J.Post January 19: What 'victories'?

Unassailable evidence of a chronic dearth of oxygen in Washington is provided by President Barack Obama’s description of recent engagements with Iran as “diplomatic victories” (“US slaps ballistic missile penalties on Iran following massive sanctions lift,” January 18).

This anti-rational and utterly unbelievable portrayal of events leaves us no choice other than to attribute it to the malign influence of atmospheric conditions. Surely, sound reasoning would view these events not as signs of victories, but as a continuing chain of shameful defeats.

One has every right to expect from a country being granted billions of dollars in sanctions relief along with full acceptance into the international diplomatic community that it dare not risk such extremely valuable prizes only a week before the agreement goes into effect. But instead of being careful, Iran does not hesitate to seize American sailors and then force the US into dealing for their release.

A genuine victory by the US could be claimed only if Iran politely informed it of the trespass of its ships and just as politely suggested that the vessels leave their territorial waters. Iran is spitting in America’s face, and America’s president insists on calling it rain.

Unfortunately, this is consistent with the whole tone of appeasement that the US has adopted toward Iran, and therefore cannot accommodate any claims by Washington of victories. It does, however, exponentially increase the anxiety level of many countries, because the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism has now been unleashed with increased strength and substance.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikvah

Barak's Bogus Bibi-Bashing

Sir, - It is becoming increasingly difficult and somewhat embarrassing to absorb the unmitigated hatred for Prime Minister Netanyahu that one finds in the lines and between the lines in the articles by Jeff Barak. His extreme animus causes him to be guilty of the very thing that he accuses Netanyahu of doing concerning Yuval Diskin, namely, "Going for the man , not the ball."

In Barak's hostile dissent with the way Netanyahu is negotiating with the PA he nowhere attempts to try to understand the Why's of Bibi's concerns but rather chooses to ignore the issues and attack him ad hominem when he places Netanyahu's peace efforts in the same light as the "household expenses he charges to the taxpayer: exaggerated and out of touch with the real world."

Barak is seemingly so impressed with the yichus of Budgi Herzog that he is willing to invest his populist and naive statements with Sinaitic authority. Is Barak really convinced by Herzog's imperious pronouncement that "Today is not Munich 1938"? Does Barak really not see that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat to the State of Israel and a dire threat to the whole Western world?      

We must stop constantly talking in cliches and understand that today weapons of mass destruction can literally enable the wiping of Israel off the map, as Iran has so often declared to be their intention, with no one other than Netanyahu raising a voice in objection.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user Abode of Chaos]

J.Post December 1: Europe Chooses Iranian Uranium over Israeli Innovation

Sir, – With regard to “PM convenes urgent meetings on stalemate over Horizon 2020” (November 26), permit me to alert your readers to the invidious differences between the way the European Union relates to the pariah state of Iran and how it treats Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

Despite proven Iranian support and sponsorship of terrorism in many parts of the world, and the murder of many tens of thousands by Tehran’s puppet regime in Syria, the EU, together with other world powers, came obsequiously to Iran and went out of its way to sign a treaty that not only will cause no discomfort to the Iranians, but will effectively permit them to continue their enrichment program.

While not one of these powers dared challenge the Iranian leadership’s call for the elimination of Israel, they chose to reward Iran with the partial removal of sanctions.

In considering Israel’s request to show some flexibility concerning settlement guidelines that would permit its participation in the Horizon 2020 project, the EU’s response was callous and totally negative. Israel, whose scientific achievements are second to none, is forced to its knees because of Europe’s blind acceptance of the Palestinian narrative. Non-compliance with this political extortion would result in a huge blow to Israeli research.

The final score: Iran is given every consideration, including permission to continue violating years of UN resolutions demanding that it cease enrichment, and thereby is enabled to threaten the region with weapons of mass destruction – while Israel, the nation that “dwells alone,” is forced to curtail the research that has produced many of the major scientific and medical breakthroughs for mankind.

