December 6: ‘Growing rift’

Sir, – Douglas Bloomfield decries a “growing rift within the [US] Jewish community between the mainstream and the hardline Netanyahu supporters...”

(“US-Israel rift spreading to Jewish community,” Washington Watch, December 5). Really? I’d say that here in Israel the mainstream is actually made up of the hardline Netanyahu supporters.

It’s high time that Bloomfield kicked his Kool-Aid habit and woke up to the fact that Israel will do what is in its own best interests regardless of what liberal American-Jewish Obamaites think.

JOEL BLOCK

Sir, – The American Jewish community is not happy with the lack of respect that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is showing toward the great ally and supporter of the Jewish nation, the United States. It is disappointed because Israel thinks the US and other nations are making a big mistake concerning Iran.

Which part of the Jewish community is Douglas Bloomfield talking about? AIPAC is now becoming more afraid of US President Barack Obama than it is about Israel’s right to survival. Are we to believe that Congress wants stronger sanctions solely because that’s Netanyahu’s wish? Give me a break.

(Also, bringing in quotes from former prime minister Ehud Olmert, who is still involved in the largest bribery case against an Israeli government official – not easy competition in Israel – doesn’t bring any more credibility to Bloomfield’s case. Olmert tried to surrender Israel to the Palestinians, and now he wants Israel to surrender to the threats of Iran.) The Jewish community in the US needs to realize that the tides are shifting, and so are American Jewish demographics.

Jewish influence there is in decline. Over half the Jewish population in Israel realizes that the Jewish state has to find other friends besides the US.

The Jewish leadership that is so upset with Netanyahu for wanting to protect our tiny country should understand that Israel is there for all Jews of the world. Every Jew around the world knows that he or she has a place if ever it is needed.

That is a huge responsibility for any leader who has to defend Israel against those who want to destroy it.

JONATHAN SURASKY 

Sir, – Right on, Judy Montagu (“Jumping for joy,” In My Own Write, December 4)! What a lovely Hanukka message! We need more reminders like hers to appreciate the many “bright lights” we encounter in our lives on a daily basis. We just need to keep our eyes open.

Write on, Judy! 

DOROTHY FRIEDMAN 

Sir, – I would be jumping for joy if Judy Montagu’s column appeared much more frequently.

TAMAR H. KAGAN 

Temple Mount 

Sir, – With regard to “Chief rabbis still against visits to Temple Mount” (December 3), I’d like to point out that the late chief rabbi Shlomo Goren privately did not hold this view.

Here is a relevant quote from the Wikipedia article about him: “Goren was also well known for his controversial positions concerning Jewish sovereignty over the Temple Mount. On 15 August 1967, shortly after the Six Day War, Goren led a group of 50 Jews onto the Temple Mount, where, fighting off protesting Muslim guards and Israeli police, they defiantly held a prayer service. Goren continued to pray for many years in the Mahkame building overlooking the Temple Mount, where he conducted yearly High Holiday services.

Also, Rabbi Dov Lior is not the chief rabbi of Kiryat Shmona, but of Kiryat Arba.

And Rabbi Tzvi Tau is not the dean of the haredi-Zionist Har Hamor yeshiva, but its president. The deans are Rabbi Amiel Sternberg and his brother, Rabbi Mordechai Sternberg.

DAVID WILK