The racist attacks by against the IDF

Sir, - James Adler of Cambridge, Mass. has apparently chosen to abandon his persistent simplistic mantra of solely blaming Israel (because of what he terms the "occupation") for all the ills of the Middle East. He now expands his virulent anti-Israel doctrine by descending into the slime of pernicious accusations of Israel's indifference to the spilling of innocent blood as well as racial bigotry relating to the war in Gaza.

If it is at all possible for Adler to cleanse his glasses from the accumulated muck, I would like to acquaint him with reality by means of a number of well-documented facts.

It is Hamas that has in its manifesto the call to annihilate the state of Israel, and periodically attempts to do so. The lengthy underground tunnels they have dug from Gaza that extend into several civilian communities in Israel have no purpose other than mass murder and kidnappings. The thousands of rockets fired into Israel were designed to cause massive civilian casualties, and would have if not for divine providence and brilliant defense technology. All this despite the fact that Gaza has not been occupied since 2005, when Israel unilaterally withdrew.

Israel's desire not to harm innocents has been well proven by the warnings of imminent attacks supplied to the civilians of Gaza, and the military orders to avoid civilian casualties even though doing so often places the lives of Israeli soldiers in jeopardy. The morality of the IDF is second to none!

IDF delegation to India, 2001

Adler's references to the "brown" color of the victims, and his less than subtle accusation that color is a factor in Israel's military conduct, is nothing less than a disgusting attempt at barely veiled anti-semitism. 

Would it please Adler to learn that a goodly proportion of Israel's fallen soldiers and officers were of Ethiopian, Yemenite, Iraqi and Moroccan origin, and that Israel is one of the few places that enjoys a true ingathering of the exiles from every region in the world?

Evidently, Cambridge is not completely free of bigots.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Israel Defense Forces]

Jerusalem Post July 30: Pray for the IDF, not instead of it!

Sir, - Rabbi Shalom Cohen, the successor of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as the spiritual leader of Shas, has demonstrated a grievous lack of sensitivity, a gross ingratitude, and an offensively mistaken appreciation of Jewish priorities when asserting that "Israel doesn't need an army because prayers protect it." 

At a time when tens of families are crying over the loss of those most dear to them, and when almost the entire people of Israel are united in sharing their heartbreak for the fallen precious fathers, sons, and brothers – all members of the IDF, who gave their lives in order to defend us from annihilation – , Rabbi Cohen, instead of issuing some message of comfort and hope chooses to make a declaration that offends us all.

While praying is of extreme importance at all times, happy and sad, Jewish history bears no record of their being sufficient in themselves, neither for warding off evil nor in Heaven's appreciation. The great European centers of Torah and piety were obliterated despite the oceans of tears and the myriads of fervent prayers. When the Bible confronts the Israelites with an attack by Amalek, Moses orders Joshua to choose men to go out to do battle. He does not suggest that they pray or sit and learn.

As a spiritual leader, Rabbi Cohen should indeed be praying by leading prayers of Hallel and Thanksgiving to the Almighty for the miracles He has wrought for us through the agency of the IDF's valiant soldiers and its brilliant technology.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Youtube, Israel Defense Forces]

The cost of fighting?

Sir, - After a careful reading of Alexander Yakobson's article "The cost of fighting, the cost of not fighting," the best I can say is that he possibly means well but nevertheless is seriously mistaken.

He begins by providing the reader with a seemingly well balanced and judicious argument, in the context of the Israeli-Arab conflict, for the need to carefully weigh the gains of taking a given action against the losses suffered if the action is not taken. Unfortunately his judiciousness becomes suspect when he permits his own biases and unsupported assumptions to seep through when describing the posture of Netanyahu, settlers, and the entire Right in regard to the two-state solution.

Without any equivocation Yakobson proclaims and accuses that "the problem with the right-wing objection to partition is that the Right does not consider the costs and dangers of non-partition." Yakobson arbitrarily chooses the pro-partition platform and pontifically pronounces "non-partition is, in the long run, fatal, because if there are not two states in this land, sooner or later there will be one state here, and this state will not be Israel."

