Hello, my name is Rami Feinstein, a proud Israeli living here in Akron, Ohio.
I've heard voices in our city calling for a boycott of Israel. First things first: back in Israel, no one is sitting around debating whether to boycott Summit County or Ohio or anywhere else in America. That simply isn't happening.
Sure, you can criticize policy, that's fair game. But a lot of what passes for "criticism" here in the U.S. is actually hatred toward the Jewish state dressed up as concern for human rights. How do you spot the disguise? Just ask a few straightforward questions:
Why is Israel the only country worthy of a boycott? Is everywhere else perfect? Russia, Iran, Syria, Yemen - all good??? If Israel is the only one in the spotlight, this isn't about human rights. It's about hatred for the Jewish state.
When people talk about Palestinian suffering, do they also condemn Hamas? The group that has stolen billions from its own people, hasn't held elections since 2007, uses civilians as human shields, launches rockets from kindergartens and hospitals, and carried out the horrors of October 7? The ones holding 250 hostages, babies, women, elderly, do they get held accountable?
When crowds chant "Free Palestine," who exactly will be free there? Women? LGBTQ people? Christians? Jews? Black people? Or only Muslim men who submit to a jihadist terror regime?
Is the criticism really about something we did, or about the fact that we exist at all? A small Jewish state where people speak Hebrew, live on our ancestral land, breathe, laugh, build, and suddenly it's "colonialism." There are 57 Muslim countries, 22 Arab countries, and one tiny Jewish state, yet they call this occupation. Do they really think we're stupid?
They call Gaza an "open-air prison," so why not boycott Egypt too, it shares a border with Gaza? Why is there never any demand for accountability from Palestinian leadership, which has rejected peace for decades and only fueled violence and terror? It was never about coexistence for them. They want to erase and replace Israel—and they say it out loud. We just have to listen.
And we need to listen here in Akron too. There's an imam giving speeches praising verses that call for violence, even at Kent State University. Words like that don't stay in the air, they can turn into real violence against Jews right here in our city.
So if you're calling for a boycott of Israel while ignoring everyone else, we see the hypocrisy clearly. Jews are done staying silent. We're defending ourselves, fighting back, and you'll have to get used to it.
Thank you.
Who is Rami Feinstein? Rami Feinstein is an Israeli singer-songwriter, public speaker, and passionate advocate for Israel and Jewish identity. Born in New York and raised in Israel, he has been performing professionally for over 15 years in Israel and the United States. He has released four albums, including his latest English-language project It's Gotta Mean Something, which has surpassed 400,000 streams on Spotify.
Since moving to Akron, Ohio in 2022, Rami has become a recognized figure in the local music scene: performing at festivals, appearing on The Summit FM radio, opening for artists like Matisyahu and Five for Fighting, and organizing events such as the "Concert of Unity" to bring communities together through music.
Following October 7, 2023, he has dedicated much of his work to Israel advocacy, serving as an emissary to the Jewish community in Akron, leading artist delegations to Israel to perform for those affected by the war, and speaking openly against antisemitism and hypocrisy in anti-Israel activism.
For more about Rami, visit his official website: https://www.ramifeinstein.com/
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