Reader’s Editorial: Zionist state of Israel is a betrayal of Judaism

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

September 29, 2025 (San Diego) -- I am Jewish, born and raised in San Diego, and lived for six months in Israel in 1978. News focuses on the brutal Hamas attack on Israel; but ignores that two years earlier, 600,000 Israelis moved into the West Bank Palestinian Authority and a few thousand the Gaza strip, set fire to mosques, shot at farmers, etc. Condemned by the world.

Three percent of Israeli citizens are Palestinians, living in enclaves where they are often denied permits to build, with lower spending on schools, and several thousand held in administrative detention without charges.

So far, Israel’s retaliation for the Hamas attack has killed around 60,000 Palestinians. Yep, they did target Hamas headquarters, killing their leaders; but also bombed hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets, killing numerous innocent Palestinian men, women, and children. Israeli soldiers have shot and killed around 2,000 Palestinians trying to get to the UN food bank. The UN has condemned this.

So, would the Hamas attack have happened if the Israelis had not invaded Palestinian territory? I doubt it. Israel is NOT a Jewish state. The Bible says “Be kind to the stranger in your midst, for were you not strangers in the Land of Egypt?” Israel certainly ignores this!

The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. To submit an editorial for publication, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.