I vigorously beg to differ. Am yisrael chai!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Israel Defense Forces]

The difference between good and evil

Sir, - "A tale of two narratives" by Yehuda Hakohen provides the reader with a prime example of bunkum hiding under a garb of pseudo-rationality. Not only does Hakohen suggest that it is important to hear both sides of a story – which is perhaps appropriate advice for a judge faced with two disputants – but he appears to be insisting that each side has equal legitimacy, which brands Hakohen a moral pygmy.

He feeds us his own gibberish of what must be done in order to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

"In order to solve a conflict like ours, it is necessary to step into the reality of the 'other'– to see the world and events from his subjective perspective so that we can reconcile his reality with our own and merge these opposing versions of events into a bigger holistic truth inclusive enough to encompass both ostensibly rival truths." 

Hakohen is evidently unable or afraid to distinguish between good and evil and therefore attempts to recruit us into his moral cowardice.

It is both impossible and morally abhorrent to attempt to merge the Mein Kampf narrative within any conceivable narrative of the Jewish people. It is equally impossible to merge the continuous call by Hamas for the annihilation of the Zionist entity with our determination to build our lives in our ancient homeland.

Zev Chamudot

Petach Tikvah

[Bottom image credit: Israel Defense Forces]

J.Post July 6: Reader's Response to "The Sinister Side of Palestinian 'Heritage'"

The following letter written by Sydney L. Kasten was published today in the Jerusalem Post:

Sir, – Reader Zev Chamudot’s letter “Insidious villainy” (July 1) and its mention of the security barrier that “just happens to be routed” through the Palestinian village of Battir, forces me to respond.

Click here to read the rest.

Who's right? Tell us what YOU think.

[Image credit: Justin McIntosh]

J.Post July 1: The Sinister Side of Palestinian 'Heritage'

Sir, - The naming of Battir as Palestine's second World Heritage site by the UN's World Heritage Committee is a blatant act of insidious villainy. The purported significance of the site is the specious claim of being one of the best examples of an ancient terraced landscape. Battir, coincidentally, was immediately placed by The World Heritage Committee on its list of endangered sites.

To gain insight into the treachery behind this rather strange claim of 'heritage,' we must understand that Battir happens to be located in Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli military control and the security barrier just happens to be routed through there. It is quite obvious that this choice has no redeeming historical merit, and was chosen by collusion between this UN committee and the PA for the sole political purpose of attempting to frustrate Israel's activities in the area.

This choice has about the equal authenticity and legitimacy as that of the choice of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity for the first Palestinian Heritage site, after the Christian population of Bethlehem was largely displaced by their Moslem brethren.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Andrea Moroni]

A Two-State Non-Solution

Sir, - Several aspects of Susan Hattis Rolef's article "Netanyahu and the two-state solution" I found to be deeply troubling. While her concern for the confusion caused to her acquaintance from abroad by the disagreements within the government regarding the two-state solution may be genuine, she seems to be totally oblivious of the very real threats to Israel's security and well-being that the implementation of this 'solution' would engender.

I find it quite disturbing that the 'retired Knesset employee' is so quick to mimic the opinions of some acquaintance while disdainfully dismissing the validity of any and all governmental concerns. I personally reject the two-state solution for the following reasons:

• The reality of the hostility and instability that surrounds us does not leave room for a non-hostile Palestinian state. 
• The 'borders of Auschwitz' that existed in 1967 are even less defensible today with the readily available arsenals of offensive weaponry and rockets. 
• While the peace negotiations are being conducted, there is a deliberate, continuous flow of incitement and vicious anti-Israel invective that emerges from P.A. schools and mosques. 
• The continuous heroization of terrorists being vigorously conducted by the P.A.
• The unilateral withdrawal from Gaza appears to have only whetted the murderous appetite of Hamas, who openly declare their non-recognition of Israel and anti-Israel hostility.