Zev Chamudot

Petach Tikvah

[Image credit: Wikimedia user Nanking2012]

J.Post July 3: A Less-Than-Candid Argument For Israeli-Palestinian Peace

Sir, – In his columns, Isi Leibler can generally be counted on not only to speak candidly, but to provide his readers with thought-provoking and well balanced analyses on a variety of critical issues.

In “En route to becoming a banana republic,” (Candidly Speaking, July 11), he presents cogent and convincing arguments concerning the need for ministers to close ranks so that a unified and coherent voice emerges to represent and speak for the government of Israel. However, I feel that in one part of the column, Leibler is being less than candid and perhaps even somewhat disingenuous.

He writes that the “vast majority of Israelis support the implementation of a two-state solution – if Palestinian leaders emerge who are genuine peace partners, willing to ensure Israel’s security.”

Not only does this statement lack any evidentiary basis, it almost borders on deception. Basing the solution on this gargantuan "If" is precisely the crux of the problem and the focus of all the doubts and concerns to which Leibler seemingly objects.

The statement is comparable in its meaninglessness and insignificance to my stating that the vast majority of Israelis would lend their support for Iran’s achieving nuclear capability – if it would assure its non-use for any malevolent purpose.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

[Image credit: thierry ehrmann]

Abbas Meets Ahmadinejad at Cairo Summit

Sir, - Forget all the rhetoric! Clear your minds of all the obfuscation! Rid yourselves of all your delusions! Open your eyes and clearly see the handwriting on the wall! Be aware of the very real and imminent danger that Israel faces.

The headlines shout "PA president meets with Iran's Ahmadinejad at Cairo Islamic summit." This was the second meeting since September, when Abbas met with the Iranian president in Tehran, at the summit of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement. Be assured that when the world's two foremost Holocaust deniers get together, it is not for any benevolent purpose. Also be totally convinced that these were not accidental meetings where the two 'happened' to bump into each other. The same is also quite clearly true of the meetings between Abbas and the Hamas leadership, wherein he desperately pleads for the unification of the two organizations.

What do Tehran and Hamas have in common? They both unabashedly, shamelessly, and publicly call for armed struggle against the State of Israel and the annihilation of the Zionist entity. Israel is very close to getting stuck on the tracks, while the alarm bells are clanging, the barriers are lowering, and the train is hurtling at a frightening speed towards our destruction.

It is about time that we face reality and recognize the true face of our enemies.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Barry Hanau]

Outrageous!: Joseph Massad on Homeland Show

Sir, - Seth J. Frantzman's articles have been consistently intelligent and well reasoned and we owe him a vote of thanks for his exposition of the very serious breach of academic ethics at one of America's prestigious universities. In his article "Homeland, the Jews and Columbia University," Frantzman reveals the shocking bias and perversity to be found in the classroom of a leading university with the apparent acceptance by the administration.

Frantzman relates several instances where Professor Joseph Massad has verbalized racially offensive remarks in his classroom. He seems to be obsessed with the racial composition of his classroom and of the characters that he teaches about. In his critique of the popular Homeland television series he constantly and gratuitously refers to them as "suspiciously brown" or "wed to a Jew" or the "Hindu" without any rational connection to the performer's role.

It is worthy of note, that it was Columbia University that unhesitatingly permitted Iran's President Ahmadinejad to deliver one his infamous tirades. There seems to be no doubt that Prof. Massad is "suspiciously Nazi" and most clearly unbalanced, which does not speak well for the university.

It would be of supreme interest if Massad would relate to President Obama, as being "suspiciously Brown" on his father's side and "Halachically White" on his mother's!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Salaam Shalom; video credit: Showtime]

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

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]

J.Post September 4: Some Shekel-Gazing

Sir, – We all owe a debt of gratitude to Greer Fay Cashman and veteran astrologer Miriam Binyamini for heralding the joyous news that a war between Israel and Iran will not take place in the foreseeable future (“War with Iran? Not in the stars,” Grapevine, August 29).

Our defense forces and home front can now relax and breathe a deep sigh of relief. The many strident opinions voiced by politicians, security personnel, theologians and philosophers surrounding the Iranian issue can now be forgotten.

