An Anemic Criticism of Mahmoud Abbas

Sir, - In his article "An open letter to Mahmoud Abbas," Yoram Dori expresses his disillusionment with the PA President as a result of the pernicious speech Abbas gave at the UN General Assembly. In a venomously mendacious anti-Israel tirade, Abbas accused Israel of "genocide" and "war crimes," and Yoram Dori attempts to disabuse him of the delusive use of these terms as applied to Israel.

While it certainly is a positive development that Dori, who served as a senior advisor to Shimon Peres since 1990, belatedly appears to express some disenchantment with the PA leader, his criticisms suffer from acute anemia. 

It must be clearly understood that Abbas's vicious attack at the UN was not the result of his not being fully cognizant of the meaning of the terminology that he employed. On the contrary, Abbas, with full awareness of what he was saying, deliberately chose to besmirch Israel at that international forum. This is quite consistent with his heroization of terrorists and shaping of the PA's hate-filled educational curriculum that is unabashedly raising generations of anti-Israel fanatics, and his continued incitement and encouragement of the daily rock and molotov cocktail throwing against innocent Israeli civilians and police. 

Unfortunately Abbas, who began his career as a holocaust denier and deputy to Arafat, continues to be an active pro-terrorist and must be recognized and denounced as such, with the full realization that he can never be a genuine partner for peace with Israel.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: UN Photo]

Shimon Peres At it Again

Sir, - In the midst of the warm afterglow of Independence Day celebrations I found it most disturbing to be confronted once again with a front page report on the insidious activities of our country's president. Shimon Peres is deservedly acknowledged to be one of the world's leading statesmen and one who has brought much honor to the state of Israel. He has many important achievements to his credit, and a long list of testimonials to his strength of heart and mind, as well as to the qualities of character that befit a person of such lofty position. Alas, humility does not occupy a prominent space on that list. This character flaw can on occasion blind him to the damage he causes to the government and people of Israel, precisely because of the high regard in which he is held.

Each and everyone of us must ask the simple question: What did Peres hope to accomplish at this stage by his 'revelation' that "PM nixed deal with PA in final stages 3 years ago"? After the peace talks guided by Sec. Kerry have completely broken down due to the intransigence of the PA and their unity talks with Hamas, does Peres feel that his program will now be adopted by the Israeli government? Is Peres in favor of having Hamas, who consistently in word and deed call for the destruction of Israel, now become legitimate members of the PA negotiating team?

Regrettably, we must ask an another question of the Peres report: Is it an accurate description of what actually took place three years ago, or is it part of Peres' long history of wishful thinking and his attempts to reconstruct the chronicle of events beginning with the Oslo process up until his present evaluation of Abbas as a man of "character," a "fighter against terrorism," and a man who is courageous and talks of peace?

The reliability of the Peres report is brought into serious doubt in an interview granted by recent national security adviser Gen. Yaakov Amidror, someone who has been intimately involved with the peace negotiations of the past several years. The interview took place the same day the report appeared, wherein he declared unequivocally that if those negotiations took place Netanyahu had absolutely no knowledge of them.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Chatham House]

Don't Pay Bill Clinton with our Hard-Earned Money

Sir, - Isi Leibler is performing a much needed service in his vigilant insistence on the need for accountability and transparency in all organizations that collect and disburse charitable funds. He especially focuses on the Claims Conference that is responsible for the transfer of funds paid by the government of Germany to the victims who suffered and survived the horror of the Holocaust purgatory. Leibler quite appropriately describes their function as being responsible for the disbursement of "sacred restitution funds."

But despite the hallowed constitution of these funds, we are informed that there has been an embezzlement over several years of more than $57 million dollars, money that was destined for very deserving and needy survivors. It is hard to conceive of something more revolting or sacrilegious.

Almost equally revolting however, is the obscenity that is to be committed by the KKL-JNF in their intended payment to Bill Clinton of $500,000 dollars to speak at an event that is part of the week-long tribute to Pres. Shimon Peres.