Rolef also much too quickly accepts a distorted interpretation about the 'illegality' of the settlements and seems totally unwilling to give any credence to the many legal opinions that clearly establish our right to settle in Judae and Samaria. In short, I would much appreciate it if Rolef would for once use her writing skills to support the democratically elected 'good guys' -- and leave the Israel bashing to those too anxious to take up their cause.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikvah

J.Post November 6: Is Now the Time for a Peace Agreement?

Sir, - Boaz Ganor, founder and executive director of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism, makes a valiant effort to depict the various upheavals that many of Israel’s neighbors are experiencing and suggests that they present a window of opportunity for us to come to an agreement with the Palestinians (“The window of opportunity,” Comment & Features,” November 4). Sadly to say, I fear that although the learned author describes certain drastic changes in our region, the conclusions he draws are erroneous.

If this “window” were so promising for Israel, it should be viewed even more so as a golden opportunity for the Palestinian Authority, which is witnessing the possible collapse of several of its Muslim allies as well as the terrorist regime in Gaza. If this were so, the PA would desperately be begging for a peace agreement.

US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry should be able to see the reality of the situation and begin to bring pressure on the PA for it to make gestures of good will toward Israel.

At every juncture of his portrayal of the regional changes taking place, Ganor is careful enough to describe the fragility and real possibility that these changes could be undone. For Israel to make any concessions concerning its security or its borders based on these unstable circumstances would be of the utmost folly.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Where's the Real Jew Haven? Israel vs. New York

Sir, – Yair Lapid’s statement made in an interview with CBS’s Charlie Rose (“Lapid: Jews safer in NY than in Israel,” October 9) was both boorish and simplistic, and not at all worthy of a senior government minister.

Objectively speaking, Lapid has no real facts about life in New York that could lend support to his statement, and frankly I am not certain what it means. The one possible area where it has a ring of accuracy would be that of road accidents caused by the criminally irresponsible Israeli drivers.

With the great amount of talk about the need for hasbara (public diplomacy) and the concern that Israeli students and professors traveling abroad serve as ambassadors carrying a positive image of Israel, flippant, thoughtless statements like the above serve to obliterate much of that effort.

At any rate, while it might indeed be safer for Jews in New York than in Israel, beyond any shadow of a doubt Israel is the securest place for the Jewish people. This is so because Israel has two invincible sources of help, as reported by columnist Leonard Lyons immediately after the Six Day War.

Israel, Lyons explained, was aided by both a supernatural and a natural source.

The supernatural was its army. The natural was its God.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

[Image credit: Roman Iakoubtchik]

J.Post September 12: Obama Exploits Pro-Israel Lobby for Syria Strike

Sir, – Despite the developments surrounding Russia’s proposal that Syria give up its chemical weapons, Israel is being forcefully thrust into the eye of a brewing storm surrounding a congressional vote on an American military strike (“Pro-Israel groups in the United States scramble to save Syria strike resolution,” September 10).

Despite the fact that our political and security officials have stated unequivocally that it is of vital importance for Israel not to be involved in this bloodstained internecine conflict, their wishes have been brazenly violated.

Both US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry have made public statements declaring that one of the prime reasons for striking Syria is the defense of Israel.

This is an absolute falsehood, which ignores the fact that Israel is not a party to this war, nor does it favor one ignoble side over the other.

Israel does not require or seek outside protection in this fight, and the use of its name to gain congressional votes merely serves to drain any real humanitarian content from what should be an authentic effort to end the brutal slaughter of innocent civilians.

[Of course, if and when a strike does take place it would undoubtedly invite serious reactions from a number of pro-Assad sources, several of whom (Iran, Hezbollah, Syria) have already declared their avowed intention of targeting Israel irrespective of its non-involvement.] The European Union, the United Nations and Russia have each declared their rejection of the Obama program, thereby leaving the American president alone with only the pro-Israel lobbyists. Since “limited” actions tend to grow into larger, even regional, conflagrations – and even into world wars – the obvious villains will be Israel and the Jews.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

[Image credit: David Illif]

James Adler vs. Martin Sherman: The Difference Between Light and Darkness

Sir, - In the Talmud, the Rabbis explain the necessity of having the Havdallah prayer placed in the midst of the fourth blessing in the Amidah portion of the evening service that marks the end of the Sabbath. It is the fourth blessing in which we express our gratitude to the Almighty for granting us intelligence and knowledge, and it is precisely those gifts that enable us to distinguish between the holy and the profane, light and darkness, Israel and the nations, the seventh day and the six days of labor.

