Straight Platform Politics

American Jews – Part 2

Out of Touch with Reality

Too many American Jews think that giving Israeli territory to the Arabs will bring peace to the Middle East. They should know better.

American Jews should have learned a lesson in 2005 when they contributed $14 million to buy greenhouses for the Arabs in the Gaza Strip. Jewish settlers owned these greenhouses and had turned a desert project into a thriving international business. But they were forced off their land and out of Gaza as part of the 2005 Mideast peace plan.

The $14 million was collected within 48 hours. Save the greenhouse. Turn them over to the Arabs. Improve the living standard of the poor Arabs. Peace.

Didn’t happen. Within hours of the evacuation, mobs of Arabs started destroying most of the greenhouses. Parts of Gaza became piles of rubble – millions upon millions of dollars worth of rubble. Then the Hamas did what it said it would do: started firing rockets into Israel from Gaza.

Clinging to fanciful ideas cost these Jewish philanthropists $14 million. But ignoring reality when it comes to future peace accords will cost much more. Israeli security and Israeli lives are at stake.

See Part 1

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American Jews – Part 1

Having Second Thoughts

Many American Jews are having second thoughts about voting for Barack Obama. His current harsh approach toward Israel as President of the United States does not jive with his endearing rhetoric when he was Candidate Obama.

Alan Dershowitz defends the President in his articles, Has Obama Turned on Israel? (07/03/09) and It Takes Two (07/09/09). But he shows an unusual lack of understanding of the Israeli-Arab situation when he alludes to an Arab recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and an Arab acceptance of a demilitarized Palestinian state.

Such thinking is fantasy. Arab hatred for Jews and for Israel has never been hidden, disguised, or denied. And it has never weakened.

In the latter article, Dershowitz says twice that he takes the President at his word. But then later in the same article, when he mentions President Obama’s pro-Arab Cairo speech, Dershowitz states that he judges administrations by their actions more than by their words.

So, which is it? His words or his actions?

Either way, many American Jews are listening and watching the President and are having second thoughts.

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