Instead of Clinton lending his presence out of respect for the many achievements of Shimon Peres, there is figuratively and literally a payment of tribute being made to Bill Clinton out of charitable and public funds in an unconscionable amount that violates every standard of propriety. It is not only a clear violation of public trust, it is also a gross betrayal of the many thousands of families who have for many years kept the blue and white Keren Kayemet boxes in their homes and filled them with their hard-earned shekels in order to redeem the Jewish homeland for the Jewish people.

This is profanity.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user DonkeyHotey]

J.Post February 28: Abbas on Israeli "Torture"

Sir, - The glaring headline "Abbas on Jaradat: Israel wants anarchy by killing our children" was deeply disturbing to me. I was distressed even further, by the veiled threat of Abbas, that indicated that the death of Jaradat would not pass easily by.

The above presents to many thousands of concerned, sensitive, and intelligent citizens of Israel, a most awful dilemma. We were recently informed by Pres. Shimon Peres that he has known Mahmoud Abbas for decades, and he unequivocally assured our people that Abbas is not only an honorable man, but he indeed is also a worthy peace partner.

If there is substance to Abbas's accusations, I would admit to being deeply ashamed of our country. However, if it be established that Israel in fact does not torture Palestinian prisoners, I would find myself in the position of being deeply ashamed of our president.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: World Economic Forum]

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 June 20: Shimon Peres and Jonathan Pollard

Sir, – I readily proclaim that I do not possess the required Solomonic wisdom to have decisively demanded that President Shimon Peres make his acceptance of the US Presidential Medal of Freedom conditional on the release of Jonathan Pollard.

Having said that, however, I find the statement by Peres’s diplomatic advisor, Nadav Tamir, that “Obama listened seriously and asked good questions” (“Peres adviser: Door not slammed on Pollard release,” June 17), to be a pathetically ignoble attempt to redeem and explain the abominable continuing miscarriage of justice regarding Pollard.

Tamir’s statements do not offer anything but an insult to people’s intelligence. One has every right to expect that the serious listening and the good questions would have taken place when Peres lent the dignity of his office and made his first request for the release of Pollard several months ago. Indeed, the serious attention to the cruel and unusual punishment should have begun 27 years ago when Pollard was first arrested.

The fact that this inhumane incarceration of Pollard continues despite the many American and international statesmen and jurists who have asked for his release remains a blatant mark of shame on both Peres and US President Barack Obama.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Misguided Judgement: Shimon Peres on Abbas

Sir, - Shimon Peres deserves to be lauded for his achievements in representing the State of Israel throughout the world. He has won the genuine respect and admiration of world leaders for his impressive intellect, broad knowledge, dignity, and the striking vitality despite advanced age, that he brings to the service of his people.

I, however, feel that there is room for some concern. In the pre-Independence Day interview that he granted The Jerusalem Post of April 25, there appear to be some indications of worrisome memory loss alongside instances of being out of touch with reality. Peres is quoted as praising Abbas and stating that "Israel never faced a better opportunity to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians than it has today under the leadership of PA President Mahmoud Abbas." One is compelled to ask, on what past or recent reality does Peres use as the basis for his optimism?

Are we talking about the Abbas that refuses to sit and negotiate with Israel for the past several months, or he that uses every opportunity to attack Israel in the UN? Or is it Abbas that names plazas in the PA in honor of terrorists and their heroic deeds? Or is it Abbas the Holocaust denier, who now tries to eradicate and deny any traces of Israel's connection with the Land of our forefathers? And so on....

While I have no interest in pointing out the ravages of old age, I feel strongly that the people of  Israel have already paid much too dearly for the Peres-Abbas Oslo misadventure to permit their being misled once again by misguided judgment.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image Credit: WEF, retrieved from here]

Unmasking the Unmasker: Savir on Israel's Leaders

Sir, - The one redeeming feature in the 'Unmasking our Leaders', the vitriolic litany provided by Uri Savir in his portrayal of Israel's current leadership, is the inclusion for his criticism of almost all the parties. Irrespective of their being on the Right or Left, Religious or Secular, Savir unmasks and exposes their ugly political and social 'warts'.