James Adler asks why the Jerusalem Post continues to print the articles of Martin Sherman whom he labels an extremist. Adler himself, however, has displayed a remarkable, Pavlovian persistence in blaming Israel for all the ills of the Middle East. There has never been any indication that he possesses the ability to distinguish between light and darkness, truth and fiction, or reality and propaganda when writing about the Arab-Israel conflict. There has never been any evidence of his equanimity being at all upset by terrorist atrocities, hundreds of rockets falling on Israel's civilian population, vicious anti-Israel messages of hate emerging from PA schools and mosques, massacres of innocents in Syria, Egypt, and Lebanon, and turmoil in the whole region. One honestly wonders why his thoughtless letters get published in the Jerusalem Post.

Adler apparently cannot tell the difference between the support and justification of terrorism provided by Larry Derfner and the noncoercive, economically incentivized emigration proposed by Martin Sherman. The former supports death, while the latter attempts to find non-violent solutions to deal with the realities of the issues. His articles are analytical , deeply insightful, and well-argued, while the letters of James Adler are completely inane and offensive.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Alexander Smolianitski]

"Critical Mass" Malaise: Zoabi & Israeli Democracy

Sir, - The recent decision by Israel's Attorney General, Yehuda Weinstein, for the State to refuse to defend Zoabi's disqualification , because her pro-terrorist activities have not reached a "critical mass," as well as the unanimous decision of Israel's Supreme Court granting her permission to participate in the forthcoming elections, raises a number of disturbing questions not only about the substance of Israel's democracy, but also about the presence in Israel of a malignant disorder that seriously threatens its security.

The Central Elections Committee, comprised of MKs representing a cross section of Israel's political composition, voted by a substantial majority to bar Haneen Zoabi from running for reelection. They did so after expending much time and effort in deliberating on the merits of the relevant controversial arguments, and concluded that Zoabi by both word and deed clearly acted against the interests of the State of Israel. It must be noted that in contradistinction to the elected MKs who make up the Elections Committee, neither the Attorney General or the members of the Supreme Court earned their positions through an election process. It thus appears to be indisputably evident who has the greater right of claiming to be the true reflection of the will of the people.

Israel's electorate has thus clearly spoken out against Zoabi as well as about their existential fear of the tumor present in the "critical mass" criterion of the Attorney General and the Supreme Court. Who has greater sensitivity in judging when "red lines" are crossed than the citizens of Israel as reflected through their elected officials? The "critical mass" criteria has crippled Israel's responsive behavior toward years of terrorist rockets that have traumatized our southern communities, and it continues to seriously hamper our response towards Iran's call for our annihilation.

It is clearly about time for the government of Israel, its Attorney General and its Supreme Court, to realize that for the people of Israel, the first rocket fired against our civilian population already attains "critical mass!" The same is true about Zoabi's pro-terrorist activities!

Zev Chamudot

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user Russell Tribunal on Palestine]

No Ambiguity: Hebron Teen Killed for "Real" Gun

Sir, I was deeply disturbed by the headline of your front-page report describing the tragic events leading to the death of the Hebron teen. The wording of the headline I found to be terribly misleading and open to all sorts of grossly malicious misunderstandings of the factual reality.

Your headline, "Hebron teen pulls toy gun, killed by Border policewoman," can too easily be understood to mean that the boy was knowingly and deliberately killed because he pulled a toy gun. The events leading up to this unfortunate death, as described within the report, tell us a completely different story, and because of their importance deserved a more unambiguous headline.

A more appropriate headline could have stated: "Suspicious behavior, and the aiming of a gun at the head of border policeman, results in the shooting of Hebron teen. Later investigation discovers that gun was a metallic and realistic looking toy."

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Kanaka Menehune]



The author asked the editor of the Jerusalem Post that this letter be published. Below is the response he received. 

