“How ironic that thousands of high school and college students around the nation continue their ongoing protests against Israel,” states Mr. Penner.

To which I would ask Penner: isn’t that their right? To demonstrate, to protest, to redress the government with their grievances? To engage in freedom of speech and yes, the freedom of expression to burn Israeli flags?

The same way in which Mr. Penner posts his often ridiculous and sometimes (in my opinion) dangerous opinion pieces that are covered by the First Amendment? I would ask Mr. Penner this: having come of age at the tail end of the Vietnam War did he ever demonstrate against it or at least write opinion pieces on it?

I’m sure there were people who felt just as passionately that the war was necessary. I will also add that anyone in this country has the right to hold and express antisemitic views.

What they do not have the right to do is engage in incitement to riot, physically attack, or otherwise harass Jews. Is it ironic because Mr. Penner disagrees with them?

“Isn’t it time that Kristallnacht and the Holocaust that killed 6 million Jews be taught in all high school and college history classes?”

This from the man who not only is against reparations being paid to blacks (I agree with him as to the impracticality) but harbors the attitude – expressed on these very pages time and time again – that everything is now Jim Dandy for the black race and simply get over centuries of atrocities. Why doesn’t he apply these same standards to the Holocaust?

If Mr. Penner were to perform a Google search on Holocaust studies in New York State, he would find the New York State Education Department has mandates as to education on the Holocaust, and a survey of school districts throughout the state reveals some districts exceed those standards. https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/holocaust-instruction-report-final-2022.pdf.

But why let something like research and facts stop you from posting an opinion piece when you can instead print half truths?

While I do not defend the torture and murder of innocent Israeli civilians, Mr. Penner should try to do some research on why the Palestinian people are so upset.

A Google search of “atrocities committed against the Palestinian people reveals this from Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/report-israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories/. Reports abound on the Internet of atrocities committed against the Palestinians.

I do not claim to have all the answers to this very complicated situation, nor do I claim the answer is as simple as one side being right vs. the other.

But Mr. Penner needs to learn empathy, needs to do research, needs to stop talking off the top of his head, and needs to stop using only those facts that justify his argument.

I have found the Island 360 to be generally neutral, unbiased, and impartial. It truly surprises me that it doesn’t make an effort to do at least perfunctory research on Mr. Penner’s opinion pieces prior to publishing them.

Nat Weiner

Bronx