After reading a My View’s skewed interpretation of antisemitism (River Reporter, June 25-July 1), I could not wait to respond. The existence, evidence and experience of rampant antisemitism is unfortunately alive and thriving in New York and everywhere. 

One of the most blatant current examples is in New York City, where Zohran Mamdani refused to participate in the long-time mayoral tradition of attending the Israeli Day Parade. He continues to ignore ongoing antisemitic attacks in a city fooled into thinking he was the mayor of every New Yorker. Wrong. 

But back to the My View.

The writer  is critical of a former My View op-ed article for not putting the issue in the context of currently occurring world events. The writer refers to Palestine as a scene of great hardship and injustice brought to them by Israel, even before the October 7 massacre, which was the heinous, cruel and inhumane acts of Hamas terrorists.

Injustice in Palestine, you claim? I’ll tell you what injustice looks like in Palestine. Injustice in Palestine is Hamas standing directly in front of innocent and terrified Palestinians while bullets and bombs fly. Injustice in Palestine is forcing young children to work for them as they kill Jews. Injustice is stealing money, food, and supplies meant for starving and homeless Gazans and using the money to build underground fortresses that go for miles, and accumulating weaponry in order to murder Israelis and eliminate Israel. Palestinians were offered a two-state solution and rejected the offer repeatedly. “From the river to the sea” means wiping out Israel and ultimately all Jews. 

And why haven’t the Palestinians been welcomed in Jordan and Egypt? It’s truly heartbreaking to see innocent Palestinians suffer inhumane conditions due to Hamas and not Israel. Israel doesn’t condemn Palestinians, but will fight back against Hamas and all terrorists trying to eliminate the country, with their brilliant technology and warfare.

The world seems to forget or ignore the horrors of October 7. The survivors of Hamas’ inhumane acts on October 7, raped, mutilated and forever scarred with the worst PTSD imaginable; the 250 captives tortured and raped by the Hamas terrorists; and Israelis, who live on with these inscrutable acts and visit bomb shelters daily. Monsters who were congratulated by Rama Duwaji, Mamdani’s shameful wife, are among the worst antisemites worldwide.

As for that writer’s claims that Israel mistreats non-Israelis living in Israel, that statement is ridiculous fake news. Many nationalities, races, religions, diverse political and social believers live in Israel. What makes you state otherwise?

If you advocate for Palestine (which obviously you do), you’re really advocating for genocide, a word made popular by those supporting Palestine, and is incorrectly used to describe Israel, which is fighting to survive and live peacefully among Arab terrorists who are trying to eliminate them. Basically, if you’re pro-Pali, you’re pro-Hamas. If you’re concerned about torture, murder by drones, and starvation in Gaza, blame Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Any response by Israel to the daily terror they endure is a response to the evil ongoing terror they live with daily.

Time to open your eyes and attribute antisemitism to the appropriate offenders.

Laurie Altfest lives in Jeffersonville, NY.