Conductor Says Israel Has Lost Its Ideals

Daniel Barenboim’s May 14 commentary, “Israel Ignores Founding Principles,” is right on target. As an American Jew with long-standing ties to Israel, I feel Israel has badly lost its way. The sight of Palestinian homes being leveled by Israeli army bulldozers, with dozens of families left homeless, is a cry to the world of how far Israel has strayed from its original ideals. U.S. taxpayers have poured close to $100 billion during the last 50 years into Israel; now American blood and treasure go to try to make the Middle East safe for Israel. But can Israel be saved from itself?

Lew Wahlertz

Irvine

Barenboim’s decision “to donate the money from the Wolf Foundation Prize to music education projects in Israel and Ramallah” is commendable. However, his devoting most of his commentary to chastising Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians, and not mentioning one word about Palestinian terrorists who murder Israeli civilian men, women and children, is incomprehensible. Barenboim’s one-sided treatment of a very complex situation would have been expected of his deceased friend, Edward Said, who would have been pleased to see Israel cease to exist.

Joseph M. Ellis

Woodland Hills