Letters to the Editor: Readers weigh in on Trump and Obama

Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for over 3,000 years, and Jews have always been there.

JANUARY 19, 2017 21:10

Letters (photo credit: REUTERS) — Letters

(photo credit: REUTERS)

By declaring that son-in-law Jared Kushner will be his special Middle East envoy (“PA official welcomes Kushner as envoy,” January 17), Donald Trump shows how little he really understands about the situation out here in the heart of Judea and Samaria.

It’s not that Trump is an idiot. It must be remembered that he was elected on a platform that emphasized the needs and desires of ordinary Americans. He didn’t show any great interest in international affairs or claims that he would fix the world; that is one of the reasons he attracted so much support. And I don’t consider Kushner to be an idiot, either.

In the construction and project-development business, which both Trump and Kushner understand and excel in, underlying topographical or logistical problems can be discovered that just can’t be fixed or would cost so much to overcome that a project becomes neither viable nor profitable. In such cases, a wise and experienced businessman goes on to other projects. I hope and pray that the Trump-Kushner team will realize that the Mideast “peace project” must be scrapped.

Kushner should stay busy solving the problems that Americans who voted for his father-in-law are really concerned about, such as truly affordable healthcare and enough jobs with incomes they can live on.

BATYA MEDAD
Shiloh

Donald Trump says he wants to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Why is this controversial? America’s and Israel’s enemies do not recognize either city.

Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for over 3,000 years, and Jews have always been there. The US should build a big, beautiful embassy there, recognizing it as the eternal, undivided capital of Israel.

DAN SALTSMAN
West Bloomfield, Michigan

In 1960, when John. F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States, he sold all his stocks and bought Treasury bonds so that his only loyalty would be to the United States. Donald Trump’s only loyalty is to...?

ELIZABETH YUVAL
Kiryat Tivon

Among all the foreign policy debacles of Barack Obama, he will be remembered as the president who disengaged the US from its leading role in the Middle East.

Since his speech in Cairo eight years ago, Obama has managed to discredit and erode US positions with leading countries in the region, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the Gulf states.

His secretary of state, John Kerry, is virtually persona non grata here.

In order to complete his total collapse in the Middle East, Obama rushed during his last weeks as president to attack his only remaining loyal ally – Israel – by orchestrating all kinds of resolutions and conferences with a clear anti-Israel agenda. He used his platform as president to punish Israel for personal reasons because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not obey his orders to stop settlement construction.

I almost forgot: Obama did gain one new ally in the area: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, leader of a non-existent state.

That was really a major diplomatic achievement.

In my opinion, only Obama’s farewell from office will make the world safer.

SHLOMO FELDMANN
Givatayim

In a 2013 speech to Israelis, Barack Obama said that “no wall is high enough... to stop every enemy from inflicting harm.” I think he must have changed his mind because they’ve just added a fence to the wall around the house he’s now moving into with his family.

Maybe it’s easier to expect other people to live up to your expectations than to have to do so yourself.

BOB KNIGHT
Modi’in

One of the last presidential acts of Barack Obama was granting clemency. More than 200 prisoners had their sentences commuted, and 64 were totally pardoned.

Despite the Obama administration claiming to be a friend of Israel, the president apparently could not see his way to grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard so that he might become a truly free man and return to Zion.

It is to be hoped that Donald Trump will have the courage to grant a full pardon to Pollard.

ELIEZER KAUFMAN
Jerusalem