From Netanyahu, Livni, Yachamovitch, to Yair Lapid, Savir somewhat gleefully pours out his satirical venom, the basis of which appears to be the fact that their programs are not totally congruent with his own. The major failure of his article, however, is his failure to include his mentor Shimon Peres, who not only provided us with the debacle of Oslo, but did so by unlawfully meeting with the terrorist thugs. He was also knowingly complacent to the corruption of Arafat and the PLO, in their siphoning off millions from the Palestinian people, to Arafat's private account, and to Suha, his supposed wife. Uri Savir himself, should not be spared, having for decades been receiving a not small salary from the Peres Center for Peace, while a real, just, and secure peace continues to be further away than ever.


ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

J.Post February 3: Peres's Record

Sir, – [Pres. Shimon Peres in a keynote address to the annual Herzliya Conference, urges Israel to reach an accord with the Palestinians and thereby benefit from the 'Arab Spring'.] Shimon Peres seems to be quite alone in his optimistic appraisal of the turmoil confronting the Middle East. The empowerment of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Tunisia alongside the increased missile threats to us from Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south only serve to provide Israel with heightened security concerns.

Peres argues that an accord with the PA will strengthen it at the expense of Hamas. He seems to be totally oblivious of the reconciliation between them, with Hamas still insisting on the non-recognition of Israel.

Most neutral observers assert that if free elections were held in the PA today, Hamas would be the victor.

It is worth remembering that it was Peres who pushed for the ill-fated Oslo Accords and the peace partner Yasser Arafat.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva 

Peres on a Pardon for Katsav

Sir, - While on a state visit to Vietnam, Pres. Shimon Peres was queried by interviewers of an other paper about granting a pardon to former Pres. Moshe Katsav. Although no request for a pardon has yet been made, Peres responded by saying that he "tends to view harshly crimes committed against women."

Although I take no issue with the above response, I and many others felt the appalling lack of a clearly stated public declaration of abhorrence concerning his awful task of having to sign pardons for the hundreds of blood drenched terrorists released in the Schalit exchange.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Ugly Betrayal: Peres Pardoning Terrorists?

Sir, - Although I had deep misgivings about the awful price Israel had to pay for the release of Gilad Schalit, I had genuine feelings of joy and elation about his return to his family and home.

However, upon reading today's sub-headline on the front page "President's office preparing pardons for Peres to sign," I have the sense of ugly betrayal and deception being forcefully injected into my intense deliberations.

The need to choose between the urgings of the heart and the dictates of the brain, is in itself completely agonizing when the issue is only the release of hundreds of terrorists who have rivers of blood on their hands. The granting of pardons to these animals, however, offends our very souls and does violence to the ultimate meaning and foundations of our Justice system.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Image Credit: Tom Spender

Repayment

Sir, - Although it is rather unseemly for the President to give his hechsher to an individual seeking to return to political life, Pres. Peres nevertheless chooses to do so for the problematic Aryeh Deri.

Is this endorsement a way of repaying Deri for his collaboration with Peres for bringing in the then new Shas party to vote for the controversial Oslo agreement?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post May 27: Venue in Question

Sir, – Although I have some doubts about what Georgian oligarch Gabriel Mirilashvili means when he states that “business and Judaism are inseparable” (“From Georgia, with love – and money,” Comment & Features, May 24), I have far more serious reservations concerning several aspects of the red carpet event hosted by the Peres Center for Peace in celebration of Mirilashvili’s 50th birthday.

An event that purports to express the importance of Judaism with the presence of the chief rabbis should enjoy the meticulous planning and dignity that would avert the circumstances where “Orthodox rabbis with bushy beards brushed shoulders with women in short dresses and stiletto heels.”

The second reason for the particular venue was to raise funds for the Peres Center, which endeavors to promotes ties between Jews and Arabs. One is prompted to ask whether the center, since its inception, has had any success in advancing the cause of peace, or merely continues to raise funds that would do better good elsewhere, especially when the Arabs deny our right to exist.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva