ATHENS-I commend our resident conspiracy theorist, Dan DeWalt, for perfectly timing his Israel bashing rant to coincide with antisemitic graffiti at a local Jewish cemetery and the attempted hijacking of an Israel bound plane with 172 passengers on board. Considering the frequency of Dan's hysterical letters and antisemitic incidents in our local papers, Vermont and the world, no one should be surprised.
In the very same issue Dan stepped up to his worn-out soapbox to promote trope after trope, Brattleboro Area Jewish Community reported its cemetery sign was defaced with antisemitic "antizionist" graffiti. Never mind the BAJC rabbi supports Gaza humanitarian issues and is on record objecting to the sale of offensive weapons to Israel. Apparently, the vandal forgot to check her politics.
(Note to self: Progressive bona fides don't save Jews from antizionist zombies.)
Dan laments Australia's treatment of antizionist protesters without mentioning the 15 people murdered at the Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration last December. Fifteen. In one day.
By comparison, Israeli settlers killed 11 Palestinians during settler attacks in Judea and Samaria in 2024 and 2025 combined. And I condemn every single one of those deaths.
In Dan's column, Australia's response to anti-Jewish violence merits outrage. The massacre of Jews doesn't merit a mention.
I did find Dan's supposed concern for free speech particularly touching. At Newfane's 2025 Annual Town Meeting, he objected to letting me speak on the basis of living one town over, while simultaneously insisting attendees suffer through hours of debate on Israel - a country 5,551 miles away.
Free speech, apparently, means the rest of us stay quiet so we can hear Dan bang pots and pans on his front lawn for attention.
Mark Trienkman
Athens
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