Condemnation of Waters is misplaced

A man with unmistakable fascistic tendencies is preparing to take control of the United States presidency. He has emboldened anti-Semites and white supremacists throughout the country, included neo-Nazis who recently came to Washington D.C. to hail the president-elect with Nazi salutes. Amazingly, in this context, the Jewish Light decided to devote its latest editorial to condemning Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters’ non-violent advocacy for racial justice in Israel/Palestine.

 The Light’s Nov. 28 editorial (“Leaving the Table”) mistakes cause and effect. The Israeli government is the entity that for decades has undermined a possible two-state solution — through its unrelenting policy of colonizing Palestinian land and water. Netanyahu himself has willingly allied Israel with dangerous far right movements. Roger Waters, the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement and the “far left” are not the parties preventing a two-state solution — they are responding to the present reality that the State of Israel has created.

More than three decades ago, Waters created a prophetic musical vision of the seductive and dangerous tendency to attempt to confront the contradictions within our society and within ourselves by erecting giant walls. Both in the United States and Israel it’s a good time right now to listen to his message.

Michael Berg, St. Louis 

Praise for Cohn

I must applaud the inimitable Robert Cohn, the editor-in-chief emeritus of the Jewish Light on an absolutely awesome presentation exploring what happens now for American Jews in regards to our president-elect, Donald Trump. The program, presented on Shabbos, Nov. 27 at Nusach Hari B’nai Zion, was extremely enlightening.

The man continues to illustrate his outright and ongoing brilliance with eloquent rhetoric.

He truly deserves to be somehow honored for his relentless contributions to extremely of well-state opinions and factual information.

Howard Sandler, University City