Ordinary people
In “A moment of national tragedy” (February 28), Yaakov Katz asks: “Where were the public officials?” He was referring to the heartbreaking funerals we have witnessed, and it brought to mind a question that has been puzzling me for some time.
I recall that in the US, any tragic event, whether national or local, brought to the fore public officials to express their concern and condolences. These included not only elected officials but leading members of the clergy, as well.
With notable exceptions, I have not noticed such a presence here in Israel, and I wondered if it was due to a different tradition or, as Katz suggests, a fear of seeming to be taking responsibility. The upside of this, however, is the rush of ordinary people to fill the gap.
As in the early days after October 7, when the groundswell of volunteers rose up to provide essential services, so have the citizens of Israel come to the fore to express their caring for the victims and their families.
This started from day one with the spontaneous lining of the funeral routes of the fallen by neighbors, friends, and even strangers out of respect and solidarity.
MARION REISS
Beit Shemesh
Having regrets
Regarding “They voted for Trump, but now they’re losing their US government jobs“ (March 2, Los Angeles Times/TNS): This is just one of many examples of why many Americans will have regrets about voting for President Trump. According to economic experts, his plans to apply significant tariffs will increase inflation, reduce economic growth, and have other adverse financial effects.
His plans to reduce spending for medical research and Medicare and pulling the US out of the World Health Organization will have negative health effects. Pulling the US out of the Paris climate agreement, appointment of climate-deniers to key environmental posts, and plans to roll back legislation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will hinder efforts to reduce climate threats.
His many cabinet appointments, based on complete loyalty to him rather than competence and experience, will have adverse effects in many areas.
RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ
Shoresh
Entirely rational
Amotz Asa-El assumes that anything Donald Trump does is evil, and then shoehorns perfectly reasonable actions into that framework (“Beware the urge to purge,” February 28).
Asa-El decries the emailing of “dismissal threats to millions of federal employees.” This email simply asked each employee to identify five things they had achieved at work in the past five days.
The purpose was to make sure those federal employees, many of whom now work from home rather than report to an office, actually exist and are making reasonable contributions. It is not too onerous to ask people paid by the taxpayer to explain in bullet form what the taxpayers are receiving for their money.
Asa-El criticizes Trump for replacing Gen. CQ Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff “for no clearly stated failure.” Incumbents in this position serve at the pleasure of the president. It is not unusual for presidents to replace chairmen as they see fit. Brown was an outspoken supporter of Black Lives Matter, and oversaw the military’s emphasis on DEI.
At the behest of the president, newly-installed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls for an emphasis on lethality rather than wokeness. It is within the president’s authority and responsibility as commander-in-chief to select people who will lead the military in the direction essential for the country’s defense.
Asa-El objects to closing USAID and the Department of Education. He ignores USAID’s outrageous expenditures on projects that either do not advance or actually harm US interests. This has included funneling millions of dollars to terrorist organizations. With regard to the DOE, US expenditures on education have increased without a commensurate improvement in academic performance of public school students.
Perhaps it’s time to return the responsibility for educating young people to the individual states. President Trump was elected to implement a major course correction for the government. This includes returning the country to its position of preeminence on the world stage and rooting out waste, fraud and mismanagement.
The country is approaching an unsustainable level of debt. Faced with looming catastrophe, the head of any private company would limit spending wherever possible, including reducing staff and cutting wasteful programs. President Trump, the government’s chief executive, is following that entirely rational course of action.
EFRAIM COHEN
Zichron Ya’acov
Completely ridiculous
In “Letter from America” (March 2), Michael Cohen bemoans President Trump’s decision to close down USAID, suggesting that this will be a loss to America. He claims that USAID is well-known and respected abroad. When Elon Musk started to examine USAID, he found numerous examples of projects that were either completely ridiculous or often contrary to American interests. These were well publicized.
Cohen fails to mention any useful projects that were terminated, other than the Alliance for Middle East Peace, an organization I have never heard of but one that I assume promotes the two-state solution, a non-starter in the minds of about 90% of Israeli Jewish citizens.
In passing, Cohen also takes a swipe at Israel’s government for planning to impose an 80% tax on money given to Israeli NGOs by foreign governments. These NGOs all have a political objective. As an Israeli, I object strongly to foreign governments meddling in Israeli politics; 80% is too low.
Cohen’s final objection is that Trump’s actions are an attack on democracy. It’s the last resort employed by the Left when it loses an election and the Right starts exercising its democratic rights.
STEPHEN COHEN
Ma’aleh Adumim