Letter: Confusing anti-Zionism with intolerance
June 8th, 2017 I Sheila Carrillo I Santa Cruz Sentinel
Interfaith Peace-Builders delegate Sheila Carrillo of Santa Cruz, CA, sent in a Letter to the editor of her local news paper about her recent trip to Palestine/Israel last fall. Here is her full letter to the editor or you can read it at the link below. Great work Sheila! “I traveled to Palestine/Israel last fall with Interfaith Peace Builders as a Santa Cruz-based American Jew seeking to understand the political situation in Israel. As we traveled and spoke with both Jewish and Palestinian groups seeking peace and justice, a profound parallel to the black experience in America emerged: rampant unchecked police violence, mass incarceration, a separate and unequal criminal justice system. I saw a system of segregation and discrimination and the forced displacement and criminalization of a people — heartbreaking parallels to South African apartheid. Is it any wonder the Afrikan/Black Student Alliance (as well as Black Lives Matter, and Native American activists) stand in solidarity with Palestinians and would protest and “disrupt” the tranquility of a celebration of Israeli “Independence” Day? Passionate and vocal anti-Zionism is not intolerance or anti-Semitism.” LINK: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20170530/LOCAL1/170539980