Letters to the Editor October 30, 2019: Berning his bridges
No wonder Sanders has become the favorite of American Muslims.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters 370(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout )Berning his bridgesBernie Sanders is a Brooklyn-born Jewish politician who seeks to be the candidate of the Democratic Party for the presidency of the United States. He wants free meals for everybody, free medical treatment for everybody, free college education for everybody – in other words Sanders intends to create a socialist utopia. (“How Sanders became a favorite among US Muslims” October 28).The funds for this largesse will supposedly be taken in taxes from the middle class, the upper middle class, the rich and the super-rich. Sanders does not care what this will do to the American economy since the ends justify the means.Sanders also wants to create a utopian Middle East where Jewish Israelis will live in peace and security and the Palestinians flourish in their own state. Sanders does not like Netanyahu or Netanyahu’s policies and he doesn’t care that the Israeli public (until now, at least) has liked Netanyahu’s policies. Sanders thinks that US aid to Israel should be used to blackmail Israel to accept Sanders’s position on the various issues. Sanders will decide for us Israelis what is best for us. Sanders has no solutions to the various issues – especially the relentless demand that the 10 million so-called Palestinian refugees and their generations of descendants will stream to Israel, leading to the end of the Jewish state of Israel. Sanders doesn’t care. When the bombs start raining down on central Israel and the Israeli economy collapses and war breaks out leading to the loss of thousands of lives on both sides, Sanders will be somewhere on the east coast of the US, enjoying a free lunch in utopia.No wonder Sanders has become the favorite of American Muslims.YIGAL HOROWITZBeershebaTightrope walking in JordanRegarding the editorial “Keep the Peace” (October 28), part of the 1994 Peace Agreement included renegotiating the lease of Jordanian lands at Moshav Tzofar.
King Abdullah II is not the charismatic leader of his people that his father, the late King Hussein was. Born of an English mother, he was neither named nor groomed to be king until almost the last moment. He speaks Arabic with an English accent and his wife, Queen Rania, was born and raised in Kuwait. He reigns over around seven million Palestinians (not known for their friendliness toward the Jewish state) plus around 1.4 million refugees from the Syrian civil war. Since Jordan’s creation a century ago, it has always been a weak partner among other Arab countries, even though much of its existence has been supported economically by its British and American patrons.Abdullah will keenly remember lessons learned from the political assassination of his great-grandfather, King Abdullah I, at the hand of a nationalist Palestinian, and witnessed by the 17 year-old Hussein, who narrowly missed the same fate, saved only by the medal given to him by his grandfather.Jordan always was, and still is, in a precarious existential position. Serving as some sort of a buffer between Israel and Iran, Jordan’s continued survival is especially important to Israel in today’s complex geopolitical situation, compared to the farming of a few dunams of land along the banks of the Jordan River. Sadly, the so-called “Island of Peace” at Naharayim can only be seen as a metaphor for Israel’s true position in the Middle East now and in the foreseeable future.DAVID SMITHRa’ananaHaley: Yes, please; Merkel: No, thanksWe learn in “Merkel honored by WJC for role in fighting antisemitism” (October 29) that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley have been selected to receive WJC Herzl Prizes.Theodor Herzl would have clearly recognized the work of Haley in the UN when “the new sheriff in town” set about reversing the extreme bias in voting against Israel and was highly outspoken in her support for the nation-state of the Jews.However, he would find it hard – as many of us do – to understand why Merkel has been chosen to be so honored, as it is clear that she talks the talk but it no way walks it.This is highly evident in her welcoming over a million Muslim refugees into Germany, thereby introducing an added anti-Israel/ antisemitic element which has been augmented by her government’s continued alignment with Iran (no doubt for commercial reasons). Germany’s UN votes are nearly always against Israel and that country, influencing other European nations, has refused to recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.Thankfully, Herzl does not have to experience this ignominy, but we do – and it leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth.STEPHEN VISHNICKTel AvivConstitutionally deficientIt is a shame and tragic that our nation has lost one of its greatest assets, a leader and giant intellect particularly at the time where the substandard and ludicrous dysfunctional political system has failed its people more than ever since the establishment of the State (“The death of a giant of the law,” October 25).It’s a pity that he will not be around to guide us to overcome the numerous serious political shortcomings that we all face. Meir Shamgar was an intellectual heavyweight. His most important project of recent years was his presentation to the Knesset regarding a constitution by consensus.He was asked to contribute a chapter on one of his expert subjects. It was ”The Need for A Constitution” that would provide a well-worded comprehensive constitution and help safeguard and protect all of our citizens’ rights, which Shamgar advocated in every forum until late in his life. He represented what was good and valuable in Israeli society.In most democratic countries, voters express discontent to their leaders. Here in Israel, you talk to the wall devoid of a workable constitution. Do we need an incompetent leadership of a corrupt characterless Ehud Olmert, or a tyrannical dictator like Ariel Sharon or a tricky tight rope walker similar to Benjamin Netanyahu, who follows the path of crooked prime ministers?We need our leaders to provide us with a functioning constitution – unless we are prepared to face a repeat of the appalling anguish and