Letters

The New York Times continues to reflexively demonstrate its contempt for Israel. It did so, in a somewhat oblique way, in a puerile front-page piece focusing on a Sag Harbor gadfly, who, upon making bellicose and inappropriate comments during a discussion at my Sag Harbor synagogue, where he is not a member but only an invited guest, wound up losing, of all things, the coveted position of village Santa Claus, having been dumped by the local Chamber of Commerce for being a political lightning rod instead of a neutral, jolly, roly-poly fellow.

The Times gave this Santa Claus, Ken Dorph, a longtime resident of Sag Harbor, the privilege of a page one treatment. Local East End newspapers and weeklies such as Dan’s Papers rebroadcast the events, which by now are fairly well-known.

It is now evident that the facts surrounding this matter need to be clarified, and Dorph, a self-described woke poster man for all The Times seems to feel is good in the world, ought to be relegated to the position he richly deserves — an interloper and scold.

Here is what seems to be the unadorned facts about the function at the local shul that Dorph was invited to attend as a guest: It was an informational session presented to the congregation by two members of the American Jewish Committee. It was not intended to be a debate on the issues of the day involving the conflict in the Middle East.

Dorph was invited by a congregant as a guest to hear the presentation. He was not invited as a presenter. The invitation was not tendered to him as an “olive branch,” nor was he “specifically invited for [his] unique Middle East experience.” (His quotes from a CNN piece.)

Dorph interrupted the presentation and was abusive during the question-and-answer session. He accused presenters in a loud tone of spouting “propaganda” and being agents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The discomfort with Santa Dorph was not limited to certain congregants but apparently spread to others in the village who eschewed a “political” Santa.

His attempt to embrace all sides is bogus. He is a partisan — although he is entitled to be one. Nevertheless, he shouldn’t be given a pass to slink into someone’s home with an ulterior motive in mind and bitch about the food.

What was going on in this shul was tantamount to a shiva — with the images of raped and murdered young women and burnt babies committed by Hamas terrorists fresh in the minds of all. Instead of complaining about his ill fortune and the publicity he arranged for himself, he ought to at the very least have the courage and decency to issue an apology.

David B. Saxe

North Haven