However, despite our gratefulness to astrologer Binyamini for the above glad tidings, I feel she was morally remiss for not also activating her star-gazing skills for a matter of lesser importance, but still rather hurtful, when she failed to alert us to the rise of the dollar against the shekel.

Good news however, by any means, is always welcome!

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Karen Horton]

Abbas Threat to Boycott Summit in Tehran

Sir, - The Abbas threat to boycott the NAM summit in Tehran because of the invitation to Haniyeh, which he sees as a blow to the PLO's status as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians, is truly ironic. God does indeed work in mysterious ways!

When one analyzes the purpose of the Abbas visit to Tehran, we find great difficulty in identifying the slightest intimations of legitimacy to any aspect of his behavior. It should be noted that his planned visit was to take place contrary to the expressed wishes of the U.S. and Israel.

What did Abbas hope to accomplish by visiting a country that is being sanctioned because of its growing threat to world peace? Why did Abbas, who claims to be Israel's partner for peace, insist on going to a place whose leadership openly calls for the annihilation of Israel? Can we see in this his own true intentions? Were the two foremost Holocaust deniers making plans for Israel's future?

Thank God for God!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post August 13: Call for Action

Sir, – Although I sometimes disagree with some of the activities and causes that Shmuley Boteach chooses to identify with, I believe that his article, "Why I'm travelling to Rwanda" (Comment and Features, August 8) deserves the serious attention of all people of conscience.

Boteach does not only call on us to remember the horrible butchery that took place in Rwanda in 1994 when hundreds of thousands of the Tutsi tribe were literally machete hacked to death by the Hutus, he makes us aware that most nations of the world totally ignored the brutal massacres and did nothing at all to try to prevent their taking place. He specifically accuses the Clinton administration in the United States of perfidious behavior when it deliberately frustrated any attempts by the UN to interfere.

His attention to the genocide in Rwanda, however, is to alert us to the fact that there are similar atrocities taking place today, and once again the enlightened world permits itself to effectively do nothing. Boteach calls for real efforts on the political and military fronts to halt the daily slaughter by the well armed and trained Syrian army of hundreds of unarmed civilians.

We in Israel have the right to ask why the oft repeated call by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the annihilation of Israel is not in itself sufficient grounds for the expulsion of Iran from the community of nations.

Must we really wait for the bomb to drop?

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petah Tikva

[Image credit: Neil Palmer]

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]

Ross' Doublespeak

Sir,-- The well seasoned diplomat Dennis Ross has seemingly run out of intelligent comments pertaining to Iran, and now chooses to becloud the very critical issues with diplomatic 'doublespeak'. "It is time to shift gears in negotiations with Iran" says Ross, but goes on to suggest a program of continuing self deception and refusal to admit to the harsh reality that the gears have ground to a complete breakdown. The Iranians have quite clearly stated their refusal to accept the West's demands and just as clearly have exploited the time of these negotiations for the further development of their nuclear program.

Instead of a non-hesitant and unequivocal ultimatum to Iran to halt the enrichment program, Ross states that the "core issue" is whether Iran is going to accept some "gobbledygook" that he suggests and only then if they refuse will we know that "diplomacy is not going to work". Ross further plays with delaying tactics by stating that "at the end of the day there was no military solution to the problem". Of course by stating that he utterly destroys any reason for Iran to stop doing what it has been doing.

What Ross and all the other diplomats must finally recognize as the correct evaluation of the reality of Iran's intentions that Israel has been stating all along.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Brett Weinstein]

J.Post March 27: Back to Iran

Sir, – I was dismayed as well as perplexed when reading “1,000 march in Tel Aviv against war with Iran” (March 25). Is it felt that despite the clear evidence of Iran’s animus and belligerence toward Israel, the appropriate response is to say we love you (“Israeli couple reaches out to Iranians with a Facebook campaign of love", March 19)? The protest against Israel going to war against Iran seems rather bizarre in face of the fact that Iran repeatedly calls for the destruction of Israel and is, in reality, already responsible for acts of war and terror against it and Jews abroad. It is worth noting that there has never been, and in all likelihood never will be, a parallel march in Tehran against war with Israel.

