In November 2011, Nathan Guttman criticized SWU for towing the line of the right-wing Israeli government. As examples, he mentioned SWU education materials describing the Israeli settlements as legal, and the 1948 Palestinian exodus as not being caused by Israel. Rothstein, in response, wrote a letter to the editor criticizing the attempt to discredit SWU as right-wing. According to her, SWU does not advocate specific policy positions and its goal is merely to "to counter the vicious anti-Israel, anti-Semitic propaganda campaign" by educating the public about Israel.