Obama’s insight
Sir, – It is truly amazing that American journalist Jeffrey
Goldberg thinks he and US President Barack Obama know what is in Israel’s best
interest (“Likud officials accuse ‘vengeful’ Obama of ‘grossly interfering’ in
Israeli election,” January 16).
I think we are capable of deciding what
is in our own best interests, and choosing our leaders accordingly. What Obama
is suggesting has already been tried and was a complete failure.
It would
serve Goldberg and Obama well if they were a bit less arrogant.
BATSHEVA
RUBACK
Efrat
Sir, – When Barack Obama was running for president the first time
he made a well-publicized visit to Sderot, sympathizing with the residents who
suffered from unprovoked terror from our Arab neighbors, and, quite
incidentally, sending a message to Jewish voters back home.
He made it
clear that he would never put up with such life-endangering conduct in his own
neighborhood, but would do “everything necessary” to put a stop to it. And he
did not mean engaging the neighbors in dialogue or inviting them to help
themselves to his backyard.
Now that he no longer needs the Jewish vote,
secure in his second term, he can reveal where his true sympathies lie. The
Israeli voter, I believe, knows who indeed has his best interests at heart, and
it certainly is not Barack Obama.
ELLA BERKOVITS
Haifa
Sir, – Thank you,
President Obama, for your support at the UN, even though you now threaten to
retract it. Thank you for the military aid your country provides and which
Israel then spends in America. Thank you for allowing Israel to be your eyes and
ears in this region. But thank you most of all for helping Binyamin Netanyahu
and Naftali Bennett gain even more support in the coming elections.
Sir,
you truly have been a blessing.
MOSHE KEMPINSKI
Jerusalem
Wait for the
invite
Sir, – With regard to “If reelected, Netanyahu likely to meet with Obama
in early March” (January 15), as a matter of principal the prime minister’s team
should not seek to obtain a forced invitation.
If President Obama wants
to meet with Binyamin Netanyahu, the invitation should come solely from the
White House.
I strongly recommend that unless Bibi has anything original
to discuss, which is doubtful, it would be better to avoid the embarrassing
results.
HENRY WEIL
Jerusalem
A Zionist will stay
Sir, – I would like to
reply in an open letter of my own to “An open letter to candidate for prime
minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, from an American immigrant” (Comment &
Features, January 15) by dentist Dan Cheifetz.
Olim come and go in this
country. Those who cannot adapt have choices: They can change their profession
or means of earning a livelihood, join an existing institution (such as a health
fund), or call it quits and return to the country from whence they came if they
must work to feed a family.
I do not know how old you are or what
motivated you to make aliya. If your feelings are Zionistic enough, you will
find a way to stay. Your material life might never be on the same level it was
before, but you could stick around long enough to help the rest of us work at
improving the system and learning to appreciate some of the great things going
on in this ever-changing little country.
JESSICA FISCHER
Michmoret
CORRECTION
It was Maj.-Gen. Tal Russo, head of the IDF Southern Command, who was
shown in the January 17 photo with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense
Minister Ehud Barak (“Netanyahu to Obama: Israelis will determine who best
represents their interests”), and not as stated.
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