Readers respond to the latest 'Jerusalem Post' articles.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITOREnvelope(photo credit: ING IMAGE/ASAP)Israeli interferenceUS President Barack Obama’s claim that he was shocked by the interference of a foreign power in American affairs (“Obama: PM only world leader I can recall interfering in US policy,” August 10) is astounding. Perhaps he believes that neither he nor his predecessors ever intervened in the affairs of another country. His lack of knowledge of American history is truly astounding.During the administration of George Washington, Britain and France openly provided finances to the two emerging political parties.The Genet Affair during the Washington presidency, where the representative of France in America openly flouted US neutrality laws and financed Americans to aid France, is another example. In the administration of Woodrow Wilson, Germany and England expended vast sums of money to influence America to support their respective sides at the beginning of the first world war.These examples are not the only ones that can be cited by anyone with knowledge of American history.Obama distorts the record because he has no way of defending his flawed agreement other than by discrediting the opposition.One thing is clear: When Iranian missiles with atomic warheads hit America, Obama’s name will forever be linked with another American: Benedict Arnold.JOAKIM ISAACSJerusalemI don’t understand how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vociferous criticism of the Iran deal can possibly be construed as interfering in US policy.Iran is not a member of the “family of nations” in any way. A nation that threatens with destruction a member state of the impotent and biased UN is no state to be trusted with a nuclear “arrangement.” It is engaged in global terrorism and threatens every nation it finds not to its liking.With a rogue state like this, why is the West worried about what US Secretary of State John Kerry worriedly referred to as “screwing” the ayatollah? Why is there no admission by the US and its friends that instead of tightening sanctions and possibly causing regime change in Iran, they did little? Israel is in the crosshairs of Iran, as well as the fanatical Hezbollah and Hamas, both of which will benefit from the $150 billion that will now fill Tehran’s coffers to fund more weapons and terrorism.And who is most directly threatened? Our country’s future may well be at stake, and President Barack Obama says the prime minister is interfering in US policy in a way that endangers the United States. If this isn’t Netanyahu’s job, whose is it? The Vienna deal is a sham and a farce. Netanyahu should continue leading the way to end it.B. WEINSTEINNetanyaI was astonished to read in “Obama’s enemies list” (Column One, August 7) that President Barack Obama, during a speech last week at American University in Washington, said that if Congress voted down the nuclear deal with Iran, “we will lose... America’s credibility as a leader of diplomacy.”He went on to say that US credibility “is the anchor of the international system.”What system? And what credibility? The US lost its credibility during president Bill Clinton’s era when it signed a deal with North Korea and promised the world that Pyongyang would not become a nuclear power.How in the world are we to believe the US a second time when false agreements are signed and false promises are made?N.E. SAMUELYavneGopstein’s non-JewsWith regard to “Vatican to attorney-general: Indict Gopstein for openly advocating attacks on churches” (August 10), I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.What planet is Benzi Gopstein living on? He couldn’t manage in Israel without non-Jews! Has he ever been in a hospital on Shabbat (or any day, for that matter)? In religious hospitals, who does the writing on Shabbat? How would he manage without his Shabbos goy? And don’t forget the mainly Christian Filipina caregivers. I haven’t noticed even the most right-winger refusing one when needed.S. YOSEF NetanyaDid the Vatican at any time make a single comment of the same nature or make any demands of an attorney-general regarding a single imam spewing hatred in the mosques in and around Israel? There are daily calls for death to the Jews by imams on the Temple Mount, but I guess the Vatican doesn’t care about that.Why does the Vatican speak up when a Jew incites to violence, and remain silent when an Arab incites against Jews?ZE’EV M. SHANDALOVMa’aleh AdumimJoyful sayingsDvora Waysman’s “Lets count our blessings” (Comment & Features, August 10) recalls an even more joyful saying that appeared many years ago outside a Roman Catholic church in London. The saying proclaimed in huge lettering: “Count your blessings one by one and see what the Lord has done.”My family, well settled in Israel, has been inspired throughout, especially at times of bad tidings.MAURICE BENZIMRADimona Too early to sayReading “Terrorist wounds three soldiers in vehicular attack near Shiloh junction” (August 7), I learned that the Israeli soldiers had been “part of a unit that had been stationed in the area to deal with any issues that might arise in the aftermath of last week’s terror attack by Jewish [my emphasis] extremists in the nearby village of Duma....”Bear in mind that the perpetrators have not yet been arrested or even identified, but the writers of the piece, as well as those who edited it, unequivocally blamed Jews.I believe this to be intentional libel because the very next paragraph begins: “In the aftermath of the attack, an unidentified assailant, assumed to be a Palestinian, threw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli vehicle....”The Jerusalem Post accuses Jews of terrorism but politely suggests that a Palestinian only might have thrown a firebomb. The Post is well aware of what prudent, circumspect reporting can be, but here it chooses to promote an anti-Jewish, pro-Palestinian agenda.I want my money back for that issue of your paper.DAVID SHAFFERJerusalemThe editor-in-chief responds: The reader makes a good point. The description of the Duma assailants should have mentioned that the security services believe they are Jews, although nothing has been fully established and no one has been arrested.A proper reactionFor the past couple of weeks, I have been reading and hearing reactions from our leaders to the horrific murders in Duma and the terrible injuries caused to members of the family. This action was intolerable, inexcusable.So was the stabbing murder of Shira Banki, who, by all accounts, was a very remarkable girl.Both actions are deserving the condemnation they have been receiving. And yet, where is the condemnation by leaders of the PA regarding similar actions carried out by Palestinians? We can wait for it, but it won’t come.Their murderers have streets, stadiums and schools named for them. They cry for a Palestinian family cruelly attacked, but praise the brutal murder of members of the Fogel family.They praise car bombers and those who blow up buses and restaurants.Perhaps it’s time to demand no less from them than what we demand and receive from our leaders. Perhaps it’s time to call out to the world, loudly and clearly, for fair and humane treatment.Israeli murderers are guilty of horrible crimes. So are Palestinian murderers. The world has forgotten that, but we dare not.RHEA ISRAELRehovot
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