In response to recent letters supporting divestment from Israeli companies, I strongly object to the claim that Portland City Council had no choice in the matter. The council did have a choice but made its decision based on misinformation and falsehoods perpetuated by antisemitic groups. A proper understanding of Israel’s history and the atrocities, including real genocide, committed against Jewish people in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe might have led to a more informed decision.

Instead, the council chose to align with a group supporting terrorism and antisemitism, plain and simple. While this letter isn’t the place to delve into the complexities of that history, let’s focus on the immediate crisis: the more than 90 hostages, including seven Americans, currently held by Hamas. This terrorist organization, recognized internationally for its acts of violence, has one clear goal: to kill Jews and those they label as infidels — a group that could very well include the authors of those earlier letters. Let’s, first and foremost, bring the hostages home.

I urge the Portland City Council to reconsider its decision and to engage in a genuine debate on the issue, rather than yielding to the influence of a small group with antisemitic views.

Bruce Friedman
Portland