November 19: Risking civil war

There is nothing that is so harmful to a country’s morale as having one group of Israelis being enemies of another.

By JERUSALEM POST READERS
letters (photo credit: JP)
letters
(photo credit: JP)
Risking civil war
Sir, – Regarding “Border Police set to bolster IDF presence amid fear of settlement- related violence” (November 16), the Border Police are one of the most intimidating forces. The sight alone of the Border Police strikes fear into the eyes of beholders.
Plans are already being made to confront settler violence that has not yet arisen, in preparation for a freeze that has not yet taken place. Something is very wrong with the way Israel confronts situations of supposed violence.
The Temple Mount experienced Arab violence just recently and the Border Police do not patrol there. The City of David has experienced terrible Arab violence against even visitors, and the Border Police do not protect the area.
We should be aware that there are elements in our government and certainly in foreign governments that would like to see Israel engage in a civil war so that they can at last see the end of Israel. There is nothing that is so harmful to a country’s morale as having one group of Israelis being enemies of another.
TOBY WILLIG Jerusalem
Money well spent?
Sir, – In her November 16 Our World column (“What the PA buys with American money”), Caroline B. Glick alerts us to several disturbing aspects of the $500 million in aid the US gives the Palestinians.
These funds include the monies the PA hands over directly to Hamas and supposedly needs to cover the alleged deficit in its budget.
What is most worrisome, however, are the huge sums being devoted to the PA security forces. These forces are being trained and equipped by the US and are described by our OC Central Command as constituting a qualitative jump in the Palestinians’ fighting capabilities against Israel.
Is it possible to reconcile the above with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s momentous speech at Bar-Ilan University wherein he agreed to recognize the “two states” approach, but only if the Palestinian state is completely demilitarized?
ZEV CHAMUDOT Petah Tikva
Look here, Shmuley
Sir, – When an Orthodox rabbi opens a column with a statement as sensational as “Judaism has failed,” I would expect controversial content.
But Shmuley Boteach’s idea of both saving Judaism and helping Israel’s image by recruiting the non-Jewish world to somehow correct this “failure” is totally absurd (“Non-Jews as the saviors of Judaism,” No Holds Barred, November 16).
First, Boteach certainly realizes that many religions – especially Christianity and Islam – acknowledged the Jewish roots of the vast majority of their own core rituals and laws, but corrupted, changed, discarded or otherwise revised them in order to distance themselves from Judaism if not destroy or replace it outright.
Second, a highly assimilated Jewish population anywhere in the world would be thrilled to see thousands of its non-Jewish fellows picking and choosing from Jewish law and lore as a very noncommittal and user-friendly way of life much like its own, which would more likely inspire even less commitment to Judaism than before.
Third, stronger Jewish identity does not necessarily lead to greater support for Israel, as we have unfortunately seen in recent years, with more and more very-identifying and proud Jews and even native Israelis joining forces with the extreme Left and a plethora of anti- Israel organizations, movements and even governments.
Finally, and perhaps strangest of all, just a week ago Boteach wrote an inspiring column about his reacquaintance and identification with Chabad and all it does around the world for even the most assimilated and seemingly “lost” Jews (“An outsider comes home,” November 9). How can he now basically say it is more important to reach out to non- Jews with no intention of even trying to convert them, at the expense of his blood-brothers who have unfortunately wandered so far from their heritage, history and religion?
GERSHON HARRIS Hatzor Haglilit