J.Post October 29: The 'Palestinian state' folly

Sir, - The article by Michael Cohen submitted as a "Letter from America" with the title "Why a Palestinian state is essential" suffers from an obvious major flaw. While it very well may be an accurate expression of why America views a Palestinian state to be essential, it completely fails to appreciate the genuine existential concerns of the people of Israel, while at the same time reveals a gross lack of understanding about the realities of the PA-Israel conflict.

Since Michael Cohen lists himself as a Rabbi and a college teacher of conflict resolution, I unfortunately feel compelled to criticize the thesis of his article in relation to these two professional areas. One of the primary duties of a rabbi has always been to identify with the plight of the Jewish people, seek their welfare, and fight on their behalf. Rabbi Cohen expresses no empathy at all with Israel's fragile security situation, but with unmitigated chutzpah dares to suggest that his understanding of Israel's defense requirements is superior to that of Israel's democratically elected prime minister.

As a rabbi and conflict resolver, Cohen must understand that Israel is surrounded by implacable enemies and unrestrained fanatical hatred. The PA has never ceased its promotion of terrorism in words as well as in deeds. It heroizes the most vile acts of terrorism and constantly uses every vehicle at the UN and elsewhere to demonize Israel by invoking old blood libels, and obscenely accuses Israel of Nazi atrocities. It actively promotes terrorism in its schools and mosques. It joins itself with Hamas, whose charter calls for the annihilation of Israel, who has 'tsunamied' Israel with thousands of deadly rockets, and who has taken the lives of tens of our most precious sons. 

Must not everyone of sound mind and principle decidedly appreciate—despite Cohen's derision—Israel's insistence on maintaining its 'present very narrow and rigid security definition' for its very survival?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

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]

EU Aid to Hamas: A Simple Question

Sir, - Based on a report appearing in the Jerusalem Post on March 23, 2014 informing us that the EU and UNICEF are launching a 10 million euro Gaza desalination project, I would like to pose a simple question to Carolyn Ashton. By all objective standards the question is eminently fair and just, especially in light of the EU's boycott of Israeli products produced in the West Bank:

Does not elementary logic and practical common sense dictate that before undertaking any project on behalf of Gaza and its Hamas government which is officially recorded in the U.S. and many other UN member countries as a terrorist organization, that any aid granted to them be made conditional on their abandonment of terrorism???

Or are we to understand that Hamas is being rewarded for their daily firing of rockets and the terrorizing of civilian population centers of Israel?

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit:  Flickr user Amir Farshad Ebrahimi]

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

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]

Shameful!: Shlomo Carlebach and the Terrorist

Sir, - Although I am grateful to Greer Fay Cashman for calling our attention to the richly merited services and activities in honor of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, I take strong issue with her about the following matter:

Cashman relates a story about Carlebach's entertainment, by song and dance, of a group of female prisoners that included murderers and terrorists at the Neveh Tirza prison. She goes on to describe a terrorist by the name of Fatima, who was imprisoned for planting a bomb in a movie theater that resulted in the death of many Jews, who was drawn into the dancing by the enthusiasm generated by Carlebach and even embraced him. Due to her enchantment with Rabbi Shlomo, they exchanged phone numbers and from time to time he would call her at the prison.

What had me completely aghast, was the fact that Cashman called this "one of many heart-warming stories" involving Carlebach. I, however, find it "chilling" to my very core, and am quite certain that the families of those dead Jews join in my abhorrence of the above. Nowhere do we find mentioned any contrition or remorse by Fatima for her heinous deeds or of a pledge to change her ways.What we are told, is upon her release as part of a prisoner exchange, she went to Gaza where she became head of the women's police and where we can assume she has joined in the Hamas call for the elimination of Israel.

Shameful!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user alphadesigner]

Wake Up Call: James Adler on Israel-PA Conflict

Sir, - James Adler's letter titled "Joint Effort" (J.Post Letters, October 23), is proven to be unfounded and a patent absurdity by the headlines of today. Adler's contention that Israel's joining the Palestinian push for a UN upgrade and leaving the West Bank would result in "the reduction of extremism and the creation of so much good will...[and] would be beneficial to all," unfortunately is completely divorced from reality.

