Rabbi’s Participation Will Be Missed

Re “Blame Has Replaced Understanding,” Commentary, May 5:

Rabbi Steven Jacobs’ regretful recusal of himself from any further participation in the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue is a great loss. Jacobs has been in the forefront of promoting mutual understanding between Jews and Muslims for many years. That he is dispirited to the point of dropping out should be a barometer of just how much those relations have deteriorated in the face of strikes and counterstrikes between the principals in the Middle East.

Many progressive Jews apparently jumped off the “mutual respect and tolerance bandwagon” after the Passover bombing in Israel. That’s a shame, because two vibrant, independent states--one Palestinian, one Israeli--would go a long way toward alleviating the problem of terrorism on all sides. That a progressive, “left-leaning rabbi” (his description) would give up and silence himself is deeply troubling.

Richard Walden

Los Angeles