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Support “Judea & Samaria” Legislation
Dear Editor:
Writing to urge all Jewish Voice readers to take action and support the recently introduced legislation to require all official U.S. documents and materials to use the historically accurate term “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank.”
This legislation, introduced by U.S. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-New York) and U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), is important because:
— “West Bank” is an Arab propaganda term that was introduced, in the 1960s, in order to strip the territory of its Jewish identity.
— U.S. policy language should be consistent with the geographical and cultural significance of the region. The Jewish people’s legal and historic rights to Judea and Samaria go back thousands of years, to biblical times.
— The term “West Bank” makes no sense geographically. There are cities in the territory that are more than forty miles from the Jordan River and can’t be considered the western “bank” of anything.
— Judea and Samaria were the heartland of the Jewish national homeland and Jewish religious life for millennia. Hebron, Shechem, Beit El, Shilo and other cities central to Judaism are located there.
— Just because a term has been used for a number of years does not mean it must remain in use forever. Burma is today called Myanmar; Siam became Thailand; Ceylon is Sri Lanka; the people who previously were known as American Indians are called Native Americans; and Mount McKinley, in Alaska, has been renamed “Denali,” its original name—to cite just a few examples. Likewise, the international community can get used to calling Judea-Samaria by its historically accurate name.
TJV readers are urged to:
— Read the text of the legislation: cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/west_bank.pdf
— Write to your Senators and Representatives to support the bill:
Contact Your United States Senator at senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
Find your United States House of Representatives at house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
— Call Senator Cotton’s office (202-224-2353) and Representative Tenney’s office (202-225-3665) and thank them for their leadership in this effort.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Moshe Phillips
National Chairman
Americans For A Safe Israel
New York, NY
afsi.org
Meta’s Threat to Free Speech & Zionism
Dear Editor:
In the growing battleground of online censorship and media bias, Meta’s power over global discourse has come under scrutiny. With the rise of foreign influence in content moderation, particularly through Meta’s Oversight Board, questions arise about the implications for free speech, Zionism, and Western values.
Meta’s 21-member Oversight Board, often referred to as the company’s “Supreme Court,” wields unparalleled authority over content decisions. What raises eyebrows is that this board is beyond the reach of Mark Zuckerberg or Meta’s own board of directors, with 90% of its funding linked to George Soros. This body is overwhelmingly comprised of individuals whose ideological leanings conflict with pro-Western and pro-Israel perspectives, adding to concerns about its accountability.
Brendan Carr, the incoming chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President-elect Trump, has vowed to dismantle what he calls the “censorship cartel.” However, the problem extends beyond America’s borders, with international actors driving Meta’s policies in ways that threaten Western interests.
A glaring example of this issue surfaced recently at the annual ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism) conference. This gathering, which purports to advance investigative journalism in the Arab world, saw participation from Khaled Mansour, a senior figure in Meta’s Oversight Board. Mansour, who has lauded Hezbollah for its so-called “heroic” fight against Israel, used this platform to guide Arab activists on navigating Meta’s policies to better advocate for Palestinian causes. His rhetoric normalizes terrorism as “armed resistance” and dismisses its atrocities as mere “details and tactics.” For an American company, such conduct raises serious ethical and national security concerns.
Another troubling figure is Nighat Dad, also on Meta’s Oversight Board. She regularly speaks at pro-Palestinian forums and is celebrated for her activism, often backed by George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. Dad’s rhetoric skews toward anti-Israel sentiments, as evidenced by her recent posts labeling Gaza “the world’s open-air jail” amidst heightened tensions. Her presence on the board solidifies concerns that Meta’s policies are disproportionately influenced by individuals hostile to Israel and Zionism.
Tawakkol Karman, another board member, further exemplifies this imbalance. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Karman openly calls for the destruction of Israel, recently proclaiming that “the road to Jerusalem passes through Damascus and Aleppo.”
It’s not just individuals but institutional ties that paint a troubling picture. Anti-Israel activists such as Miranda Sissons and Nick Clegg, key figures within Meta, have engaged with organizations like 7amleh, which advocates for pro-terrorist content while silencing Zionist voices. Sissons has a controversial history, including her deportation from Israel for links to extremist activities. Meanwhile, Clegg, second in command at Meta, has long criticized Israel, lobbying against its access to defense capabilities.
Perhaps most concerning is Meta’s seeming double standard. Pro-Palestinian content—including calls for jihad—is often permitted, while Zionist voices face censorship. Even Jordana Cutler, Meta’s Israeli Policy Chief, has been criticized for her lack of advocacy. Unlike her pro-Palestinian colleagues, she remains disengaged from the Jewish community, offering no defense for Zionist causes under attack.
Meta’s controversial policies are epitomized in its recent decision declaring that “From the river to the sea” is not inherently anti-Semitic, framing objections to the phrase as “rooted in Islamophobia.” Such decisions highlight the platform’s failure to uphold fairness, betraying a systematic bias against American and Jewish interests.
As a publicly traded American company, Meta’s foreign-influenced content policies demand immediate oversight. The voices shaping these policies represent ideologies hostile to the very values the platform claims to uphold. Calls for regulatory action are growing louder, demanding accountability for decisions that undermine freedom, democracy, and Zionism.
The time for a reckoning is now. If TikTok’s foreign influence justifies investigation, Meta’s unchecked power must face the same scrutiny.
Sincerely
Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur, author, and Jewish community philanthropist and activist
Do the 2025 MTA Fare Hikes Make Sense?
Dear Editor:
NYC Transit subway and bus riders should hold accountable any public official, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board member, or transit advocate who opposes future planned 4% fare hikes in 2025 missing why they are needed. They were previously assumed as part of the MTA’s $51 billion 2020–2024 Five Year Capital Plan.
In the end, quality and frequency of service is dependent upon secure revenue streams. We all will have to contribute — be it at the fare box or tax revenues generated by different levels of government redistributed back to the MTA. Fare hikes are periodically required if the MTA and operating agencies such as the NYC Transit bus, subway and Staten Island Railway, MTA Bus, Long Island Rail Road and Metro North Railroad are to provide the services millions of New Yorkers count on daily. They are inevitable, due to increasing costs of labor, power, fuel, supplies, materials, routine safety, state of good repair, replacement of worn out rolling stock, upgrades to stations, yards and shops necessary to run any transit system and inflation.
In 2023, the MTA lost $700 million to fare evasion and spent $1.3 billion on employee overtime. There is little reason to believe that the 2024 numbers will not significantly change. In return for honest riders paying the new 4% fare increase starting in 2025, the MTA must step up and contribute. The MTA must reduce annual fare evasion by several hundred million and employee overtime payments to well below $1 billion. A fare increase requires MTA fair reforms when it comes to excessive fare evasion and employee overtime expenses.
TANSTAAFL or “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” or in this case a free ride.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
