Harming Israel From Within
The New Israel Fund has much to atone for given its financial support of Israeli organizations that, in tandem with European-funded NGOs, defame and delegitimize the IDF (“Report: 20 Groups Sabotaging Israel From Within,” front-page news story, Dec. 18).
In stark contrast to these organizations’ defamation of the IDF we get an entirely different picture from the High Level Military Group, composed of retired generals and defense officials, which recently released its verdict on the 2014 Gaza war.
The group determined that Israel not only met but exceeded the legal standards of war and that in some cases Israel’s scrupulous adherence to the laws of war cost the lives of Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, has opined that “Israel went to extraordinary lengths to limit collateral damage and civilian casualties,” and Ret. British Col. Richard Kemp has called the IDF the most moral army in the history of warfare.
The IDF is forced to fight not only Israel’s Arab enemies but also the immoral organizations that routinely hurl spurious accusations against the country’s highly ethical military.
Fay Dicker
Lakewood, NJ
Be Careful With Turkey
Turkey’s President Erdogan is a real piece of work. I would urge Israel not move too quickly to cultivate him (“Turkey’s Erdogan Says Relations With Israel Can Be Repaired,” news story, Dec. 4), although I recognize he heads a significant country that carries a lot of weight in the world.
He insulted Israel over the Gaza flotilla issue by insisting on an apology and reparations when he knew full well that Israel was acting only to protect itself and that the Turkish ship involved presented a serious challenge to Israeli security concerns. Recently, though, he saw no problem with shooting down a Russian plane he says strayed over Turkish territory.
There will be time enough to see if he is serious about relations with Israel. In the meantime, Israel should avoid rushing to mend fences with him.
Leon Fried
(Via E-Mail)
Obama’s Objectives
I applaud The Jewish Press for offering a glimpse into what I too believe are President Obama’s real objectives in welcoming all these immigrants (“The Refugee Issue: The President’s Game Plan,” editorial, Dec. 4.)
This is a strange president and I agree that he is obsessed with changing the America that in his view burdened the world with its selfishness and which mistreated black and brown Americans since its inception. He is literally striving to remake America in his own image.
Aryeh Schwartz
Jerusalem
Listen To Your Children
One day during Chanukah my friend’s seven-year-old grandson and his family were on their way to Brooklyn for a party at my friend’s house when the boy insisted they turn around and go back home to get his siddur.
The family turned back to get the siddur and when the boy’s father went inside the house he noticed the gas stove was still on. Had they not gone back to get the siddur, who knows what might have happened?
This should serve as a lesson to parents – listen when your child tells you he or she forgot something and needs to go back to get it.
Rhonda Goldstein
Brooklyn, NY
Trump’s Grain Of Truth
I’m not a big Donald Trump fan. I’m not a big fan of any millionaire – especially one who got a head start from a rich father. I’m also not so sure any millionaire should be president (or mayor). I certainly don’t agree with everything (or maybe anything) Donald Trump has to say. But I also believe he is being pilloried for statements that certainly do have at least a small grain of truth to them.