Your Letters 01/19/00 – 01-26/00

Ehud Barak

After seven years of Israel making heroic concessions in return for terrorism, genocidal hatred and official calls for Israel’s destruction, Rob Eshman still supports Barak’s efforts at the negotiating table (“Men and Martyrs,” Jan. 12). In my view, that’s dignified and I respect his right to express it. Yet, he could not tolerate Rabbi Marvin Hier’s opposing view, going so far as to lecture him for “not lauding” Prime Minister Barak.

Once again, we see that fanaticism and intolerance thrive on both the left and the right. Indeed, when it comes to smugness, we truly are one people.

David Suissa, Founder and Editor OLAM Magazine

Hard-hitting editorial; not enough of those. The Jew who rides in a bus that is blown up, who gets shot at, stoned, goes to funerals of loved ones cut down in their prime, that Jew will determine the future of Israel, not Ronald Lauder, Marvin Hier or any of the high-profile Diaspora Jews. I, for one, feel somewhat inert when the subject of Israel’s survival comes up; ashamed at times of hiding behind my Diaspora status and therefore giving up the right to criticize Israeli policies. When Israel is concerned, I trust and hope I know my place and limitations. I wish more of our Jewish leaders would feel the same way.

Maurice Kornberg, Los Angeles

Rob Eshman is way off the mark. Ehud Barak will, in all likelihood, be remembered as the worst prime minister Israel has ever had. Barak, along with many on the left, manipulates democracy to further his own aims. The majority of Israelis want to send him home since he has brought war to our doorstep by an abysmal lack of understanding of the current appeasement process. He has also zigged and zagged on virtually every issue he’s had to deal with in the last year and a half.

Israelis are desperate for quality leadership. After Barak, just about anyone would be an improvement. We certainly deserve better and, as those who care about Israel, so do you.

Eve Harow, Efrat, Israel

Ehud Barak has not been abandoned because he sought to make peace with the Arabs, it’s because he refuses to deal with the reality that is now facing the Israeli people. That reality is a “peace partner” who doesn’t want peace, an Arab population that prefers to continue its current intifada instead of negotiate, and whose only future negotiation goals are total annexation of Jerusalem and an intent to flood Israel with millions of so-called Palestinian refugees who will destroy the country from within.

In addition, knowing that he doesn’t have the support of the Israeli people, having resigned from the position of prime minister for personal political gain, Barak then sought to write in granite concessions that will jeopardize Israel’s physical existence, as well as give up the symbols of its 3,000-year history. He did all of this in a desperate bid to hold onto his political power.

American Jews have not only the right but the obligation to stand up and support the Jewish people in its effort to hold on to Jerusalem and its very right to exist as a nation. Ron Lauder is a genuine hero — being one of the few American Jews willing to take a stand for Jerusalem. Instead of vilifying him, you should give him a hero’s welcome.

Batya Ben Ze’ev, Efrat, Israel

NCJW

Rob Eshman states that “the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) — hardly the vanguard of left-wing activism — has come out against Ashcroft’s nomination” (“Ashcroft or Not,” Jan. 5). While NCJW does indeed oppose the Ashcroft nomination, we disagree with Eshman’s characterization of our organization as one that is “hardly the vanguard of left-wing activism.”

NCJW has long been a socially progressive organization. Our national resolutions state that we will work to advocate the well- being and status of women, children and families, as well as ensuring individual and civil rights, particularly “the protection of every female’s right to reproductive choice, including safe and legal abortion, and the elimination of obstacles that limit reproductive freedom.” We have worked tirelessly in support of a wide range of progressive issues, including the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, FDA approval of RU-486 and the Million Mom March.

NCJW/LA has worked for over 90 years in Los Angeles, advocating on issues that are of concern to the progressive community. We look forward to continuing to vigorously pursue an agenda that, in the words of our mission statement, “ensures individual rights and freedoms for all.”

Debra Gendel, Co-President, NCJW/LA

Jill Levin, Co-President, NCJW/LA

Arab Americans

Your article on Arab Americans was one of the most interesting pieces to appear in The Jewish Journal in recent years (“Stepping Out,” Jan. 12).

Other than the vague remark “We criticize Saddam Hussein,” the article does not identify any Arab American groups that publicly challenge Arab governments on issues such as free and democratic elections, human rights abuses and financial transactions transparency. For example, is there an Arab American group monitoring Palestinian compliance with the Oslo agreement?

This sort of internal but public dissent has long existed within the Jewish community; your same issue started off with letters about the murder of Binyamin Kahane and ended with an article by Amos Oz. Perhaps the absence of this dissent contributes to negative perceptions of Arab Americans. It may also make expectations of coalition building unrealistic.

David Weissman,Marina del Rey

Palestinian Unrest

Fredelle Speigel’s hypothesis that Palestinian acts of violence and terror are only in response to their fear of cultural destruction is both absurd and unfounded (“Emotional Barriers,” Jan. 5). Speigel fails to provide evidence of any threat to Palestinian culture that has occurred thus far that might somehow warrant the violence the world has witnessed in recent months.

Speigel’s true position is made clear when she downplays the role of Israel to Judaism while making it absolutely essential to the Palestinians.

I sincerely doubt that Palestinian/Arab publications are concerned with justifying Israeli actions.

Alain M. R’bibo, Sherman Oaks

Kudos

I want to commend you on the refreshing experience you provided me through the new Jewish Journal. Some time ago, I stopped reading it regularly. But now that you brought it both a new look and a new approach, I feel differently about the paper.

The Journal now appears to be directed to the community, rather than at the community. Keep up the good work.

Rabbi Baruch Cohon, Los Angeles

Teresa Strasser

I travel out of town every few months and return to piles of mail, including each week’s Jewish Journal. The first articles I look for in each of the back issues are Teresa Strasser’s.

I appreciate Strasser’s column and eagerly look forward to coming home and catching up with someone who writes to me as a friend.

Linda Shure, via e-mail

Corrections

The figure of “1,756 Israeli soldiers who died to capture the Old City” was taken from Howard Sachar’s “A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time” and represents the total casualties, dead and wounded (“Men and Martyrs,” Jan. 12).

Loren Basch was the director of The Jewish Federation’s United Jewish Fund, not its president. Also, Carol Stulberg’s name was misspelled (“Linking to the Past,” Jan. 12).

Kat Cressida is the voice of Dee Dee, not Dexter (“Following Her ‘Dreams,'” Jan. 12).