August 22: Wondering world

We were once a reliable and formidable partner to the US. Are we still?

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
letters 88 (photo credit: )
letters 88
(photo credit: )
Wondering world Sir, - "Iran's American protector" (Caroline Glick, August 19) about US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, neglected to stress the enormous transformation of Israel under Ehud Olmert, from a once proud and powerful American ally to a beleaguered liability threatened by mortal dangers that have been allowed to gather and entrench on our southern and northern borders. As a new Middle East war looms, it will be the American defense secretary who will be called upon to decide where to place US military assets. We were once a reliable and formidable partner. Are we still? All the world wonders, both friends and enemies. JACK CARLIN Jerusalem Liberals, pessimists... Sir, - Your editorial "Lessons from Islamabad" (August 20) was one reason I like The Jerusalem Post. In it, you refuted the canard repeated by Pervez Musharraf and others that the region's problems stem from the Palestinian problem and instead cited Islamic extremism. This makes sense. Most national entities in the region are just a few years old - Pakistan since 1948 and Palestine since 1967 - whereas the Islamic identity is much deeper, reaching back over 1,000 years. One should therefore examine Islam, its texts and tenets and its internal dynamics. The more liberal writers tend to ignore Islam and concentrate on relatively tractable national issues, in contrast to the more realistic, and pessimistic, conservative pundits who correctly put Islam first. Always follow General Sun Tzu's sage advice: "Know the enemy." D. KATCOFF Jericho, Vermont ...& political naivete Sir, - Lela Gilbert's "Digging out the truth" (August 15) was a devastating indictment of the nature of Islamic opposition to Jewish or any other religion's historical attachment to this Land. One can argue for or against the thesis that this denial is worse than Holocaust denial, but the fundamental fact of Israel's complacency, stupidity, political naivete and myopia is undeniable. The same ambivalence that dictates Israel's policy on borders, settlements, freeing of murderers and politically correct statements of guilt is what guided Israel to agree to Arab Temple Mount desecrations. We should not be surprised by the audacity of this new Arab falsification of history. Muslim fanaticism shows no respect for evidence or facts. To paraphrase David Ben-Gurion: "It is not important what the goyim say, it is what we Jews do that is important." Until Israel can unite behind a government (and a leader) who can stand up to say and do what needs to be said and done, we will continue, sadly, to spiral downward to danger and despair. YITZCHAK BEN-SHMUEL Modi'in Rule for survival Sir, - I must remind Israelis that your nation will survive... provided you return to the God of the patriarchs. Why? I'm glad you asked. Simply because the Jews have an everlasting covenant with God and He never breaks a covenant with His children. The binding agreement is that each Jew must obey and serve God on His terms. He is quite able to turn the whole political, economic and social scene around. YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ Arlington,Texas