P.A. Street
Marc Greidinger challenged me to visit J Street’s website (“Go to the website,” Letters, WJW, May 16). I took that challenge.
To be sure the website offers politically correct support for the state of Israel, but, on page after page, J Street criticizes Israel, makes demands of Israel, while endorsing all things Arab. J Street would have Israel embrace the Arab Initiative offered by a collection of dictators and despots representing countries, who have been at war with Israel since 1948. Look at the carnage in Syria and Iraq. Look at the dysfunctional and repressive governments in the Arab and Muslim world. Should Israel trust its security to Arab despots? Most Knesset members do not support the initiative, yet J Street is a strong advocate. Do true supporters of Israel align with Arab and Muslim despots?
J Street may offer a few criticisms of Abbas, but the statements are meaningless. To J Street, Abbas remains a “partner in peace” even as Abbas negotiates with Hamas. Does a “partner in peace” partner with terrorists?
J Street demands Israel’s government express unequivocal support of a two-state solution. Yet, there is no demand that Palestinians express unequivocal support for Israel’s right to exist or for Jewish rights or that Palestinians unequivocally give up the right of return.
The quotes on the website are selectively chosen to make Palestinians appear pro-peace, while questioning Israel’s commitment to peace and making no mention of Hamas. For every statement of peace from Palestinians there are hundreds that show Palestinians do not support peace. Each side in Syria says they want peace. Saying peace doesn’t mean peace, particularly when core elements of Palestinians call for Israel’s destruction and for killing Jews. If the organization were honest its name would be P.A. Street.
I took the challenge. I now challenge J Street supporters and others to read the whole truth from Camera, Honest Reporting, Arutz Sheva and Emet.
MELVIN FARBER
Silver Spring
Comment and question
A comment and a question in response to the cornucopia that was the May 23 issue of WJW.
Comment: I am truly heartened to learn that after being a lifelong Islamophobe, Daniel Pipes (“Islam vs. Islamism”) has now had a change of heart and publicly done teshuvah, finally coming to understand that extremist Islam, not Islam per se, is the political problem.
After all, this is the same individual who, as recently as April 18 of last year (“Comic book missionizes for Islam”) engaged in a silly rant in WJW about how a comic book “The 99, available in both Arabic and English, contains overtly Islamic content and explicitly promotes Islam”; and, as such, constitutes “Islamic indoctrination of Western children, (which is) already present in schools through textbooks, additional school materials and classroom trips.”
Note: Pipes’ 2012 “jihad” was not directed against extremist material but educational material aimed at promoting mainstream Islamic culture and religion.
The Jewish parallel to the Islam vs. Islamism battle is that between mainstream Judaism (Modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist) and misogynist, supremacist, medieval haredi religion.
Question: “J Street without Spin” asserts that the right-wing CAMERA is a “65,000-member” organization. My query: According to whose count? The ZOA, for example, is notorious for inflating its membership figures. Does the number 65,000 represent actual dues-paying individuals, or just the number of email addresses on CAMERA’s listserv?
ROY D. AMADEUS
Alexandria
FDR saved Jews
In his op-ed “Jews were saved – but not by FDR” (WJW, May 30), Rafael Medoff writes: “Even after the Board was created, FDR did next to nothing to advance its work.” However, in Roosevelt, the Soldier of Freedom 1940-1945, James Mac Gregor Burns wrote: “Fearing opposition on the Hill, the President took steps to bring 1,000 refugees from Italy to an emergency shelter in Oswego, New York – and then simply announced his plan to Congress.”
From that, it certainly does not appear that President Roosevelt was reluctant to save Jews. Several of those rescued then still live in the Washington, D.C area.
FRED A. KAHN
Bethesda
