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Dear Rabbi Menken, You have elequently described the deception accomplished by Arab-PA politicians on Israel and the world. Surrounding Arab states would have destroyed Arafat had he or his faction delt with them (Remember Black Sept)as they have the leaders of Israel. Though I am an evangelical christian I pray for the true peace of Jerusalem. Kevin Jon Lawson MD
- K. L. -0/5-/2001 |
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This is correct. Israel needs a better public relations priogram. Israeli diplomats in the United States should be able to speak English. I was told that some do not. Anarticle in Commentary magazine stated that journalists in israel live in an Arab area of Jersusalem and express the PLO point of view consistently. Perhaps they should be asked to move. Those who speak fo the PLO should be asked to move to the PLO area,
-0/5-/2001 |
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Dear Rabbi Menken,
As a past supporter of Peace Now I agree with most of what you say. We really wanted to believe that once Israel offered credible and substantial concessions to the PA, relations would improve and some stability (if not peace) shall descend upon the land that we love.
We were shocked and disillusioned by Arafat's rejection of the peace package offered by Barak and Clinton, and most peace activists have been doing a great deal of soul searching.
Having said that, I take issue with the tone of your note. While most of those who pushed for the peace process realize that errors were made, we view them at tactical errors. We did not fully comprehend our adversaries' hidden agenda. We were naive. But what is the solution?
Your emotional rhetoric about dead babies will raise many clenched fists in right wing rallies but it is no better than the extreme views on the other side which you condemn so strongly.
From my perspective, now that we "know our enemy" we are better positioned to resume the negotiations. I am not on the negotiating team, but I expect that those who are there have learned something and will not be fooled the same way again. There are some signs that the current administration has learned these lessons and I will be watching them closely in the fervent hope that they did.
May G-d give them the wisdom they need to proceed in this very complex and dangerous path. And may the extremists on both sides move closer to reality. The two people share the area. We must find a way to live together or we will perish together. It may not be peace but it must be at least some arrangement for mutual co-existence.
- M. B. -0/5-/2001 |
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I agree with you completely!
No one ever discusses the international market in munitions. Its prevelant and works every side.
If only Hashem gives measure for measure to these merchants of evil.
Randy Stein
- r. s. -0/5-/2001 |
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I join you in mourning the loss of these innocent lives. It is obvious that the we must reevaluate the peace process. It is also important that all Jews admit their errors. There are murderers amongst us as well. Ariel Sharon is as unwelcome a partner for peace to the Palestinians as Arafat is to us. To find a peace that ensures Insrael's survival, not only as a state but as a state the exemplifies Jewish ideals, will take the united will and prayers of all of us.
-0/5-/2001 |
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talking to one of my jewish pals about all the mess that is the supposed peace process i said, with a great deal of bitter irony 'well... obviously terrorism works'. terrorism works because the plo has waged nothing but terror for 40 years and now the Jews are talking with them, and making concessions, and treating with them as if they were a legitimate government. i believe no concessions will ever suffice. i saw an arab scholar in dialogue with a jewish think tank with washington, who basically said, 'i'm not a religious moslem but all i can tell you is this; according to them all this land (palestine) is theirs. all of it.' so will the plo be satisfied with half of israel? not unless they stop being moslem.
what's also heartbreaking is that mainstream americans don't seem to understand the difference in the two positions. i heard one comment: 'you would think the jews of all people would understand their (the plo) desire for a homeland' as if there weren't hundreds of millions of square miles of moslem territory all over that region if the plo think that moslem religious states can offer them a better life and a better deal. comic george carlin quips, 'arab commandos are called terrorists. israeli terrorists are called commandos.' a typical, smug middleclass attitude. i know, it's anything for a cheap laugh. but after all, israeli commandos hunt down soldiers and terrorists. arab terrorists hunt down schoolchildren.
if americans would just look at a map of the 'occupied territories' and think for a second, they would see that giving them up would be like america surrendering the entire mississippi valley, from new orleans to ohio, to lifelong enemy... an enemy supplied with an endless stream of money and weapons and soldiers from hundreds of millions of hostile neighbors. i honor the israelis; i can't imagine what it would feel like to live your entire life under the threat of annihilation.
- c. o. -0/5-/2001 |
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Does not the torah command us to defend our lives? As long as our military actions are dictated by our commandments,and reflect the eternal halacha truths that jewish justice has stood for in the world.If there is no choice then,rather to be annihilated in the world by public opinion, than to have our people and their world annihilated.If there is no choice, and every other avenue is exhausted.
Life has taught me that you always stand up to a bully, or you will be left standing under him. Or worse.
-0/5-/2001 |
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Man respects stregnth and resolve. One cannot offer an olive branch of peace to a terrorist who has nothing to gain from Peace. Arafat loses power if peace is allowed to prevail. So he will go on to kill Israelis and Palestinians until he is exposed for what he is. He is a criminal and will have no part in a peacefull world.
Neville Chamberlin was another man who tried to deal with a criminal from a base of appeasement.
It does not work.
- G. F. -0/5-/2001 |
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Man respects stregnth and resolve. One cannot offer an olive branch of peace to a terrorist who has nothing to gain from Peace. Arafat loses power if peace is allowed to prevail. So he will go on to kill Israelis and Palestinians until he is exposed for what he is. He is a criminal and will have no part in a peacefull world.
Neville Chamberlin was another man who tried to deal with a criminal from a base of appeasement.
It does not work.
- G. F. -0/5-/2001 |
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I view this issue from my peace studies during the viewnam War. A word "crisis of rising expectations. During the Newark riots sociologists said that its not because things were worse than ever but because peaople placed their hopes in alleviation of their plight aThey had made certain progress during the Kennedy era but progress was being bogged down. The slowdown was more heartbreaking and exasperating
- I. M. -0/5-/2001 |
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The study of conflict resolution is too new to disseminate to world leaders . The scenario that best typifies this brand of conflict is the feud. Its academic who started a feudIt is self perpetuation visious circle in which reprisals are given to an act which prmpts reprisals and infinitum. Each successive testy comment esacalates the tension adding feul to the fire endlessly. Look at Rwqanda serbia .Ethnocentricism is sin
- I. M. -0/5-/2001 |
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The torah refers to the Tower of babel. My commentary on the tower of bable is. Whtether it pertains to divorce, union management struggles or ethnic hatyred it is because of the self centered skewed perspectives of oppoents that UNITY of all mankind(created in the image of g-d) is precluded. Religious divisiveness is the most heinous obscene reproach to G-d and his intent for man. Our prblems started on Rosh Hashonah in the year 2000
- I. M. -0/5-/2001 |
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your right Israelis have done all they can without giving all the land to the PLO if there is to be peace it will not come by giving in to these killers of babys this only shows that these cowards cannot be trusted
- R. J. -0/5-/2001 |
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fine. this makes sense. but how to proceed?
- r. p. -0/5-/2001 |
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How right you are. It is unfortunate that your comments are not received in mainstream media and by most "liberal" jews. They could use the education.
-0/5-/2001 |
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