From: letters@jpost.com
To: ChamudotZH
Sent: Thursday, 13 December, 2012 11:33

Apparently you have never worked as a headline writer for a (space-constrained) newspaper! I consider your letters to be among the finest I receive. Please keep writing, but be aware that I strive to space letter writers timewise (preferably no more than once every three weeks).

Shabbat shalom,
Larry

Lawrence Rifkin
Senior Editor
Letters Editor
The Jerusalem Post

J.Post November 27: Words Better Said

Sir, – I begin this letter with a great deal of trepidation. It is essentially being written in reaction to statements made by two men, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, both saintly Torah giants for whom I have the utmost esteem and reverence.

I feel compelled to respectfully differ with their joint response when asked during Operation Pillar of Defense whether people from the South who were under bombardment should leave their homes. Both answered in the affirmative, saying these people should go to Bnei Brak, where they themselves reside. In a place where Torah is studied, they said, damage cannot be inflicted (“Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: May our enemies fall by the sword before our soldiers,” November 16).

Unfortunately, their explicit promise of safety cannot find support in the historical record – the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva and the plague that decimated thousands of his pupils; the annihilation of entire Torah communities by the Crusaders; and the Holocaust’s extermination of Europe’s greatest Torah centers together with six million of our brethren.

I am troubled as well by the obvious impracticality of the suggestion.

Is the city of Bnei Brak in fact able or willing to accommodate an influx of a large group of outsiders? Most troubling, however, is the negative and divisive implications in the worthy rabbis’ advice (perhaps unintentional) that separated those who might choose to make the move and the many left to their fate.

Would it not be far more appropriate for the rabbis to have issued a declaration that all of Israel is worthy of the Almighty’s favorable countenance, without distinction of location? Should they not have been among the first to acknowledge with pride that in fact there is more Torah learning by more Torah learners in the State of Israel today than in any other period of Jewish history? Finally, should rabbinical leadership not be offering a message of encouragement and solace to the myriad of people whose lives and well-being have been shattered by years of constant terrorist violence? Should they not be the leaders who joyfully point to the daily miracles that we witness in our relatively few casualties, and the miracles being performed through the Iron Dome defense system? Should they not be involved with urging and beseeching the general populace to listen to and obey the safety instructions of the Homefront Command? And should they not be praying for and thanking the Creator for his care for all those who participate in the defense of our beleaguered country, and joyfully and publicly proclaim that the “Guardian of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps?” 

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Not Kid Games: Baskin on Hamas-Israel Conflict

Sir, - I get the distinct impression from the writings of Gershon Baskin that he is still living and enjoying his childhood. This impression is reinforced by his incessant attempts to translate very serious current events into the terminology and framework of mundane and banal games.

His article "Message to Hamas, Israel leaders" (Opinion, Nov. 12) bears the tone as if it is addressed to two groups of mischievous kids who are sparring. Bearded, kindly faced Gershon comes along and says, "Aw shucks fellas, quit this fracas, what seems to be the problem? Who started this? Well of course I understand that each side claims the other started, but a little give and take on each side will settle the matter." Gershon then exits the scene, and of course each side continues to try and knock the hell out of the other.

My message to Baskin: We here in the Middle East in general, and the PA-Israel and Hamas-Israel conflicts in particular, are not involved with meaningless kid games. We are involved in existential conflicts, where real people are killed and real property is destroyed, and the conflicts do not fade away merely at the facile suggestions  and proposals of Gershon Baskin. His proposals are not only facile, they suffer by his unrelenting attempts to have us believe that there is a symmetry of justifiable claims on each side. Of course Gershon goes on (unwittingly) to show his undeniable pro Hamas bias by his astonishing quote, "We are not talking about making peace with Israel; that is too much for Hamas to accept, but we can have a real hudna."

Well Gershon, when you grow up and face the truth of the reality, You will find that there is one side to the dispute that is guilty of unprovoked and implacable aggression, which has continued for many years, and today succeeds in holding a million Israelis hostage, and the whole southern side of our country almost paralyzed by the daily terrorist rockets that are aimed at our civilian population.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user looking4poetry]

Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Us

At the very beginning of Creation we are taught about the very distinct roles, functions and duties that are ascribed to the sun and the moon. "The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night"; and were these diverse roles to be reversed or confused,the inevitable result would be totally

cataclysmic.

