Execrable blood libel
Douglas Bloomfield (“A changing relationship,” February 22) uses the execrable blood libel, that “[Israel’s government] is more focused on war and punishment than [hostage] rescue and humanitarian concerns,” to explain declining Democratic support for Israel.
We have yet to hear President Biden or any other world leader or international organization demand the immediate unconditional release of all hostages imprisoned by Hamas.
Treating Hamas as a legitimate party whose ultimatums deserve due consideration burnishes the terrorists’ standing, assuring future massacres and hostage-taking. Blaming Israel for the humanitarian situation in Gaza obscures Hamas’s direct responsibility for the crisis. Gazan suffering is an integral part of Hamas’s strategy.
Bloomfield says that Prime Minister Netanyahu puts “his own political survival ahead of the national interest.” This accusation is better directed at the current Oval Office occupant.
An overwhelming majority of Americans, including many Democrats, give him failing marks for his handling of immigration, the economy, inflation, foreign policy, and crime. Americans are sharply divided because of the administration’s focus on racial identity and gender fluidity while demonizing anyone with dissenting views.
But most agree that the country is headed in the wrong direction, and that Biden lacks the mental and physical capacity to rectify the situation. He displays an alarming deterioration of mental acuity yet stubbornly seeks four more years in power.
Israel must worry about Biden’s flagging support for our existential battle against Hamas. He is yielding to pressure from disaffected pro-Hamas Arab Americans and progressive voters who threaten his chances of winning in Michigan and other critical states. Preventing Palestinian casualties in a terrorist-initiated war has become Biden’s primary objective, superseding Israel’s right to self-defense.
While Biden initially supported Israel, he has since criticized Israel’s effort to eradicate Hamas as “over the top,” even as he emphasizes the need for a ceasefire, opposes Israeli military action in Hamas’s last stronghold – Rafah, and is pushing for the creation of a Palestinian state.
This rewards Hamas for its inhuman savagery, allowing it to maintain control of Gaza and giving it the patina of a victor over the “hated Zionists” in the eyes of Palestinians, most of whom already are Hamas supporters.
Bloomfield insists on criticizing Israel unreasonably while ignoring Biden’s dangerous shortcomings.
EFRAIM COHEN
Zichron Ya’acov
Soured my coffee
Kudos for printing David Weinberg’s “Don’t patronize Israel” (February 23). My first reaction upon seeing the page was to avoid it, as just seeing the photo of Martin Indyk almost soured my coffee. But, Weinberg described our situation brilliantly, as usual.
Too bad that The Jerusalem Post is so filled with the opinions of such commentators as Nadav Tamir, Doug Bloomfield, and others of their ilk.
CHAIM A. ABRAMOWITZ
Jerusalem
My old country
Regarding “‘From the river to the sea’ chant in public protest is not a criminal act – London police” (February 25): My old country, the country in which I grew up and in, where I was educated and taught to appreciate the finer things in life, culture, education, and politeness, and civil duties; where the age-old customs of the British establishment were sanctified by time; all this is no more.
The veritable blasphemous use of the tower of Big Ben for advertising is only surpassed by its violation for the purpose of Muslim propaganda, and the insinuated denial of the very existence of the State of Israel.
I wonder whether the London police would allow a slight change to be made to that slogan and to project on the Houses of Parliament, “From the river to the sea, Israel sovereignty.” Or would that be banned, being considered offensive to the Muslim community?
Couple that with the suspension of an MP because he had the gall to suggest what everyone already knows: “UK Conservatives suspend lawmaker who said Islamists control London’s mayor” (February 25), and, yes indeed, “the ole’ country ain’t wot it used to be.”
LAURENCE BECKER
Jerusalem
Giving birth
Bravo to Liza Shamaliov Zaretski for spearheading the opening of 18 nursing rooms at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology for mothers who are giving birth while completing their studies (“18 nursing rooms open at Haifa’s Technion for surging number of young mothers,” February 23); as well as to Prof. Adi Salzberg, whose study revealed the need to provide these facilities in all the academic faculties.
For 25 years, I had the pleasure and privilege of coordinating birth preparation courses followed by lactation counseling within the framework of the Technion Students Union. At the time, such a program in Israeli universities was unknown, and certainly when I spoke to colleagues overseas they were amazed that university students needed such a project.
Israel is unique in that men and women serve in the IDF after their matriculation and by the time they start studying they are often in a serious relationship and starting a family. The couples in my courses often expressed the difficulties of finding a quiet private space to breastfeed young babies with easy access to their lecture rooms.
What a heartwarming article.
WENDY BLUMFIELD
Haifa
The battle and the war
Regarding “Hamas ‘softens’ stance, Israel hopeful for progress” (February 25): Israel is struggling to find a way to negotiate for the further release of hostages held by the Hamas bloodthirsty terrorists.
The release of all the hostages is not even on the negotiating table at the present time.
In this manner, Hamas will drag out the negotiations endlessly and we can expect that the last hostage will be released not months from now but years from now. The continuing trauma for years on end will have a debilitating influence on Israeli society. Hamas will have won the war, big time.
As terrible as it may sound, it is insane to negotiate for anything but the release of all the hostages at one time; not at any price – certainly not conditional on the end of the war. Every rational Israeli knows and the Hamas knows it as well, that when the last hostage is released, Israel will remount a ferocious attack on Hamas, no matter what was agreed upon in the negotiations under duress.
No Israeli government will survive unless the war is renewed. You can’t negotiate in good faith with murderers and rapists who have already demonstrated by the October 7 massacre that they have no qualms about breaking agreements.
Israel must continue the war in Gaza, no matter what, until Hamas’s ability to wage war is completely destroyed. Otherwise we have truly lost the battle and the war as well, with possibly terrible consequences.
YIGAL HOROWITZ
Beersheba
I dare you
How many of your readers use the “P” word? As I have written before, there is no country called Palestine, nor will there be, yet our leaders – be they Left, Right or Center – continue to use the word for a future Arab state.
Even a first-page article in your February 21 edition, “Otzma Yehudit minister: Talk of a Palestinian state is a ‘tailwind’ for terrorism,” refers to a “Palestinian state,” as do many of your contributors in what are otherwise interesting articles.
It’s no wonder that other countries of the world refer to a future Palestinian state all the time, if we do. I wish you would stop. Instead, please write about Arabs from Gaza, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, or Lebanon, etc.
I dare you to publish this letter in order to see how many readers agree with me.
BRENDA GOLDBLUM
Jerusalem