The reality of today wherein over 50 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza and seriously wounding several people and causing extensive property damage, should serve to awaken Adler from his 'dreamland' euphoria. Schools in southern Israel had to be closed because there were not sufficient protection against the savage onslaught. Children and adults have suffered these terrorist attacks almost on a daily basis for the last several years.

All this despite Israel's unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza strip,uprooting thousands of families and shattering their lives. This unilateral gesture of good will has been repaid by hate, destruction, and the public declaration by Hamas of their pledge to never recognize the State of Israel.

Adler's unfortunate anti Israel bias blinds him to this reality, and he has been consistently oblivious of the many 'good will' gestures that Israel has made toward the Palestinians ever since 1948 when we were victorious against 5 invading Arab armies. We have returned prisoners, reduced roadblocks, offered to negotiate without preconditions. We have been repaid by the PA's heroizing of terrorists, the teaching and preaching of hatred for Israel in their schools and mosques, and their constant anti-Israel resolutions at the UN.

Wake up Adler! Wake Up!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Nevit Dilmen]

Ban! Ban Ki-Moon

Youtube screenshot

Sir, - Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, is an ongoing travesty, and actively demeans the high office that he holds. The United Nations whose membership is so weighted against liberal democratic regimes, is also unfortunately led by someone who evidently worships at the altar of blatant hypocrisy.

What honorable purpose can Ban claim for his attendance at the recent conference of Non-Aligned nations held in Iran? He went to Teheran in total disregard of the urgings of both the United States and Israel and thereby significantly added credence and respectability to that demonic regime. By what moral right could he dare step into a country that continues to call for the annihilation of another member state? What moral yardstick was employed when he chose by his visit to endow legitimacy to a regime that is under sanctions by the Western world for being a threat to world peace?

In addition to the above, he chooses to pontificate with perverted neutrality about the actions of Syria and Israel. His obscene myopia has him equating the butchery in Syria that has taken more than 25,000 civilian lives with Israel's measured reaction to the incessant rocket fire coming from Gaza.

With Ban Ki-Moon at the top, the optimism and hopes for a world organization that can further the cause of peace becomes increasingly more doubtful!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Telegraph TV]

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]

J.Post January 19: Inept...and Loud

Sir, – We have now been informed of the increased concern in the IDF about the growing arsenal of anti-tank missiles and other malefic weaponry that has been smuggled into the hands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza (“IDF preparing for major Gaza operation within next few months,” January 17).

As an informed citizen but with no claim to expertise on security matters, I am greatly disturbed by the IDF’s apparent ineptitude.

The smuggling of serious weaponry into Gaza is not a new phenomenon. It has been known for several years, and today’s satellite technology enables the pin-pointing of these activities.

Why has it been permitted to continue? Why have the smuggling tunnels not been eradicated? Why did then-prime minister Ehud Olmert and the IDF leave most of the tunnels untouched and end Operation Cast Lead with shameful unfinished business? But if indeed there are positive answers to the above questions, why in Heaven’s name are we now informing the enemy in advance of a planned “major Gaza operation?”

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Not Your Grandma: Grannies for Gaza

Sir, - Grannies for Gaza are not merely a pair of kindly, benign, misguided but well-meaning Grandmas, who were foolishly permitted entry into Israel.

These are two very dedicated activists who were completely committed to accomplish their goal of protesting against Israel. Though part of the original Flotilla that was stopped in Greece, their determination brought them to B.G. airport and to ultimately take part in an anti-Israel demonstration in Jerusalem.

What will be the message that they bring back to their Australian cohorts? Undoubtedly it will say, that their determined efforts managed to outsmart the not so clever Israelis. They will teach it diligently to their children, and perhaps the proud grandmas can enjoy watching their grandchildren grow into full fledged Israel haters!

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

Deaf Ears

Sir, - While the fact of there being room for improvement in Israel's public relations efforts is commonly accepted, both the self-assured tone and much of Aaron Menenberg's arguments are open to question.

Operation Cast Lead only began after Israel's southern communities were attacked daily by terrorist rockets from Gaza for a well publicized 8 year period and yet received no sympathetic world understanding. Menenberg's own words testify to the IDF's extreme care to avoid civilian casualties by warnings through phone calls, leaflets, costly avoidance of military targets that were manned by civilians.

