Jews in Charge, The Gaza Riviera

War and Peace
What hubris; what arrogance (Letters, Jan. 16.) It never ceases to amaze me that well-intentioned people like Arthur Stern, David Pine and their cohorts at Peace Now have the temerity, the chutzpah to presume to know what is best for the citizens of any country other than the one in which they live and, in particular, Israel.

Let them all pack up their families and make aliyah or even live for just a few weeks in Sderot or Kyriat Shemona; let them watch their children and grandchildren join the Israel Defense Forces and risk their lives protecting that precious little country, and then they will have earned the right to give advice to and criticize the Israeli government.

Until then, if they truly love Israel as they profess, it would be prudent for them to limit their suggestions, advice and criticism to the government of the country in which they live so comfortably and freely, namely the United States, and not give comfort and encouragement to Israel’s enemies by public pronouncements.

Frieda Korobkin, Los Angeles

Why does Arthur Stern assume that those who advocate self-defense are any less interested in pursuing peace than those who advocate so-called peace camp policies, which have proven time and again to be ineffective and dangerous? Left to Stern and his cronies, the citizens of Sderot and environs would not ever have a moment’s peace.

Esther Kandel, Los Angeles

The Jewish peace camp represents much more than was apparent in the Jan. 16 letter from Los Angeles leaders of Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom and other organizations. They obliquely call for a cease-fire in Israel’s aggressive war against the 1.5 million unarmed people living in the Gaza Strip, but a cease-fire is just the first step to a long-term peace.

We are disappointed that the letter did not mention Israel’s three-year siege on the Gaza Strip that has held the population at the brink of starvation and devastated the Gazan economy. After all, the siege is what prompted the rockets that Israel said this war was all about.

The peace camp condemns the rockets because they are fired into civilian regions — the rockets are just plain wrong. The peace camp also condemns Israel’s air, naval and ground strikes against civilian regions — they are also just plain wrong.

But the war was not about stopping Hamas rockets — if Israel wanted to stop the rockets, it could have ended its siege of Gaza and extended the June 19 cease-fire. The cease-fire actually worked in stopping rockets — there were only two in each of the four months before Israel broke the cease-fire on Nov. 4, when it killed six Palestinians in two cross-border airstrikes.

The Jewish peace camp urges that a cease-fire must be accompanied by an end to smuggling across the Gaza-Egypt border and an opening of the Gaza crossings, followed by a political process to resolve disputes. That is the published position of Americans for Peace Now and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom.

As Jews who support the well-being and future of Israel, we are obligated to speak out in a loud and clear voice against the action in Gaza. The massive brutality and killing was not an act of self-defense.

We stand in solidarity with the Israelis who dare to march against the war, such as the demonstrations of 10,000 or so people on Jan. 3 and Jan. 17 in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities and at universities. They show a different face of Israel from the shortsighted leaders.

The peace camp believes the only long-term secure future for Israel is through a just, negotiated two-state solution that results in a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel. A necessary step is for there to be a unified Palestinian government.

The question is, has this war made prospects for a unity government and final-status negotiations more or less likely? The peace camp believes that the killing of over 1,300 Palestinians, wounding over 5,000, destroying the Gaza infrastructure and much of its housing stock build resentment, rather than a spirit of shared-destiny that facilitates the compromises required for a lasting peace.

The Jewish peace camp has a full peace program; we wish it had been better enunciated.

Jeff Warner, Yossi Khen, Christine Cohn, Los Angeles

Jews in Charge
While Raphael Sonenshein’s article, “Jews Have Seats at Obama’s Head Table,” (Jan. 16) was very well done, he fails to mention Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Van Nuys), who is chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Michael B. Bennett, Vice President, Temple B’nai Hayim

The Gaza Riviera
I usually enjoy David Suissa’s articles. “The Gaza Riviera” (Jan. 16), however, deserves special commendation. He reminded all the anti-Zionists and blame-Israel-first Jews that the Palestinians had the opportunity to show Israel and the world what an amazing place they could have created with this beautiful strip of oceanfront property. Gaza had the potential to be a magnificent, self-sufficient and tourist-friendly Riviera. But even before Suissa, it was the Israeli government that had this grandiose vision for Gaza.

In 2005, Israel bet on the Palestinians’ desire to live in peace and prosperity, paying a high price by evicting Jews from their Gaza homes — for many, the only homes they had ever known. Well, Israel lost that bet.

In keeping with their modus operandi of never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity, the Palestinians continued using their homeland to launch rockets at Sderot and smuggle weapons. (By the way, where were the international protests for that?) The overly patient Israelis only fought back when Hamas became bolder, using longer-range rockets that landed deeper into Israel.

Unfortunately, Suissa’s and Israel’s vision for a Gaza Riviera will remain a pipe dream. Or, in this case, a pipe bomb dream.

Daniel Iltis, Los Angeles

Honorable Menschen
Thank you, Adam Wills and the other writers for recognizing a small representative group of individuals who try to make a positive contribution to our community and world (“Mensches,” Jan. 2).

I have now had a couple weeks to ponder the flattering recognition, receiving e-mails from friends, relatives, teachers, rabbis and colleagues literally from around the world congratulating me for the recognition “after all I have done for the community” and have come to the realization that one’s accomplishments and achievements do not make the mensch or ben adam.

It is more the manner in which we deal with other people, friends or mere acquaintances, rich or poor, Jew or non-Jew, master or servant throughout our lives that make us worthy of this title. It is the journey we take and not the destination that matters. So my advice to my children and a reminder to us all is to:

1 — Share your smile with everyone you see. That’s what it’s for.

2 — Share your money (regardless of how much you have) with others, be they individuals or charitable organizations. That’s what it’s for.

3 — Share your time for the welfare of our community, our Jewish people and our world. That’s what it’s for.

4 — Share your knowledge, memory and life experience with the younger generation. They might someday realize that items 1, 2 and 3 will make their lives very meaningful.

Neil Sheff, Los Angeles

Protesters at Consulate
The most outstanding feature of the Jewish anti-Israel protesters at the Israeli Consulate is their ignorance (“Jews Join Protests Against Israel’s Gaza Actions,” Jan. 16). They are defending Hamas, not Palestinians.

Consider the words of Fatah leader Muhammed Dahlan: “Hamas, which [sacrificed] the Palestinian cause for the illusion of an Islamic emirate in Gaza and [its] coup against the PA … brought destruction upon itself and upon the Palestinian people…. Iran is holding Hamas hostage…. Hamas does not hide this fact, but explains it by saying that Fatah and the PA are allies of the U.S.”

Or consider the words of a prominent Hamas cleric: “The annihilation of the Jews here in Palestine is one of the most splendid blessings for Palestine. This will be followed by a greater blessing, Allah be praised, with the establishment of a caliphate that will rule the land and will be pleasing to men and God” (Muhsen Abu It’a, July 13, 2008).

Jews and non-Jews who deny Israel’s right to defend itself from this violent and fanatical organization or who defend Hamas, are either uneducated or morally corrupt. They are certainly enemies of the Palestinians, Israelis and people worldwide who want to see a future of peace for all peoples in the region.

Roberta P. Seid, Education/Research Director, StandWithUs

Gaza Letter
In response to “Situation in Gaza” (“Letters, Jan. 9) authored by a number of rabbis and community leaders — brilliant. I wish someone in Israel would have just asked Hamas to stop firing rockets before responding.

I am sure that when the Hamas leaders read your article, they will immediately lay down their arms. Your letter shows an incredible naivety in both understanding Israel’s enemy, geopolitics and basic tenets of Judaism. There is a distinction between killing and murder, and Jews are permitted/obligated to use force, deadly if necessary, in self-defense and to prevent murder.

There is a time for peace and a time for war (Koheles) and sometimes peace can only be achieved through war, as exemplified by World War II. I am appalled that you publicly question Israel’s moral authority to conduct this operation, instead of using the space to support the soldiers and commanders of the Israel Defense Forces, who, at their own peril, take extraordinary steps to minimize civilian casualties.

Rabbis, if what you write is what you truly believe and preach to your congregations, then perhaps it is time to rethink your career choice.

Philip Werthman, Los Angeles

I was a bit taken by the naïve letter, “Situation in Gaza,” by some of my colleagues in Jewish studies from HUC, AJU and UCLA in The Jewish Journal. Unfortunately, it reveals great ignorance and unfamiliarity with Israel, Gaza and the Middle East. If the Holocaust teaches us but one thing, it’s to take seriously what the hate mongers write.

Jewish Israeli society has come a long way in recognizing the Palestinians, Palestinian nationalism and the need for a two-state solution. Hamas opposes a Zionist state and seeks to create one Palestinian Islamic state to replace it.

According to the Hamas Charter, “Israel will exist until Islam will obliterate it” and “the day of judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews,” implying killing the Jews. They also include in their literature and doctrine the anti-Semitic “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” — of the Jews dominating and exploiting the world.

Lastly, forgotten has been the age-old Jewish tradition of pidyon sh’vuim, redeeming the captives. The authors of “Situation of Gaza” have forgotten the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, who the Israeli public cares to fight for his release and who support fighting to attain his release. Our attack into Lebanon two and a half years ago started because of his kidnapping and Hamas’ incursion against international law by entering illegally into a sovereign country and kidnapping a soldier.

Yitzchak Kerem, Visiting Israeli Scholar of Sephardic Studies and the Holocaust, American Jewish University of Los Angeles

Media Conspiracy
In his article, “The CNN-NPR-New York Times Middle East Conspiracy” (Jan. 16), Marty Kaplan jumps through hoops trying to prove that the mainstream media is not biased against Israel. Then, at the end, this esteemed professor at USC asserts that: “ … it’s next to impossible to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between (conservative radio) and public opinion, and the same is true of the impact of the mainstream press on public attitudes and beliefs.” If Mr. Kaplan truly believes that, why does he waste his and our time writing his foolish column every week?

Endre Balogh, Los Angeles