In our small country we are blessed with two distinguished gentlemen, one Binyamin Netanyahu, elected as prime minister by popular vote, and Shimon Peres, chosen by a Knesset selection process, to fill the presidential office. Not only is the process of choosing them so clearly different, but they differ even more in the definition of the roles prescribed for them by their positions of leadership. Prime Minister Netanyahu has been chosen to be the CEO of Israel, the one who is responsible for all the major decisions affecting the well being of our citizens, as reflected in our country's domestic and foreign policies, while that of whomever was picked to be president, was to be essentially honorary but nevertheless quite important. The president can fill the very crucial role as Israel's ambassador of goodwill to the international community and as a wise and kind grandfather figure to Israel's populace. Shimon Peres fulfills these two tasks with dignity and distinction and well deserves the respect he garners for himself and Israel from many of the dominant leaders of the world. He also enjoys the adulation of most of Israel's citizens.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has the much tougher job. He must be tireless and unrelenting in his discharging the awesome burden of responsibility demanded of him by his office.The daily concerns for all the country's needs are his to bear.In addition to those concerns,he must deal intelligently, firmly and effectively with the reality of the continuous threats against our existence.He must delicately weigh our very serious security worries in the midst of the sea of hatred that surrounds us. He is charged with making these decisions, and he cannot and should not permit unauthorized persons to contradict or compete in this most critical task. It is my belief that Binyamin Netanyahu is deserving of our admiration.

A democratic government cannot tolerate a situation where its elected prime minister rejects "Abbas's call for a 2-state solution on '67 lines" while its president lauds it. This is not merely a matter of petty technicality or protocol. This is one of the very core issues of the Palestinian-Israel conflict. The majority of our citizens in their election of Netanyahu, side with the stance, that for Israel to return to the '67 borders would be suicidal. In the words of Abba Eban -- the "borders of Auschwitz."

In addition, I believe that Shimon Peres is grossly in error in his assessment of Abbas as a man of peace and courage. His characterization of Abbas is based, perhaps understandably, on wishful thinking rather than on substance or record. Not only is Abbas one of the leading Holocaust deniers, he persists in his attempts to wipe out any trace of our historical connection with our ancient Homeland. He continues to hero-ize terrorists and his teachers and imams continue to teach and preach it. He incessantly condemns us in the UN and he time and again attempts to unite with Hamas in Gaza ,who not only bombard our southern communities with rockets, but continue to echo their Iranian allies in their call for the elimination of Israel.

[Image credit: World Economic Forum]

J.Post Magazine October 26: Rifkin's Folly

Sir, - Lawrence Rifkin who labels himself a "Grumpy Old Man" has fittingly produced a most petty and pathetic article. Although recognizing Iran's existential threat to Israel as well as its serious implications for the world, he nevertheless chooses to nitpick at the nature of the illustration that Prime Mister Netanyahu presented to demonstrate the impending immediacy of the threat, and derisively titles his column "Bibi boom."

I personally found Netanyahu's illustration and explanation to be extremely clear and  most effective in demonstrating and articulating the rapidly approaching danger to Israel and the world from a nuclear armed Iran. Despite the opinions of the Twitterists quoted by Rifkin, I am sorry to say that I was unable to identify in his article anything that can be construed as being of a constructive redeeming value.

Of course if Rifkin wanted to supply his aficionados with what they would consider as packing a real wallop, I could suggest the following substitute for Netanyahu's drawing: After Netanyahu's extremely lucid review of the many attempts to destroy our people including the imminent threat by Iran, Netanyahu could have arranged with the head of the Mossad to have all the lights at the U.N. be shut and then to have a huge firecracker (once known as a cherry bomb) be exploded before the microphone, with the following results visible when the lights went on: one fourth of the assembled suffered heart attacks, one fourth sought to convert to Judaism, one fourth sullied their clothes, and the last group of representatives from Moslem countries organized violent demonstrations against American embassies because they were responsible for ridiculing the Prophet.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: DonkeyHotey]

Unwelcome Advice: Adler, From Vietnam to Iran

Sir, - James Adler of Cambridge Mass. has a gift for misapprehension, distortion and illogic which he attempts to hide by a glib quote from Thucydides.

