to reward it with Palestinian statehood. Such a move, now, will only embolden Hamas. Why would the world community endorse Hamas’ barbaric methods by granting Palestinians a political victory? This question unnerves many American Jews, especially those attuned to the scapegoating and appeasement that preceded the annihilation of European Jewry during the Holocaust.

As voices in the United States send mixed signals about Israel’s continued right to self-defense, as antisemitic acts surge here and abroad, and as growing numbers of countries scapegoat Israel with the charge of genocide that echoes the canard of blood libel, many Israelis and American Jews feel increasingly isolated and vulnerable. Given Hamas’ ideology and disregard for the international rules of war, what the IDF is engaged in is self-defense. The tragedy of mounting misery among the Palestinians does nothing to alter that truth.

Rabbi Shai Cherry, Congregation Adath Yeshurun, Elkins Park

Instead of creating solutions in Delaware, state officials held a politicized news conference to announce that a 1.8% decrease in overdose deaths is a victory. There is no victory in the overdose crisis. Overdose and the overdose crisis aren’t a game to strategize on when to make a move to save people’s lives. This is real life. We must wake up, Delaware. Does overdose have to destroy your family, like overdose destroyed my family and thousands of families in Delaware, for you to contact our representatives on pushing Delaware to create a Xylazine overdose reversal medication and safer supply? It doesn’t. We can change ourselves. We can change our community. We can change our city. Our three counties. We will change Delaware. Change in this country, and in our Delaware, takes courage. We must have the courage to be ourselves. We must ask for help. We must ask others how we can help.

Fighting the Delaware overdose crisis isn’t about percentages. We are talking about saving our Delaware family. We are talking about saving human life. We all can change. We must change, Delaware. We must create a Delaware where people don’t have to use drugs. Let’s take care of each other. Let’s love one another, Delaware.

Jordan McClements, Dover, Del.

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