Dialogue Needs Honesty and Mutual Respect

Your Nov. 10 editorial on the difficulties that Los Angeles rabbis and Muslim leaders are having with their dialogue group skirts the most important element: honesty. Avoiding offense at the expense of truth does no one any good.

You noted that “some Jewish members have dropped out because of inflammatory statements by Muslim participants.” These statements, identified by Rabbi John Rosove (Voices, Nov. 3), were to the effect that Zionism is racist and that Israel is an apartheid state. Inflammatory?

A number of Islamic states are racist, and no one is in denial of that obvious fact. Zionism, by its own definition, is racist. Only Jewish Israelis enjoy all the privileges of citizenship. Only Jews have been allowed to purchase or lease land in most parts of Israel. Only Jews may immigrate to Israel and become citizens. The apartheid aspect is manifest in the withholding of equal services to Arab Israeli communities. All of this is evident to any visitor to Israel who takes the time to look. Israel’s claim to the moral high ground is refuted by its oppressive occupation of the land of another people.

Peace is possible, but to talk our way to it we must have the freedom to be honest with one another.

Don Bustany

Los Angeles

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Your editorial says that the Council on American Islamic Relations dropped out of the dialogue last year because the group would not condemn Ariel Sharon’s visit to a holy site. What you did not say is that that holy site is where the second Jewish Temple once stood. Yes, the Al Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock are there now, but that condemnation by the Council on American Islamic Relations illustrates the core of the problem between the Muslims and the Jews.

The Jews respect the Muslims. They were granted supervision of the site, which is holy to Jews as well as Muslims. The Israel Defense Forces protect holy sites for Muslims and Christians as well as Jews. Where is the respect of the Muslims for Jewish sensibilities? Visitation to the Temple Mount by Jews is restricted by the Muslims. Prayer by Jews at that most holy Jewish site is strictly forbidden. For any dialogue to proceed, for the tenuous peace process to have a chance to go forward, there must be mutual respect. May it be that it happens in our time.

Sheldon Kronfeld

San Diego