Political expediency
What the Israeli people have repeated over and over again during the Gaza conflict is that with “unity we will win.” What Benny Gantz and, a few days before, Yoav Gallant have been doing with their statements, laced with public ultimatums and threats, is to cause divisiveness and distress (“Gantz: I’ll quit gov’t by June 8 if no ‘day after’ plan put forward,” May 19).
Hamas and Iran are overjoyed to see this split in the Israeli spirit, and it does nothing to help the morale of our brave soldiers. Gantz and Gallant have become the stalking horses of the Biden administration to bring down the Netanyahu government and install a government that will follow American dictates on conducting the war effort, the “day after” in Gaza, and a Palestinian state.
The total focus should be on defeating Hamas and bringing the hostages back home. The rest will follow. Political expediency practiced by two-thirds of the war cabinet impedes those goals.
FRED EHRMAN
Ra’anana
Piece of nonsense
Lisa Goodwin has written perhaps the best, strongest, most direct response to the university heads and administrators responsible for crumbling in the face of belligerent but highly ignorant students (“An open letter to American colleges,” May 12).
She has given, point-by-point, some excellent very practical recommendations to university heads on what is necessary to restore universities as centers of true education, and not hotbeds of profoundly ignorant childish posturing. Correctly she has highlighted the many poor choices supposedly elite universities have made in recent years in the sort of presidents, faculty, teachers, students, and curricula in which they have indulged in, the horrendous results we have now been seeing.
But in contrast to her excellent article, The Jerusalem Post published, on the opposite page, an arrogant and grotesquely inappropriate piece of nonsense in which a contributor tried to write a speech that he thought Prime Minister Netanyahu ought to give (“The speech that a patriotic PM would deliver”).
The fantasies include handing over Judea and Samaria to the Palestinians; the writer even refers to the territory as the “West Bank,” and not by the names that we Jews know as part of our biblical land. To assist his fantasy, he “hopes” that the totally corrupt Palestinian Authority, which he would invite to rule Gaza, would revise its school curricula.
He would also give ”significant financial aid” to the PA, as if the rest of the world hasn’t been throwing oodles of money at them for years, but with which the PA still has failed to build anything remotely resembling a peaceful civil society. This article is yet another example of the usual far-Left wishful thinking policy of appeasement, which the writer thinks Hamas is really desiring to accept.
JOSEPH BERGER
Netanya
‘How are you?’
When I saw the headline “‘Don’t ask how we are’” (May 12), referring to the parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, I was reminded of my recent visit to the United States, when I was often asked: “How is the war there?”
At first I was taken aback by the enormity of the question, but I soon discovered that I did not need to compose an answer, since the query was usually followed immediately by some other unrelated question, and was meant much in the order of “how are you?”
But I have since wondered what a proper answer might have been. Should I be asked that question today, I would start by describing the heart-wrenching first pages of The Jerusalem Post each day, portraying the young, fresh faces of the newly fallen.
I would add to that, copies of two Whatsapp messages that I received from my local news: the first relaying that the booms heard over Shabbat were due to the IDF bombing in Gaza; the second, earlier this month, in contrast explained that there would be jet noise overhead due to an Air Force rehearsal for the flyover on Remembrance Day.
Perhaps these “in real time” examples could convey the complexities of the “how is the war going?” question to someone not living here in Israel.
MARION REISS
Beit Shemesh
Violating American policy
Regarding “US shipment of advanced bombs paused” (May 9): President Biden and his administration have violated a standing American policy of not negotiating with terrorists, in their dealings with Hamas. Since the United States has declared Hamas to be a terrorist organization, any American participation in negotiations with that organization violates the above-stated policy.
In point of fact, those negotiations have provided Hamas with a feeling that it is winning the war that it started on Simchat Torah. As long as there are negotiations, there is less military pressure on Hamas.
Now, Biden’s withholding of offensive weapons from Israel shows that the US government has forgotten another policy: “The best defense is a good offense.”
The best way to win the war against Hamas terrorists is to allow the IDF to clear Rafah and destroy the underground military infrastructure in Gaza. Once that is accomplished, we can worry about “the day after.”
HAIM SHALOM SNYDER
Petah Tikva
Alive and kicking
Regarding “‘Israel’s use of US weapons may have violated international law, its assurances still credible’” (May 12): The IDF does more than that of any other country in the world to protect the lives of non-combatants. However, the double standard as applied to Israel is alive and kicking.
When Hamas targets civilian populations with its rockets, no one raises a voice in protest, but when Israel, attempting to protect its citizens, attacks Hamas strongholds, where incidentally Hamas uses women and children – to say nothing of captives – as shields against attack, Israel is blamed for casualties to these people.
The world conveniently forgets that Israel is fighting the battle against evil for everyone. Just look at what is happening in England, France, Germany, etc. These countries are slowly losing their identity.
Instead of complimenting and supporting Israel in its battle against evil, the world sees fit to condemn Israel. The latest insult is awarding terrorists full membership in the United Nations.
JOE SIMON
Kfar Aviv
Glad to help
Dear Ben Freeman: In “To Diaspora or not to Diaspora?” (May 8), you raise the question of whether you should leave the familiarity of life in the UK, how it’s become less safe in many places there, and therefore you wonder if it’s time to make the decision to live in Israel.
From a historic point of view, you are fortunate to have the ability to live in Israel, something that so many of our great-grandparents didn’t have. Despite some of the challenges here in Israel, there is the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to the future of the country, you feel at home with or without a kippah on your head, and there are also so many other benefits.
I would heartily endorse a decision on your part to make aliyah. From a personal point of view, I came to Israel with my late husband and three children 45 years ago, and despite our many ups and downs that all families have, I have never regretted it and am so proud of my many great-grandchildren who were privileged to be born in their own country and who are now protecting our borders wearing the uniform of their own army.
So Ben, pack your bags and get a one-way ticket. I’m sure you’ll find fulfillment in Israel. I’ll be glad to help in any way.
BRENDA GOLDBLUM
Jerusalem