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]

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]

Baskin's Jaundiced Eye

Sir, - After several repetitive articles by Gershon Baskin, I get the distinct but unfortunate impression that he is far more interested in informing us about his personal conversations and meetings with Abbas and Netanyahu than in the promotion of an equitable solution to our very real conflict. He also sees himself as the 'grand mediator' whose assessments of Abbas's character and statements bear no scrutiny or questions. He unhesitatingly confers sainthood on Mahmoud Abbas and with equal zeal bestows 'villainhood' on Netanyahu.

Most troublesome is Baskin's facile description of the Arab's rejection of the U.N. Partition plan as a "mistake". With gross naivete, he feels that they deserve some prize for their error. What he conveniently chooses to forget is the fact that they joined 5 Arab armies, bent then on wiping out the Zionist entity, and all objective evidence points to that goal as their continuing intent.

Abbas remains as one of the world's leading Holocaust deniers and as deputy to Arafat he participated quite purposely in every 'Intifada' program of that arch terrorist. Baskin would have us believe that he graciously accepts whatever Baskin agrees to concede, and he forswears terror. Can Baskin explain the fact that all PA maps of Palestine do not include a place called Israel? Can he explain the paying of salaries to terrorists and the naming of plazas in their honor? Can he explain the hate filled classrooms and mosques that denounce the satan Israel?

Lastly, can Baskin really understand Abbas's rejection of negotiations because of Netanyahu's refusal to release pre-Oslo terrorists? Let him sit down at the table without preconditions where I fear that he will find the Jewish State far too forgiving.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Al-Jazeera English]

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]

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 November 6: Judging Goldstone

Sir, – How are we to relate to Judge Richard Goldstone (“In NYT op-ed, Goldstone defends Israel against ‘apartheid’ claims,” November 2)? It is indisputable that the Goldstone Report was a most injudicious document that was used to vilify the State of Israel and cause it irreversible damage. Yet today, a wiser Goldstone has transformed himself into a proactive defender of the Jewish state’s legitimacy and the justice of its behavior.

But is this enough to warrant our forgiveness? I suggest that the Torah’s way of relating to a person who killed another without intent can help guide us in our search for direction.

The Torah repeatedly labels such a person a murderer and requires that he remove himself to a designated city of refuge in order to be safe from one who seeks revenge, and concurrently undergo a process of atonement.

Even though the person’s act might not have been intentional, the Torah regards it most gravely.

It must be acknowledged, however, that the Goldstone Report was quite intentional in its malicious judgment of Israel.

It accused us of the deliberate mass murder of innocents and other crimes against humanity. It was the product of an enormous ego and a totally biased panel member, and was morally flawed because it listened to only one side of the story.

There remain many who, like the blood avenger, are unable to forgive Goldstone. Minimally, he must persevere in his quest for atonement by continuing to dedicate his legal skills and talents toward the defense of the State of Israel and its citizens.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Goodwill to Palestinians, or Appeasement?

Sir, - I was utterly dismayed and even sickened to read on your front page that some in our senior IDF echelons are even now proposing goodwill gestures toward the Palestinians. This is especially perplexing when we read on the same front page of the determined efforts by the P.A. to seek U.N. membership and their adamant refusal to recognize Israel as a 'Jewish' state.

Have we learned nothing? Surely common sense informed by bitter experience should have long ago convinced us, not only of the utter futility of these gestures, but also of the heavy price our citizens often have to pay. Threatened Palestinian violence cannot be bought off! It must be made unthinkable by the strength of our preparedness and determination to oppose it. Evil cannot be vanquished or appeased by gestures of goodwill, it must be confronted by implacable might armed with the righteousness of our cause.

In ancient times when Israel was to go into battle, the Cohen exempted  those who were faint of heart. Are we now facing a situation where those who are in-charge of our defense forces are similarly stricken?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Height of Folly: Uri Savir on a Palestinian State

Sir, - Uri Savir, in an attempt to convince us to vote 'Yes' for a Palestinian state, offers us the same worn and feeble arguments that have been discredited multiple times by the continued treachery of the PLO.

He begins his pleading by describing the Arab rejection of the UN Partition Plan as a "grave historical mistake" and then at the close of his article he calls on Israel to rectify it. Both logic and prudence would demand that a mistake must be corrected by the party that made it.

Savir chooses to ignore the fact that the Arab rejection of partition was primarily a denial of Israel's right to any portion of the land. This has been the Arab contention until this very day which they assert by means of their continued terrorist activity and attempts to erase all historical or religious Jewish ties to our ancient home.

It would be the height of folly and a betrayal of our heritage for Israel to offer anything but a resounding 'No' at the forthcoming UN vote.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post September 5: Who is he?

Sir, – Although I have full faith in Rabbi Menachem Froman’s sincerity and integrity, I nevertheless have serious misgivings about his naivete and presumptuous behavior (“Rabbi Froman meets Abbas, pledges support for UN bid,” September 2).

The rabbi should be aware of the significant differences between his meetings with clergymen of various faiths in order to try to establish a common theological basis for peace, and his pledging support to Abbas regarding the PA’s statehood bid at the UN. The first, while admirable, is merely an exercise in futility, while the latter is fraught with grave dangers to the State of Israel and the lives of its citizens.

Froman was neither elected nor chosen to grant support to a political act of this consequence.

One wonders whether, before he granted his blessing to Abbas, the rabbi was able to extract a commitment from him to recognize the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

Did he demand that Abbas stop naming public squares after terrorists or glorifying them in Palestinian textbooks? Did he in fact make any demands at all? Does his naivete blind him to the fact that the two don’t speak the same language, and that while Froman abhors terrorism because of its immorality, Abbas merely discards it as no longer being practical? This does not at all add honor to Froman in his own country.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah 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 December 3: The Strange Blindness of the UN

Sir, - Louise Arbour, the UN's top human rights official, has had a distinguished career as an activist on behalf of human rights. She is undoubtedly intelligent and gives the impression of trying to be fair-minded. However, when speaking about the Arab-Israeli conflict she resorts to casuistry.

Arbour insists that there is very little difference in the degree of culpability whether deaths are caused by the clear intent of Palestinians to kill civilians, or are the result of Israel's 'reckless' behavior despite its manifest determination to avoid civilian casualties.

Arbour completely misunderstands and misuses the word 'reckless,' which is defined as being 'utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action.'

Any fair observer will be aware of the revulsion felt in Israel - by its military, citizenry, media and judiciary - regarding the deaths of civilians by Israeli military action.

The unfortunate truth is that Israel is faced with a ruthless and implacable enemy which places a higher value on shahidism than on human life ('Standing up for the victims,' November 30).

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikava