Our End of the Pact

Reb Yitzchak Goldman, a reader from the Jerusalem suburb of Beitar, writes:

Although I always enjoy his writing, I disagree with Eytan Kobre’s stance on the apology issued by the New York Times for its anti-Semitic cartoon. His claim that by not accepting their apology “we’re sending a message that no amount of contrition or amends will matter,” is not a problem as he suggests, but actually a good thing.

The truth is, it makes no sense that an apology has any mitigating effect on anti-Semitic beliefs. Anti-Semitic behavior is not a mistake that a person makes, but an expression of deeply entrenched core beliefs that won’t be plucked out of a person just because he says he’s sorry…. Do we think for one minute that the New York Times would have issued an apology had it not been for the financial implications of an angry readership? Acquiescing to this fake, cosmetic cover-up of deep-seated loathing for our people is not doing our nation or ourselves any favors.

What we should do is recognize who we are and who they are — and follow Chazal’s instructions to do teshuvah when surrounded by the institutions of hatred that Hashem sends us b’chol dor va’dor. We shouldn’t be trying to change the New York Times. We should be trying to change ourselves.