destruction and years of suffering similar of the former residents from the disengagement of the Gush Katif communities who were not protected by the checks and balances of a constitution.JACK DAVISJerusalemDead-end roadI joined millions of others in our small nation who mourned the loss of lives in horrific road accidents this past weekend (“6 dead in weekend car accidents,” October 27).In addition to feeling sad, I am frustrated. Year after year, we see reports of the carnage on the roads with photos of the wreckage, video clips of the funeral, and interviews with grieving family members. But then what?Isn’t it time that the media (and we, the people) hold the feet of the police and the government to the fire and demand action to stem this continuing tragedy?Whereas there has been some attention given to change some of the country’s most dangerous roads, that is not enough! What will be done to address the reckless behavior of drivers who use their cars like weapons, and who drive as if they are invincible, putting others’ lives at risk?As I drive around the country, I witness countless incidents of misbehavior, ranging from obnoxious to life-threatening, yet I rarely see anyone pulled over, or even a police presence. Unfortunately, it is human nature to want to “get away with” bad behavior, and there is a sense of the “wild west” on the road; when people are convinced that there will never be retribution for dangerous behavior, they will continue to do so. In short: we need enforcement of existing laws, and consequences when laws are broken.Additionally, I would like to see the media further their role as an agent for change by focusing not only on the number of deaths that result from road accidents, but also report on the ongoing number injured.I do not know that statistic, but I imagine it is a staggeringly high number. How many peoples’ lives are permanently altered by injuries sustained in these accidents? Surely, this statistic should be part of our knowledge base when we consider the gravity of this situation. Perhaps this statistic can help increase motivation to generate permanent, lasting change by government, police and drivers.KARIN BRONSTEINJerusalemProtect us with dignity and respectAs an Israeli-American and the mother of a Netzah Yehuda (Nahal Haharedi) soldier serving in the Shomron, I am writing to protest the treatment of my son and his comrades, who have been sitting in jail for the past week over an altercation with several Bedouin.On the way back to their base after attending the funeral of Asher Hazut, the brother of one of his roommates, my son and his fellow soldiers stopped at a gas station near Rahat.One of the soldiers was cursed and threatened by Bedouin men and he called for help. When his comrades came to his aid, an altercation ensued.No serious injuries were reported, but 14 Netzah Yehuda soldiers were arrested and held in jail.Some 11 of them are still there.They have been interrogated for hours, on more than one occasion, and were not allowed to sleep for an entire night. The Bedouin are at large and were never taken into custody.My son and his fellow soldiers endanger their lives daily to protect Jews living in Bet El, Shiloh, and the surrounding yishuvim.On August 23, our son had come home for his bi-weekly Shabbat. After the terror attack at Ein Dolev that Friday morning, which killed Rina Shnerb and injured her father and brother, he was called back to duty.Over Rosh Hashanah, he entered the home of one of the terrorists responsible for this attack and aided in his capture. These soldiers serve in some of the most perilous situations in the IDF, endangering their own lives.When a soldier walks through Mea She’arim and is harassed by the locals, riot police appear within minutes to protect the soldier and throw the local offender in jail. Why on earth, when our sons stop at a gas station and are harassed by local Bedouin men, do the soldiers end up in jail? Where is the perspective? Where is the justice?Having made aliyah to live in Eretz Hakodesh, it pains me immensely to see this discrimination and travesty of justice. This discrimination will make other families think seriously about their religious sons serving in the IDF.I call upon the Prime Minister, the Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, and all Israeli citizens concerned with justice and equality to ensure immediate release of all the jailed Netzah Yehudah soldiers so that our sons are able to protect their country and their people with dignity and respect. RIVKA LEVRON, MD, PHDBetar IllitClarifying termsRegarding “Opening the door to persecuted Jews...” (October 28), in 1940, Roosevelt had no need for support from a Filipino imported electorate “to change legislation so that he could run for a third term,” for the simple reason that, at that time, legislation limiting a president to two terms did not exist. Though no president ever had served more than two terms, this was based solely on precedent, dating back to George Washington, and did not reflect constitutional law.In 1947, the 80th Congress, the first Republican-controlled congress since 1932, (when Roosevelt had first been elected), in a reaction to Roosevelt (who was a Democrat and, in 1945, had passed away early in his fourth term), passed the 22nd Amendment limiting a president to two terms. Its final ratification came in 1951 when accepted by the Minnesota state legislature – completing the requisite approval by 3/4 of the states for amendment to the Constitution.NORMAN BLOOMBeit ShemeshGood sportsI used to wonder why The Jerusalem Post devotes an entire page to sports events and what enjoyment people get to sitting in a crowded noisy arena watching the sports events, what with the parking and the traffic.Today, I finally understood. The sports page is the only page in the Post not devoted to doom, destruction, antisemitism, xenophobia, wars, crimes, climate change and all the woes of the world, as Michael M. Cohen so aptly describes the media (“Letter from America: The ‘69 Mets and lessons for today,” October 29). It’s a “safe” room. Moreover, the sports arenas and spectators watching together on screens have the added advantage of a beer with the boys during and/or after the game.Maybe the Post should go for two pages describing sports events.SHALOM GUREVICHBeersheba
