As a Christian born in South Paris, Maine, I was astonished to read of the Portland City Council’s successful vote to divest from Israel with no comment about Hamas and Oct. 7. Their resolution is a very dangerous, one-sided message that promotes Jew-hatred, a crime against humanity.

Israel has no “desire for retribution,” as Mayor Dion so foolishly suggested. Israel is protecting its citizens from murderers who executed 1,200 people and continue to murder hostages in cold blood for newspaper coverage favorable to their sick cause.

Israel is protecting their homeland, a large part of which they own through purchases from Arab owners before the state began – a homeland to where they were forced to flee from over 60 different countries after the worst mass annihilation of a people in the history of mankind.

Israel has offered to cooperate with the Palestinians over and over for years with no success.

To sip coffee and eat confections while discussing what is “right and just,” promoting Jew-hating and claiming to “hold dear their friends in the Jewish community” is sickening.

The Palestinians voted Hamas into power and according to one survey approved of the Oct. 7 massacre by something like 70%. Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields to protect their murdering fighters. What part of this behavior does Mayor Dion and the City Council not understand?

Portland must rescind this resolution immediately. Portland must not be a party to the lie of justifying Jew-hatred and failing to recognize the depraved antisemitic juggernaut it is endorsing.

Carter Lord
Windham/St. Augustine, Fla.