The inarguable fact
The charge that I and American Jewish Committee (AJC), the organization for which I have worked and have sought to ensure Israel’s security and fair treatment for 33 years, are indifferent to the well-being of Israel is so outrageous that it barely deserves a response. Yet Pesach Wolicki, in “Who is considered a Jew after October 7?” (February 23), plucks out a sentence from a document AJC issued in March 2024, and which I quoted, regarding the inarguable fact that Jews and Arabs are both indigenous to the land and thus need to find a pragmatic means to share it, and offers this as evidence of AJC abandoning Israel.
That cannot be the last word. Through our advocacy in the United States and around the world, and our extensive work across the Middle East, AJC explains Israel, defends Israel, builds bridges between Israel and its neighbors, and raises alarms about and proposes solutions to Israel’s threats and challenges. We vehemently and tirelessly support Israel, seek peace between Israel and all its neighbors, and hope that one day a pragmatic solution can be found that includes Israel’s Palestinian neighbors in that circle of peace.
Carbon-dating populations to determine which millennium saw the greater proportion of Jews and Arabs in the Land of Israel is a fool’s errand; both peoples have lived there for many centuries, and neither is going anywhere.
JASON ISAACSON, Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer American Jewish Committee
Sheep’s clothing
In “Qatar’s billions” (February 24), Amine Ayoub superbly lays out the key role Qatar has been playing in turning US universities into cesspools and bastions of hate against the Jewish people and Israel. Amid its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, radical Islam, and funding Hamas, all the while using Al Jazeera, its sponsored mouthpiece, to spread the message, it is time to expose Qatar for what it is – a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
There are several steps the US government can take to stop to this malevolent actor. First, it can pass a law that no educational institution can receive funds from any entity or nation that sponsors terrorism. The same should apply to any federal official or employee including Congress. Second and more importantly, the US should move its largest base in the Middle East, the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, to Saudi Arabia, a more reliable ally in the Gulf.
Even though the Biden administration had purportedly extended its military presence there for another ten years, this mistake must be corrected. An additional reason for moving the base is that this major move could then be connected to finally having Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords. It would also give the Saudis the security they want and need from the US and solidify our relationship.
Qatar’s billions have caused enough damage.
FRED EHRMAN, Ra’anana
Is anybody listening?
Regarding “2 Israeli Jews held in ties to bus bombings” (February 23): Former national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s understanding of our current situation is absolutely correct. A terrible tragedy was avoided by a woman who noticed a suspicious package and notified the driver on the bus. Multiple buses were set to explode by the work of terrorists. In Ben-Gvir’s words, “God has mercy on us, but how many times can we rely on miracles?”
We release hundreds of terrorists and murderers, our hostages alive and dead are paraded on stage in front of the whole world by inhumane terrorists, and our enemies continue to take every opportunity to commit murder and violent acts of terrorism against our people.
We must heed Ben-Gvir’s words that “we must launch an all-out war in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza, halt humanitarian aid, and end the forgiving policy toward the Palestinian Authority.” If not now, when?
Is anybody listening?
GERSHON LEVITAN, Beit Shemesh
Rare commodity
I would like to nominate Herb Keinon for a Nobel Peace Prize for “‘Torn at heart but breathing’” (February 21), and for all his weekly Friday columns. His insights are invaluable and balanced. He gets to the crux of the issue and writes it as it is, without innuendoes or false messages.
His sensitivity and sincerity are to be applauded. Most of all he’s impartial, doesn’t take sides or have any political agenda, a rare commodity these days in journalism, in Israel and worldwide. Kudos to Keinon.
MINA STERN, Beit Shemesh
Pure evil
I have the highest praise for Jonathan Lieberman’s “Thinking the unthinkable” (February 14). He says it so succinctly: We who “believe in redemption, in justice, in humanity... how do you hold on to those ideals when you are staring into the face of absolute evil?”
Surely, these perpetrators of pure evil, who have ruined the lives of so many hundreds in our country, should face the death penalty and must never be allowed to walk free. As Lieberman says: “Maybe, just maybe, the unthinkable is the only answer left.”
JULIET ROSTOWSKY, Tel Aviv
Corrupt support
David Weinberg’s “Keep drying the swamps and eliminating the waste” (February 21), about the millions being paid to Hamas and PA entities, was eye-opening. Although I was aware of the corrupt support by USAID and UNRWA given to Hamas, I was astounded to read the litany and breadth of malign programs which received the funds.
Publicizing this funding trail into programs supporting extremist organizations such as Hamas is laudable and necessary. However, I suggest that an additional step is required.
It is time to publish the actual names of the governmental and NGO agencies which are providing such misguided support. Only in this way will the various US, European and Arab agencies be exposed. They certainly need to be exposed and quickly. Exposure is the only antidote to agencies which misguidedly believe they are doing good. Hopefully this will lead to their collective or individual embarrassment so that they cease such funding. Maybe the people or governments who give monies to such programs will stop.
Jerusalem Post writers should be encouraged to not just report the existence of these terrible donations and funding but to also name names. The public and the larger world will be well-served when armed with such knowledge.
ROD MCLEOD, Timrat