Letter: Don't compare Israel and Ferguson
A man waves the Palestinian flag during a protest against Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip, outside Ofer, an Israeli military prison near the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Nov. 18, 2012) Credit: AP
I found myself in full agreement with David A. Love's "A police state threatens all of us" [Aug. 21], regarding the militarization of police around the country, as funded by the federal government. This is, at the least, very troubling and encourages overly aggressive action by police.
However, he made a needlessly incendiary attack on the Israeli National Police and Israeli Defense Force, which have trained U.S. police in anti-terrorism techniques. Love asserts the Israelis "have years of experience occupying Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and suppressing their rights."
To equate the unconstitutional manner in which some police in our country have handled relationships with black and Hispanic communities with the methods that Israel needs to apply to suppress terrorist attacks is misguided at best. Unfortunately, it has become politically correct to attack Israel and paint Israelis as oppressors.
Love should also recall the field hospitals that Israelis set up around the world in places of catastrophes, and the tens of thousands of Palestinians, Syrians and others that Israel treats in its hospitals for free, before he calls them an exporter of human rights suppression.
Michael D. Brofman, New Hyde Park
