To the editor: I am rather incredulous over the fact that, with all the horrendous events that have befallen the Jewish people and the state of Israel this past year — the brutal killing of nearly 1,200 people Israel on Oct. 7, 2023; attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran against Israel; the rise of antisemitism and protests on our college campuses — Rabbi Jacob Siegel’s major concern on Yom Kippur is divestment from fossil fuel. (“On Yom Kippur, a Jewish case for fossil fuel divestment,” column, Oct. 10)
Yom Kippur is a special time to reflect on the past year in a spiritual setting where we can focus on our Jewish faith and family, and on the continuity of our people.
The Union of Reform Judaism, which Rabbi Siegel’s climate activist group pushed to divest from fossil fuel companies, will surely see a decline in their membership if it continues to focus on a host of controversial issues in the news.
Janet Polak, Beverly Hills
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To the editor: Not mentioned in columnist Sammy Roth’s excellent piece on Jewish divestment from fossil fuel is that Jewish folks who buy gasoline increase the demand for oil, which helps countries that sell fossil fuels.
Earlier this week, a “swarm of drones” was launched against Israeli military bases, one of them killing four soldiers and wounding many more. Where did the money come from to buy those drones? Iran’s oil profits certainly helped cover the cost.
It’s not enough to make a “symbolic statement” by divesting from fossil fuel companies. You have to make a real statement and stop buying gas.
Vladimir Putin could not afford to wage war against Ukraine without Russia’s oil income. Saudi Arabia could not murder journalists with impunity without its oil revenue. Autocratic presidential candidates could not have a chance of being elected without an oil industry spending lavishly on political campaigns.
It’s time for people who buy gas to connect those dots and understand that they own a piece of all the harm done by oil.
Paul Scott, Santa Monica
The writer is co-founder of the electric vehicle advocacy group Plug in America.
