Israel shouldn’t sacrifice security
The allegations by a letter writer are the same ones used to support the Gaza disengagement (“Reasons not to expand settlements beyond barrier,” Letters, Nov. 2). They weren’t true then or now.
The Jewish and Muslim birthrates in Israel are identical. Gaza is not occupied, under any definition, and should never be included in any discussion of demographics. Palestinian Authority birthrates have been declining for years.
Removing settlers from Gaza did not make Israel more secure. A barrier that you don’t control on both sides is not a barrier. It would take no effort for Palestinians to destroy, dig under or fire over the barrier, were there a Palestinian state.
The IDF has been attacked from under and over the border with Gaza. Israel fought multiple wars in recent years, resulting in the deaths of far more IDF soldiers than those killed in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and in Gaza before the disengagement.
The morale of soldiers is a subjective claim put forward by a tiny number of those in the IDF.
Finally, Israel’s democracy meets or exceeds that of most other countries and surpasses our own.
Neither giving up the settlements, denying Jews access to East Jerusalem, the Kotel and the Temple Mount, nor creating a Palestinian state will bring peace. What many Israeli critics are really saying is that if only Israel would sacrifice their security they would feel better as Jews.
My sentiments on Israel are well-known. Nevertheless, I am compelled to leave the future of Israel to the people of Israel as they face the consequences of whichever choices are made.
MELVIN FARBER
Silver Spring
Add good will to bagel recipe
Shame on Stanley Drebin for claiming his bagels (Goldberg north) are more kosher because he is more observant than his competitor (Goldberg south).
Acclaim for the Washington Vaad Harabanim for putting the lie to this divisive nonsense: Certified kosher is not a sliding scale (“Dueling ads fuel bagel wars,” Oct. 26). Mr. Drebin also sells his political views with his bagels and bemoans the effect on sales.
I recommend a change in his recipe.
Mix the bagels with sentiments of tolerance and good will. Even if he doesn’t sell more bagels, he’ll be performing a much needed mitzvah for our community.
MICHAEL SCHEININGER
Washington
UNESCO defames Israel
Kenneth Jacobson has a problem with the United States pulling out of UNESCO (“Eager for the U.S. to pull out of UNESCO? Not so fast,” Voices, Oct. 26).
He agrees that for decades the organization has gone out of its way to be hostile to Israel, “a free market, and a free press.”
However, he continues to be hopeful that the United States, after all these years, will be able to influence and change minds within the organization. Why? And more importantly, how can the deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League be a proponent of an organization that consistently goes out of its way to defame one particular member of the United Nations, Israel?
ALLAN SUCHINSKY
Kensington