If the purpose of the march in Tel Aviv was to reemphasize Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s declaration during the blood-soaked American Civil War that “war is hell,” a war against a nuclear-armed and crazy state of Iran would be nothing short of Armageddon and the end of civilization as we know it.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Saudi Arabian Perfidy

Sir, - Saudi Arabia, despite its being an absolute autocratic monarchy, expends huge sums of money in an attempt to portray itself as a country that is moderate, stable and decidedly pro-western in its orientation. It also claims a central role among Islamic countries with its purported anti-Iranian stance and policies.

This supposed orientation and policy is revealed as total duplicity when we read today that two Iranian warships have reached Syria via the Suez Canal, after first stopping at Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Brinkmanship: Netanyahu and Iran

Sir, - Susan Hattis Rolef sounds a dire warning about Netanyahu's 'brinkmanship' by stating "In the case of Israel the danger is that Iran will react irrationally, and then God save us all".

I think it is vital to point out the difference between Ms. Rolef who lectures on the Knesset, and the Prime Minister who bears the awesome responsibility for our security and welfare. Netanyahu unlike Ms. Rolef, must consider Iran's irrationality, and what then will be the dangers to Israel and to the entire western world when Iran possesses nuclear weapons.

We must indeed pray that God save us all!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post Magazine August 12: Imam Faisal Rauf on Jewish State

Sir, - Under the guise of a soft spoken and benign demeanor, Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf manages to deliver an equable but unmistakably malevolent message.

He is quite adept in avoiding answers to questions on contemporary issues.When asked about applying sanctions against Iran, he adroitly states that he is in favor of combating radicalism by strengthening the voice of moderation and peace. He provides not the slightest hint about how to do that effectively, and is seemingly oblivious of the real immediate danger that a nuclear Iran presents to the world. He clearly chooses to ignore Iran's hostility to Israel and the calls for its elimination.

When questioned about the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, the Imam states quite cunningly, "Whether the State of Israel was Jewish or Islamic would be a less relevant issue in the future". I dare say that his Muslim ethos would never permit him to insinuate the same indifference if the question was about anyone of the many Muslim states?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post November 6: Blaming Israel for Turkey

Sir, - I was sorely disappointed by the statement made by Minister Avishai Braverman at the reception in honor of Turkey's national day. As quoted by Greer Fay Cashman ('Grapevine,' November 4), he began by stressing the importance of relations between Israel and Turkey. Fine. But he concluded with 'We have to do everything possible to strengthen relations. Israel can't afford to quarrel with the whole world.'

Is Braverman placing the onus for the breach and the task of containing the 'quarrel' on us? He seems oblivious of the vicious and false accusations made gratuitously against Israel by the prime minister of Turkey. He chooses to ignore Turkey's growing alignment with the two leading anti-Israel terrorist states, Iran and Syria.

The appropriate response by a minister of the sovereign State of Israel must be a non-obsequious and forthright challenge to these base accusations and reprehensible behavior.We must unequivocally declare our positive interest in good relations between our two countries - based, however, on honor, mutual respect and many shared interests.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

J.Post May 4: Don't Worry About Iran, Says J Street

Sir, - Jeremy Ben-Ami's capacity for unmitigated hutzpa seems to far exceed his ability to think logically. He does not permit himself to be confused by the facts.

Obsessed by the need for a Palestinian state, he insists on offering this as a panacea for every problem relating to the Arab-Israel conflict. His gross naivete affects his judgment of the rabid Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, leaving him unconvinced of Iranian malice toward Israel, and of the very real threat to world stability.

'Iran has been an Islamic republic for 30 years, yet there's been no indication that it intends to invade a nation,' he argues myopically.

After my valiant effort to understand Ben-Ami's responses to his able interviewer, I suggest he changes the name of his organization to Sesame Street.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user jstreetdotorg]