J.Post October 11: J Street and the Common Denominator

Sir, - Alan Eisner, vice president for communications at J Street, categorically informs us that the "unbreakable bond" between Israel and the United States is in danger of erosion if the "occupation continues." ('No chance Netanyahu, Obama will heal their rift, says J Street,' October 7.) He clearly and unconditionally blames the "occupation" for being the root of all evils, believing its end will usher forth the final redemption. Unfortunately, the J Street spokesman is not only sightless but seems to display a witless naivete about the realities that comprise the complex geopolitical, religious, and social tensions that find their expression in this region of the world.

I challenge Mr. Eisner to relate or find any causal connection between the following news events that were published in The Jerusalem Post on the same day as the appearance of his J Street wizardry, and his theory of "occupation":   'Thousands of refugees in Jordan return to Syria' (Page 7); 'NATO rejects Russian excuse on Turkish air space,' '15 soldiers dead in Aden attacks on gov't targets,' 'Car bomb attacks kill 57 people in Iraq' (Page 8); 'Boko Haram terrorists kill 11 Chadian troops,' 'Pro-Russian Ukraine rebels postpone vote' (Page 9); 'Forces seize M-16 used by Hamas to kill Henkins' (Page 10).

The common denominator for all these events, Mr.Eisner, is not "occupation" but an Islam that has been kidnapped by ruthless murderers who share a culture of death and aggressively force their savagery on the thousands killed in the Twin Towers in the United States, on 250,000 innocents killed in Syria, and the death of the cherished Henkins in Israel.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: 

J.Post May 29: American Jewish organizations divest from J Street

Sir, – Susan Hattis Rolef (“The crisis in Israel-American Jewry relations,” Think About It, May 26) complains that J Street was not accepted for membership by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

She insidiously implies that the vote was somehow controlled by the inclinations of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. She also makes the unsubstantiated claim that the rejection “does not represent what a majority of American Jews feels,” but fails to mention that J Street’s application was rejected by an overwhelming majority of the conference’s membership, all of which are American organizations.

The correctness and wisdom of the decision unfortunately escapes Ms. Rolef, who fails to appreciate the difference between the expression of variant views and their translation into deeds, like the encouragement of BDS activities or the lobbying of Congress against increasing sanctions on Iran. You cannot be “pro-Israel” and at the same time support programs that are clearly injurious to its well-being and security.

Much of her concerns would disappear rather quickly if Israel were to receive millions of American olim, who could then participate in totally free and democratic elections and thus influence change in the direction that suits her.

ZEV CHAMUDOT 

Petah Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user Takver]

J Street Blames Israel for Peace-Talk Failures

Sir, - Despite J Street's claim of being a pro-Israel group interested in advancing the halted peace process, the address by Jeremy Ben-Ami to the opening of the its third annual conference, clearly provides serious doubts about the validity of that claim. After bemoaning the absence of a viable peace process, Ben-Ami place the blame on 'the current leadership in Israel and settlement construction'. Two points are worthy of note:

1. The current Israel leadership is the one that was chosen by the only democratic elections taking place in the entire Middle East. 
2. Ben-Ami's ignoble failure to cite even minimally the Palestinian responsibility for the absence of the peace talks. 

In addition, I completely reject the right of Ben-Ami or any other non-resident of Israel to define, establish, or prioritize for us the existential threats that we face. A nuclear armed Iran is indisputably an existential threat to Israel, while the issue of a two-state solution constitutes no such threat, and can be solved only by direct negotiations without prior conditions, by the two sides.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Wikimedia user Wickey-nl]

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]