Share your love
Regarding “Ireland complains as envoy shown footage of October 7 atrocities following FM reprimand” (May 26): Student protesters, countries protesting, the ICC, Hamas sympathizers – there are so many of you worldwide. You seem to do a whole lot of screaming but where is your action? It’s time to put your money where your mouths are.
I can give many examples of Israelis who have taken up causes worldwide, who have screamed but have also gone to take action, by helping out in a myriad of ways. The aforementioned groups keep screaming. Let me help with some examples of possible action points.
1. Start an adopt-a-Hamas-child program; bring them into your schools, communities and homes.
2. Go into their tunnels and live among them, experience and share your love with them.
3. Open your generous hearts, and live with their lovely laws.
4. Gain prize points for all friends who join your actions, and gain free-night stays in the Hamas hotels of your choice.
Disclaimer: Don’t say that you were not warned.
PHYLLIS HECHT
Hashmonaim
Cliché-ridden rationale
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide’s cliché-ridden rationale for his country’s support of Palestinian statehood is sorely lacking in balance and evenhandedness, and is made even more astonishing by his proclamation that Norway’s declaration is, if anything, “pro-Israel” (“Norway FM: We recognized Palestinian statehood after Israel disavowed it,” May 24). It is diplomatic double-talk at its best.
I might have been more receptive of the declared support for statehood, albeit reluctantly, had it been conditioned on the release of the hostages.
Yet while a substantial quid was offered, no quo in return was demanded. Norway is among the more ardent endorsers of the two-state solution, and I’d like to believe that they are sincerely convinced that this would benefit not only the Middle East but the rest of the world as well.
That they seem ready to downplay the atrocities of October 7 and appear sympathetic to the strategy of holding and abusing the remaining hostages cannot, however, be overlooked.
Norway, Ireland and Spain are now among the 140 or so nations which have, since 1988, recognized Palestine as an independent state.
What’s noteworthy is that few of the major Western nations have yet to proclaim support for statehood.
Whether the recent changes-of-heart represent the start of a diplomatic avalanche remains to be seen. It seems, then, that not only does no good deed go unpunished, but bad deeds are just as often well-rewarded.
BARRY NEWMAN
Ginot Shomron
I agree; there can’t be a two-state solution without a Palestinian state. However, by the same token, there can’t be a two-state solution without the nation-state of the Jews.
Palestinian leaders have long been dreaming of a Palestinian state from which all Jews have been banished, and a Muslim-majority Israel populated by millions of “Palestine refugees,” multi-generational descendants of Arabs who fled Arab-initiated violence in the 1940s.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is absolutely correct. Recognizing a Palestinian state now is rewarding terrorism.
There should be no talk of Palestinian statehood until Gaza has been demilitarized, the Palestinians have been deradicalized, and Palestinian leaders have built the infrastructure needed by a viable state.
TOBY F. BLOCK
Atlanta
Tragic announcements
Regarding “IDF finds bodies of three more hostages” (May 26): How many more times will the families of the hostages have to endure these tragic announcements?
Action, of course, should have been taken October 8 to pursue the heinous murderers and abductors of the hostages. One did not need a crystal ball to realize that waiting was a dangerous fool’s errand.
As then, we now lack decisive leadership, and if we continue to listen to those who plead appeasement and also rely on others who believe they can negotiate with those who seek nothing but our destruction, more fool us.
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”
STEPHEN VISHNICK
Tel Aviv
Progressive juggernaut
I was considerably heartened to read “Why progressives hate Israel” by Daniel Turtel (May 19).
It is the first time I can recall reading an article which gets to the heart of the matter regarding the reasons for so many anti-Israel and antisemitic attitudes among much of today’s “progressive” thought.
There have been endless other articles in your newspaper dealing with this problem, but only Turtel has managed to clearly and concisely present the true reasons behind the attitudes so prevalent among the progressive juggernaut of anti-Israel and antisemitic opinion facing us today.
Israel is indeed the real thing among a sea of pseudo victim sensibilities in which the right of indigenous people to reclaim their ancestral land is the epitome of radical achievement. This, more than anything else, is the irritant which so inflames today’s progressive thinking.
ROCHELLE VEEDER
Netanya
Resolving the conflict
In contrast to your thoughtful, as always, editorial “Rewarding terror” (May 23), a two-state resolution would not be a reward to Hamas for its horrendous massacre on October 7; Hamas opposes such a resolution.
Support for it is an acknowledgment that without it, Israel, the Palestinians, the US, and, indeed, the entire world will have a very negative future.
While a resolution would be difficult to obtain and would involve very painful sacrifices, there would be significant benefits to Israel soon announcing that we will actively pursue it after Hamas is destroyed and the captives are returned.
Since such an initiative is consistent with the wishes of the US, the EU, and most of the world’s nations, it would reduce the current widespread diplomatic criticism of Israel.
It would also end the need for Jews on college campuses and in other settings to be constantly on the defensive and enable them to challenge their critics to join in efforts to promote conflict resolutions.
In addition, it would reduce the chances of the conflict spreading further against Hezbollah and in Judea and Samaria, that would have devastating consequences for Israel and might result in a global recession due to a spike in oil prices and other adverse economic effects.
A further benefit is that it would prevent a further weakening of our relations with Egypt, Jordan, and the Abraham Accord countries and make it more likely that Saudi Arabia would join them.
A resolution to the conflict would require a demilitarized Palestinian state, more peace-supportive leadership for Israel and the Palestinians, a territorial swap that would keep most of Judea and Samaria’s residents as part of Israel, and financial and other support from the world’s nations.
These are more likely to happen if Israel makes resolving its conflict with the Palestinians a priority.
This initiative is consistent with the views of Commanders for Israel’s Security, which is comprised of well over 400 former senior officials of Israel’s security agencies and diplomatic corps.
If, despite major Israeli efforts to end the conflicts, the Palestinians still refuse to cooperate, the benefits mentioned above would still exist.
Most readers will disagree with this analysis, but what other possibility exists for a better Israeli future?
RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ
Shoresh