Obscene comparison
Regarding “January 6 Capitol riots shouldn’t trump October 7” (February 23): I found the comparison absolutely obscene. How could anyone compare the two events?
One was a demonstration gone awry by supporters of then-defeated candidate Donald Trump, who had their wishes fulfilled in the next election cycle through fully democratic means.
Despite the Dems’ many statements to the contrary, only one person died that day, an unarmed demonstrator by police. The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack was a one-sided investigation set to cripple Trump, aided by a Hollywood-style video production, and withholding exculpatory evidence from the defendants, many of whom were put into solitary confinement for their trespass into a public building.
There is no doubt in my mind that the other event, October 7, should be taken as being a war crime, or a crime against humanity, where Gazan terrorists and citizens alike sought to expel Israelis from their land through their strategy of widespread murder, rape, abductions and long-term confinement.
The writer concludes with an ad hominem about Boy Scouts knowing that it takes two points (i.e., Jan. 6 and Oct. 7) to orient oneself on unfamiliar terrain. Sorry to say but we need only one point of reference to know where we are. Gone from the nation’s foreseeable future are terms such as “peace process,” “partners for peace” and “two-state solution.” The overwhelming majority of Israelis now fully understand where they stand.
DAVID SMITHRa’anana
By juxtaposing two historically seminal dates, Joshua M. Davidson is trying to weigh the breach of respect for law of January 6 against the overwhelming support of Israel recently expressed by President Donald Trump. His answer clearly comes out on the side of the latter, citing that “Israel’s survival against physical onslaught and political and diplomatic assault should never be taken for granted.”
That being acknowledged, we must bear in mind that the very mindset that allows for single-handed gestures of support, no matter how welcome they may be to the current recipient, can turn around in the blink of an eye at the whim of the one in power.
The belief that one is above the law without constitutional constraints can be a danger in the end. The dictum that “absolute power corrupts absolutely” reminds us that “vigilance is ever the price of liberty.”
MARION REISSBeit Shemesh
Anti-Israel cacophony
By now it’s clear that Hamas will find it impossible to hide behind any obscene fabrication that the Bibas brothers were killed by an Israeli air raid. If we then assume that Yonah Jeremy Bob’s observations are valid (“The Bibas family unmasks Hamas,” February 21), Hamas’s storied public relations magic has found itself trapped in an alley from which there is no escape. This, as perverse as it sounds, just might be the turning point of the current conflict.
The world’s loud, imbalanced anger toward Israel has, as Bob correctly points out, been momentarily silenced. Media outlets that have consistently championed Hamas’s “resistance” are not camouflaging the reality; the toddler and infant were both brutally murdered. Heinous acts of terrorism are, for a change, being honestly reported. The lifeless, battered bodies of the two Bibas boys have indeed ripped the mask off of Hamas.
The danger, however, lies in seeing this as a silver lining in a very dark cloud. It won’t be long before the numbness wears off and the anti-Israel cacophony is again at the forefront. What our government will undoubtedly find tricky is how to preserve this momentary gleam of enlightenment without, insensitively, turning Kfir and Ariel into poster children.
The ability to foster effective public relations, alas, is not among Israel’s strongest talents.
AMI SHIMON BEN-BARUCHBe’er Ya’acov
Impossible burden
Regarding “Rabbi Landau’s words” by Daniel Goldman (February 20): The shocking declaration of Rabbi Landau that only Torah study is needed to protect us from our enemies proves the opposite; namely that making haredi youth study (or pretend to) instead of being drafted to help defend the country is wrong. Not only does this weaken our defense but it puts an impossible burden on the ones who do serve.
Of course, those who do not obey draft orders are guilty, but those who incite them to break the law are the real criminals. The ones who should be arrested and prosecuted are those rabbis, including Landau. If they protest in their defense that Torah study will deter Hamas and Hezbollah, let them prove it in court.
JEREMY TOPAZRehovot