You published an op-ed written by Ms. Gown and Mr. Bridge (“Fighting extremism and tolerance in Israel and Seattle,” Oct. 3), which urged action concerning the problem of gender-segregated bomb shelters in Israel during the Gaza action. In fact, based on my research, they were referring to one outrageous incident in Ashdod that the Israeli rabbinical courts (and I’m sure the entire population) immediately denounced and ordered removed. In other words, an outlier group in one city did an unconscionable act that was denounced by all in Israel, and yet our own people need to highlight it as symptomatic of a discrimination problem, and encourage action to protect, as they said, “liberal values.” Two thoughts. One, we have enough exaggeration from the media detrimental to Israel without our own finding the proverbial needle in the haystack to denounce ourselves; and two, you would think that their “liberal values” would include a little research, and not portray a universally censured isolated event as symptomatic of a larger problem. The truth is a Jewish value.
Gregory R. Roer, Seattle