He misapprehends the brutal reality of the continuous threats of annihilation that Iran directs against Israel and immediately upon achieving nuclear weapon capability would be converted into an attempt at Israel's complete destruction.

Adler distorts when he describes a letter as being 'decisive' simply because he approves of it, and when he states that "the only solution is diplomacy." He distorts most grossly when he describes the twenty year war in Vietnam as "an occasional miscalculation." It resulted in more than 58,000 American casualties, South Vietnamese 200,000, and North Vietman suffered over one million casualties. He further distorts by failing to mention the American debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Adler's illogic manifests itself when he urges diplomacy as the solution. Has he drawn that conclusion by the 'success' of the diplomatic efforts to halt the slaughter of 30,000 civilians in Syria? By the success of sanctions in slowing Iran's drive toward weapon capability? Does Adler have any examples where a tyrannical regime was persuaded by diplomacy? N.Korea? Pakistan? His illogic is further compounded by suggestion that Israel (the threatened party) is invited to accept Arab peace initiatives and cede territory without even a suggestion that Iran give up any of its nefarious objectives.

Israel deserves better advice!

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

Time Marches On: Panetta, Netanyahu on Iran

Sir, - Thursday's front-page headline "Panetta, Netanyahu disagree on time left to stop Iran's nuclear race" is of critical importance and needs to be analyzed carefully and clearly understood, as this has existential significance for the State of Israel and perhaps for the entire world.

 

While there seems to be agreement between the United States and Israel on the need to prevent Iran from producing an actual nuclear bomb, significant differences remain about the prevention of Iran's achievement of the capability of producing a bomb if it so desired. There is in addition, disagreement about the effectiveness of sanctions in halting Iran's race toward reaching their nuclear goals. Israel is convinced that the sanctions, while having an effect, do not deter or delay Iran on its nuclear path at all, and indeed serve only to grant them time to accelerate their activities.

However when dealing with the "time left to stop Iran's nuclear race" as mentioned in the headlines, the well being of Israel requires the full recognition that it is running and being measured by two distinctly different clocks. The Israel clock marks the time it takes for Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons, while the clock in the United Sates is focused on the time left for the presidential elections.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Secretary of Defense]

Less Talk, More Action From IDF

Sir, - Having not been invited to sit in at the deliberations of the 'Security Eight', in a sense I am rather thankful for being spared from what must be the excessive verbosity and the apparent inability to decide on a meaningful course of action. I was prompted to write my opening sentence after seeing the headline of The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, June 24th, which reads ,"IDF: Quiet, violence to be met in kind, as cease-fire goes into effect."

To be an accurate description of the IDF's operations in Gaza, the headline should read "Quiet and violence will be met by quiet" as 23 rockets were launched into Israel as the so called cease-fire was to go into effect. These rockets of course, did not come as a total surprise to our astute military decision makers, as they were a continuation of the 150 rockets that have been launched all over southern Israel since Monday.

Netanyahu has been reported as saying that "Israel does not want to be dragged into a widescale conflict in Gaza at a time not of its own choosing." It is quite clear to me, that this is exactly the trap that Israel seems almost eager to fall into by its weak-kneed response to the ongoing threat from Gaza against the lives and well-being of our citizens.

Why is it that the rocket launchers get to decide when to disrupt our lives and when to stop, rather than we making the decision, that the first rocket fired into Israel will be met by a response that would clearly demonstrate the non-desirability to do so again? Why is it that we have not eliminated the tunnels that enable the smuggling of formidable weaponry into Gaza? The location of these tunnels are precisely known, and there destruction would certainly help limit the recurring rocket threat.
Our citizens deserve much less talk and much more decisive action against those seek our destruction!


ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Natan Flayer]