LETTERS
Demonstrators presume to have truth monopoly
Shirley Zempel claims she is "puzzled" that anyone considers demonstrators outside Congregation Beth Israel on the Sabbath "'rude' or obstructionist in any way." Maybe she has a point: "rude" and "obstructionist" are too mild to describe the behavior of the pickets. Despicable, confrontational and disingenuous more accurately describe their conduct.
Zempel says she will "gladly retire from (her) post at the vigils when the congregants of Beth Israel show some acknowledgment of the wrongdoing of the government of Israel and condemn their methods forcibly and publicly." The arrogance of her ultimatum typifies the hypocrisy of these extremist demonstrators.
Zempel would surely feel menaced if demonstrators confronted her every time she entered and left her house demanding she and all her comrades show some acknowledgment of the wrongdoing of the Palestinian Arabs and condemn their methods forcibly and publicly. Yet every Saturday, these pickets attempt to impose their simplistic views on an entire congregation at its house of worship.
If Zempel's demonstrators truly desired peace, they would acknowledge how complex the situation in the Middle East is. Instead, like all fanatics, they presume they have a monopoly on truth. They specifically stalk Jews with unsolicited lectures on morality delivered via offensive, screaming placards, shattering the peace of the Sabbath.
If Zempel condemned the Palestinian Arab terrorists who brutally murder innocent Israelis with the enthusiasm with which she attacks not only Israel but also Jews in Ann Arbor on their way to and from services, she might perhaps have a shred of credibility. As it is, "rude" doesn't adequately tell the story. Picketing synagogues is indefensible.
Elliot H. Gertel, Ann Arbor