Jerusalem Post Letters to the Editor: Ben-Gurion and Peres
Have we not been pursuing peace since 1948 and certainly since 1991? Through Oslo, Barak, Olmert, Netanyahu, all of the efforts and overgenerous offers have been rebuffed/scuttled by our neighbors.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Ben-Gurion and PeresRegarding the column by Shimon Peres, (“My leader: David Ben-Gurion,” December 1), there is no doubt that Ben-Gurion was an example of the historical phenomenon – a man destined to be the right leader at the right moment in history, as was British prime minister Winston Churchill in World War II. The Jewish people owe Ben-Gurion an inestimable debt of gratitude, as they do to Peres, the latter for a number of reasons, such as the nuclear program, the relationship with France in the 1950s and ’60s and the economic recovery program in the mid-1980s.Sadly, the same cannot be said of Peres’s pursuit of peace with our neighbors. His statement “unless we pursue peace and reach an historical political settlement based on a two-state solution, Israel alongside Palestine, we are doomed to live as a bi-national state lacking a Jewish majority and a Jewish character,” is misguided.Have we not been pursuing peace since 1948 and certainly since 1991? Through Oslo, Barak, Olmert, Netanyahu, all of the efforts and overgenerous offers have been rebuffed/scuttled by our neighbors, to say nothing of the 2,000 or so deaths and thousands of casualties we got for our pains?No, we are not doomed to live in a bi-national state. The conflict can be managed until our neighbors undergo a cultural revolution (if ever), or we can annex the territory and absorb those who are worthy of citizenship – the usually quoted demographic canard is patently false – and still maintain a sizable Jewish majority.Unfortunately, a non-remorseful Shimon Peres is still clinging to outworn and discredited illusions.May he live to 120, but with all due respect he should now retire gracefully from the scene.LARRY REEFE NetanyaBiased BanIt has long been known that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in contravention of the United Nations charter, has always been blindly biased toward the Arab enemies of Israel while strongly favoring them in their anti-Zionist crusade. The latest instance is his failure to mention Israel as a victim, indeed the chief victim, of Arab and Islamic terrorism.Far from promoting peace, his obdurate hostility towards Israel is only fanning the flames of war.Ban is thus guilty of dereliction of duty and should promptly be ousted from his position as United Nations secretary-general.ROY RUNDS Tel AvivNews cycleThe article “IDF recommends strengthening PA to help avoid security deterioration” (November 26) must have been a surprise to the right-wing coalition. It seems that the generals are willing to endure the “lone-wolf” attacks but fear “a larger situation involving thousands of rioters” Maybe the enemy got an idea from that statement, as illustrated by the article, “Thousands of Israeli Arabs protest ban of Islamic Movement’s Northern Branch” (November 29). That protest denied reality by ignoring the attacks against Israelis, but only refers to “Israel’s racist policies,” and that “We [Palestinians] will win over their [Israeli] racism and hate.” The protesters even dared to reverse the definition of terrorism by stating “[Israel]... is the real terrorist.”Fortunately, the government was not influenced by this language of deceit, as indicated by the article, “Netanyahu: Despite protests, ban on Northern Branch of Islamic Movement will remain,” (November 30).SIMCHA RUDMAN GiloObama obsessionRegarding Ruthie Blum’s column (“Way to go, Obama,” Right from Wrong, November 30), the way the Israeli Right and Jewish Right in America obsess about President Barack Obama, you’d think he was the president of Israel. Why do you have all these conspiracy theories that assign bad motives to him and by extension to the US? Don’t you get how offensive you are? We, the people of the USA, elected this president twice in large part because he understands that the use of military force has 5th order consequences that are unpredictable. The Israeli Right cheered the US invasion of Iraq yet blame Obama for Islamic State – one of Iraq’s consequences.Worse, Blum also had the gall to say “America is cowering” basing it on a travel advisory.Really?! Then why do we have special forces in Syria, more on the way, drones and jets in the air and diplomats engaged? I’ll be voting for Hillary Clinton next, so be forewarned.THOMAS MORAN MiamiSinking Knesset As I watch the disgusting behavior and expression of our members of the Knesset I simply cannot digest how and why those who are supposed to represent the people of Israel have been permitted to sink to such low levels of behavior. There must be a change or where will it all end? First of all we do not need all those parties who simply serve to divide opinions even more and prevent progress in many fields. No matter how much opposition there will be from all those representatives, the protocol should be for only three parties – and I apologize to the religious believers but religion should not be part of politics.Today’s world is facing possible catastrophe and we must improve the standard and the way in which our country is being run. Just a brief look at the lack of respect for listening, thinking and replying that our so-called representatives possess is proof that nothing good can come out of a so-called “parliament” that gets together just to shout at one another up in Jerusalem.BARBARA ABRAHAM KarkurUse of Palestine The article by Alexander Zvielli, may he live and be well, was very enlightening regarding the founding of The Jerusalem Post, or rather The Palestine Post.What is extremely interesting is that the term “Palestine” is used no less than 15 times in one context or another, whether it be The Palestine Post, the “Palestinian Yishuv,” the “Palestine Bulletin,” the “Encouragement to Learn the English Language in Palestine” institution, the Economic Board for Palestine,” and “the only English daily in Palestine, Transjordan and Syria.”The editorial board of The Jerusalem Post, the flagship English newspaper of the State of Israel, should learn from its founders that Palestine never referred to any kind of independent Arab entity, whether a people or nation. The term “Palestinian” should not be used in any context that implies such a distortion of history.AVRAHAM FRIEDMAN Ganei Modi’inClimate changes In Monday’s editorial (“Climate cooperation,” December 1), there’s a section that reads: “Netanyahu noted in a 2014 meeting with California Governor Jerry Brown that ‘our rainfall has dropped by half in the 65 years of Israel’s existence.’” However the World Bank Group in its ‘Portal on Climate Change Knowledge’ presents the following statistics.From 1900-1930, average Israel rainfall is 82.2 mm in January compared to 78.3 mm from 1990-2012 – a decrease of 4.7% From 1900-1930, average Israel rainfall is 70 mm in December compared to 58.3 mm from 1990-2012 – a decrease of 16.7 % The average of the decreases (which constitute most of the rainfall) is 10.7 % – not 50% From where is Netanyahu getting his data? The Jerusalem Post should follow up and check the data. If such gross distortion is mouthed by the politicians and repeated by the media, can we trust the reality of arguments claiming to distinguish between rises in temperature of fractions of a degree Centigrade and extrapolation far into the future?YIGAL HOROWITZ Beersheba
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