Re: “Ills of globalism, Dem. Policies are real” and “Globalism a threat to Western Civilization” (Port Washington Times, Jan. 6):
Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld, “as Jew, by the way,” finds John O’Kelly’s “idea that only personalities with Jewish surnames were worthy of mention” in his virulently anti-Semitic Dec. 16 letter “disturbing.”
Dr. Wayne Roth, “a pro-Christian Jew,” doesn’t even bother to address the issues raised “in the many letters of the past two weeks criticizing” Mr. O’Kelly’s anti-Semitic slanders.
Yet Messrs. Wiesenfeld and Roth are more than willing to give Mr. O’Kelly a pass on his anti-Semitic views because they agree with Mr. O’Kelly’s political views.
Messrs. Wiesenfeld, Roth and O’Kelly are entitled to hold whatever political beliefs (however extreme and misguided they may be) which they find appropriate, but anti-Semitism should never get a pass.
The anti-Semite who defends himself by noting the “some of my best friends are Jewish” is still an anti-Semite.
And, when Mr. Wiesenfeld states that “I stand with John O’Kelly” and Dr. Roth dismisses Mr. O’Kelly’s comments about “Jewish bankers,” it’s the same as saying: “Some of my best friends are anti-Semites.”
Jay Feldman
Port Washington