These efforts were well publicized and widely known. The infamous Goldstone Report followed, not because of Israel's failure to publicize, but rather due to the arrogance of a self-serving judge who was predisposed to condemn while knowingly basing his conclusions on hearing only one side.

It would be of interest to know how Menenberg would recommend that Israel publicly react to Obama's callous inhumanity in his remaining deaf to the recommendations of eminent U.S. citizens as well as to the pleas of Israel's leadership and all its citizens for the pardoning of Jonathan Pollard.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

The Road to Hell

Sir, - In her article, "Who we are and what we seek" Ann Ighe in a rather aggrieved tone attempts to enlighten us unperceptive and insensitive Israelis about the 'whys' of the participants in the upcoming flotilla to Gaza.

Ms. Ighe informs us that they are not bringing weapons and that they are not a "flotilla of hate." They are, however, sailing to "break the blockade" which she describes as impeding the rights of Gazans to trade, to travel, and to develop their society.

It should be noted that Ms. Ighe does not in any manner refer to the more serious and fashionable claim of a suffering population living in wretched despair. She is unable to do so since the International Red Cross has declared unequivocally the fact of there being no humanitarian crisis in Gaza!

I would now like to inform Ms. Ighe who is the holder of a PhD and should be capable of thinking non-superficially as to the 'whys' of Israel's blockade of Gaza. It is certainly not out of hate. It is because we are unabashedly pro-Life. The lives of our children are very precious to us, and they and their parents have suffered years of indiscriminate rocket and terror attacks in their schools and homes. The blockade is absolutely vital for the prevention of rockets, bombs, and all instruments of death from reaching these Hamas terrorists.

You, Ms. Ighe together with your fellow travelers, however, be they Moslem, Christian, or Jew, perhaps unwittingly, will be aiding and abetting in Murder!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image Credit: Free Gaza Movement]

Retreat

Sir, - Perhaps the most recent event of gravest consequence for the State of Israel has been the declared reconciliation and union of the P.A.'s Fatah and the terrorist Hamas gang of Gaza. In reaction to this unholy and ominous alliance, the government of Israel decided to withhold the tax payments due to the P.A. out of the justified fear that the money would end up in the hands of Hamas.

In an easily overlooked news item appearing under the banner "News In Brief" we are informed through Steinitz that Israel may again give the tax funds to the P.A. without any elaboration as to what caused this bizarre reversal.

Among several appropriate measures for Israel to have undertaken in order to frustrate this perilous union, the witholding of the tax money seems to be the most effective without cost in lives or property. Other measures, like targeted assassinations, impeachment proceedings against Shimon Peres, or cutting the electricity supply to Gaza, while all are worthy, would undoubtedly invite more extensive world condemnation and involve Israel in an international imbroglio.

The citizens of Israel have the right to know what ugly pressures were brought by so called friends or enemies in order to force our retreat and the abandonment of this most sensible measure.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post Aug. 10: How Innocent is UNRWA?

Sir, - Behind the seemingly benign opinion piece by UNRWA's Chris Gunness ("Let Gaza's kids be kids," August 8), there lurks the less-than innocent role played by UNRWA in its relief activities there.

While admitting to a $100 million budgetary shortfall (where did those millions go?), Gunness chooses to ignore the deliberate destruction by Hamas of several summer camps for children built without its approval and prefers to blame Israel for the shortage of schools.

Gaza's children stand no chance of growing up to become useful and productive citizens as long as Hamas continues to raise and train them to become jihad terrorists.

Finally, I would like Gunness to consider the thousands of Israeli children who long for a bright future but are forced to constantly seek shelter from the rockets of Hamas.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

J.Post January 4: Shabbat in...Gaza

Sir, - The behavior of the Natorei Karta delegates increasingly becomes more bizarre, and perhaps reaches its climax with four of them spending Shabbat inside Gaza (''A Guten Shabbos' in Gaza,' January 3). Undoubtedly, they were able to enjoy a genuinely warm and Torah-filled atmosphere in the intimate company of their terrorist hosts.

However, I wonder if, while the Natorei Karta-ites were assiduously trying to convince our enemies that the terrible tragedy in Gaza was not in the name of Judaism, they gave the slightest thought to questioning their hosts about whether the terrible gut-wrenching suffering of Gilad Schalit and his family is in the name of Islam.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva