On Obama, rabbi doesn’t speak for American Jews
To the Editor:
We are current and former congregants of Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater who feel compelled to disagree with his recent comments on Israel ("Jews must stay on visionary Obama’s side"). Rabbi Grater claims to speak for the Jewish community when he says that "The Jewish community knows that President Obama is this kind of leader." The rabbi is entitled to his views on American politics, but he is not entitled to speak for American Jewry at a time of fraught U.S.-Israel relations brought on by the White House's ineffective Middle East diplomacy.
When the White House pushed Israel over a zoning issue in a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem, the Arab side felt compelled to be no less demanding than the White House. The president's position was unpopular with many Americans. Almost immediately, three-quarters of our elected representatives, including 76 senators and more than three-quarters of the House, both Republicans and Democrats, signed bipartisan letters in response demanding that the president reaffirm the U.S.-Israel relationship.
In support of his political position, Rabbi Grater quotes an ancient text, the Pirkei Avot: "While we are not called up to finish the job, we are certainly called upon to never cease from trying." Unfortunately, the nature of "the job" is left undefined. If the task is to ensure the survival of the only Jewish state in the world and the millions who live there, then Jews and other supporters of Israel may demand that President Obama not just say that he is a friend of Israel but act like one.
Edward Vaisbort
Carolyn Kunin
Ahuva Einstein
Pasadena, Calif.
Anita Brenner
La Canada Flintridge, Calif.
Josef Ulloa
Covina, Calif.
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Peace doesn’t come at the end of a rifle barrel. Those who believe they can impose their will on others will only learn bad feelings die hard and are not soon forgotten. Palestinians in refugee camps in Southern Lebanon have given rise to Hezbollah. Hamas is emboldened not by the success of Peace, but its absence and failure.
Obama has been more of a friend of Israel than many realize. A friend will tell you when he thinks you are wrong, an enemy or someone who isn’t your friend doesn’t care. A friend will encourage Peace which facilitates greater prosperity and growth for you. Someone who doesn’t care will say, “it’s your problem, do whatever you want”. Some may object to the tough talk and efforts to bring change, but the alternative is what, more of the same? Who is the friend, the one who doesn’t care or the one who does?
Peace is a tough and difficult road from that of conflict, where distrust, hate and anger are the drivers of war. Shifting to the equality, tolerance and justice that drives peace requires great effort and determination that is not always possible without the encouragement of a friend. It is easy to do nothing. It is harder to stand up and try and change the status quo. It is harder still when the very people you are trying to help complain about any and all criticism and question your motives. Success is measured by outcomes and not desires or intentions. Look at the progress made thus far to ease tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. What is the advantage to Israel in fighting Obama instead of working with his Administration to try and bring Peace to the region?
MinerDan has lost sight of the content of the article in his zeal to condemn President Bush, the Republicans and the right-wing. While 2/3s of Israelis may be willing to give up some of Judea and Samaria for Peace, the numbers are not accurate for Jerusalem. Much of what is now majority Arab parts of Jerusalem was not before the Jordanian conquest and occupation of what i referred to as “East” Jerusalem. Obama has long sought the ouster of Netanyahu for a government more to his liking. The rift while Biden was in Israel was caused and blown out of proportion by Obama. What was ended in the evening was rekindled in the morning by Hillary and continued by his administration. Contrast the conduct of Obama towards Karsai, whom the administration demonized just shortly before his visit (drugs, corruption, moves toward the Taliban, etc,) with the treatment of Netanyahu. Obama carefully screens who will be invited to the White House. He plays with a fixed deck. The rabbis invited could be counted on to give their support or very muted disagreements. Obama’s speech in Cairo pointed to where he is headed. It is too bad that more Jews cannot realize it. Many have looking to what the polls are saying but they must not let their opinions by masked and hidden by his Court Jews.
To Mr. Wedlund, peace often comes at the end of a barrel, when the barrel has been wielded defensively. Just look to WWII. Hezbollah, Hamas, Fedayeen, the PLO and Fatah were all formed to regain the land “lost” when Israel was reborn. The Palestinian refugees are the only refugees in the world to have their status legitimized by the UN. They are kept in camps by their fellow Arabs to keep the wounds open. Israel has been more than ready for a peace where Israel will survive but is not willing to go on the path of peace that leads to suicide. The advantage for Israel fighting Obama can be summed up in one word, survival.
Mr. Cohen, it is not peace that comes at the end of a rifle barrel, but merely the end of a battle or war. Peace and the end of a war are not equivalent. Just look at Israel and its continued conflicts with Hezbollah, Hamas and other radical groups. Did Israel not have an end to war in the 1950’s? Did Israel not win a war in 6 days in 1967 and the Yom Kippur war in 1973? Has Israel ever lost a major war with its neighbors? So, where is your peace?
WWI did not solve any problems or bring real peace, it facilitated in many ways WWII. The Allies realized true peace would not be achieved unless the defeated were treated humanely, provided with help to rebuild their industries, agriculture, infrastructure and strong economic ties were formed with them. The peace was not achieved because of the defeat of the Axis powers; it was brought about by investment, rebuilding, a genuine desire to help and a willingness to forge new economic ties with Germany, Italy and Japan rather than simply punish them.
It is ever so easy to encourage hate and fear when there is little tolerance, justice, equality or peace. Is that not the lesson learned from Hitler’s rise to power as well as that of other tyrants since his time? By encouraging continued conflict Israel keeps generating the open wounds that others merely pour the salt in to prevent their healing. You play into the hands of those who do not want peace by encouraging and justifying the continued conditions that facilitate war. Among those displaced and disaffected people you are likely to find your next adversary, the next terrorist leader and terrorist group. Feed their ranks and you merely feed their anger and hate.
If Israel is concerned about its survival, it should be far more worried about the consequences of its actions and their ramifications. As one of only a handful of nuclear powers in the world, with one of the most sophisticated and best equipped armed forces in the world Israel risks destruction not from without, but from a continual wearing down from within. The longer conflict persists, the greater the risk Israel faces from criticism by others of how it deals with its conflicts, facilitates them and prolongs them. Israel with its far stronger army and far more sophisticated weaponry cannot claim to be the victim indefinitely, fighting for its survival. Even its own citizens and Jewish people around the world will grow tired of the threats, hate, fear and anger that support of that position produces toward them.
It is long past time for a change in direction and a change in focus. You cannot be ready for peace unless you are ready to change the way you deal with your neighbors, interact and treat them. That has been the message from the Obama administration. Thus far the signal from Israel has not been a concerted effort toward seeking real peace. Rather, it has blamed others for the failure of the peace efforts and lamented and opposed US pressure that it changes its approach. These actions do not bode well for these peace efforts or the longer term survival of Israel. This is a message from a friend.
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MinerDan
05/08/10 02:25 AM
Though I do not know the Rabi I very much agree with his remark.
I was born in Israel and have followed the Tip for Tat of the Middle East for over 50 years and was shocked to see the
wack job Mr Bush (who proudly declared that he did not “do Nuance” (where the facts lives) and the rest of what his Administration perpetrated on our Country and the world.
Furrhermore, I am extremely concerned by the meddling by
the Republican Party and the “ Leo Strussians” in Karl Rove’s
favorite Strategy of “Microtargetting” the “Jewish Vote” and money, and their willingness to endager Israel in the process.
People seem to have amnesia that when the Bush Administration came in their intent AS WELL AS ACTIONS for 18 months was to ignore the Middle East. Telling themselves that Jews & Palestinians were embroiled in conflict for centuries and, since Republicans are concerned with image over substance, that they did not want to fight what could be a losing battle for them. This during a critical moment in the process.
People seem to have amnesia about about a lot of things. Such as what happened in the last 9 years at the hands of the Radical Right Wing Republican Extremists—who because the American Left has effectively, over the year unknowingly been siding with the Middle East Dictators the Radica Right Wing in the US have been making much undeserved and dangerous inroads into major Jewish organizations using deception.
It was Mr. Bush who gave us an empowered Hamas by insisting upon elections during a time when Israel and the
PA’s opposed it and which surprised even Hamas..
And during the Lebanon Crisis the Republicans seemed to
push Israel into an over reactive mode while annoucing that
this was the “new” Middle East.
As if this were not enough, few seem to recall that after 9/11 Iran permitted tens of thousands of its citizens to light candles for the US in squares all over Iran unhapmpered by the Mulahs.
The **Moderates were in charge then** and people were talking about the fact that Iran was changing from within that their large number of young people, of this educated nation were pro Western and hardly considered previous tensions in their thinking etc.
Iran contributed $600Million toward the Afghanistan efffort and insited the word Democracy be put into their constitution.
And they wrote The Bush White House seeking reproachment and offered to stop their internal anti-Israel and Anti US rhetoric.
This was before Abudinajad was hardly known much less in power.
Not only did the Republicans ignore this outreach but instead put Iran on the “axis of evil” list before going after the 1st on the list.
Then came the steady rehtoric—designed to drive up the price of oil which it did do-- such as Cheney getting on the Radio with threatening: “We will have to get Israel to attack Iran and then deal with the PR problem of it later.”
And as if this was not enough the Benign neglect of Afghanistan was remenicent of the abandoment, by Bush1, also during extremely difficult transition for the Afghani people and after The Republicans armed those who became The Taliban and Al Qaeda...in a way that gave them the Chutpah to believe that they could destroy the US the same way they told themselves they did to the Soviet Union.
The claim by the Rabi’s detractors that the Obama White House caused the recent rift when it occured during a High Level Vice Presidential visit—to renew the people process—and more building was announced exactly then Is innacruate.
But I believe this rift among Friends can help the US regain it;s broker position which could make the possibility of Peace more
lasting.
The Palestinians were used as a weapon against Israel by the Arab dictatorships but I believe events have turned . And while now Iran is using Hamas in the same way and how they’ve been using Hezbola, I believe ther is a window with The Arab states taking more responsibility for peace and Obama’s Peace envoy has the patience and success in difficult dipmlomatic events.
One thing I’d have liked Obama to have added to his Egypt Speech is that Israelis have given an enormous amount of
energy toward peace in the past. And since the West Bank
contains Holy Jewish sites The fact that 2/3rds of Israelis
have been willing to give up West Bank land for peace IS
A SIGN NOT ONLY OF Generosity but an enormous dedication towds Peace.
Let’s not allow the Radical Right Wing Extremist Republican ambitions for themselves at the expense of people not bleed into Israel too!