Correspondence

Letters to the editor

By JEWISH REVIEW

article created on: 2009-01-15T00:00:00

It is madness

To the editor:

I tried to envision Arab missiles or mortar shells fired into my neighborhood constantly. I thought about what that would be like. Some of the things I thought were simple. For example, what would I do if the warning sirens began to blare while I was showering?

What would it be like to live under the threat of having an Iranian made rocket, such as those Hamas uses, come crashing through my roof or worse, through the roof of my daughter’s bedroom?

I thought about the pregnant woman or the grandma and grandpa running for cover. Little things came to mind, like cooking or playing with my granddaughter as a Hamas missile strikes my home. I considered the newlyweds (my son and daughter-in-law for example) trying to start a new life together running for cover with just 10 seconds warning. I could not imagine that scenario for very long. Who wants to live with that sort of hell for years and years?

Equally, I wondered what it would be like to have a group of lunatics drive up to the front of my house, walk to the back of my property, and begin firing missiles into Portland. How do you go out of your patio door to confront that sort of madness? Who on earth votes for this sort of evil? How can this sort of response to any problem be acceptable?

For many years this has been life for the innocent Jewish children and their parents in southern Israel. I cannot imagine this for longer than five minutes!

I cannot for the life of me understand how any American can protest in support of Hamas. I simply have never heard of a Jewish homicide bomber have you? That insanity resides only with the barbaric Islamists of Hamas and groups of individuals who cherish death.

It is madness to blame Americans or Israelis or anyone else!

Jeff Morton
Vancouver

Plea and prayer for peace

To The Editor:

On the weekend of Jan. 3-4, organizations of faith throughout the world focused their attention on the human suffering caused by the escalation of violence in Gaza and Israel.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon joins with them in calling for all world leaders, including the United States government, to bring to bear all their influence to secure an immediate cease-fire, an end to violence by all parties and access by humanitarian groups to those in need of help.

We also call for all parties and world leaders to renew their commitment to a negotiated settlement resulting in a viable Palestinian state and a secure Israel.

Finally, we lift up our prayers for and offer our condolences to all who have suffered the loss of life and who experience the fear and anxiety that war produces.

We are particularly mindful of our Christian, Muslim and Jewish friends and neighbors who suffer both in the Middle East and the Pacific Northwest.

Today, may the commitment to true peace including non-violent ways of settling differences be the way of the New Year offering both Palestinians and Israelis hope and new life possibilities in the days ahead.

David Leslie
Executive Director
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

Caravan of folly

To the editor:

I recently returned to Portland from a short family visit to Israel. My wife and I were there for 12 days.

A few days after we arrived, Israel started its bombing of the Gaza strip. Israeli soldiers entered Gaza a day before we left.

As I read the papers, listen to the radio and reflect on the conversations I had back home with a few close friends about the situation, my heart fills with sadness.

Some claim that what is happening in Gaza is a massacre, while others find such an accusation outrageous and untrue. Some say that the fighting is Hamas’ fault while others blame Israel. Some say we should not compare body counts and some say we cannot ignore a mortality rate of approximately 100 dead Palestinians to every dead Israeli.

Some say that this war is poli­tical: Tsipi Livni and Ehud Barak trying to improve
their standings in the polls, or Israel taking advantage of the last days of the Bush administration. Some mention Iran or Egypt as players.

This list can go on, strengthening what everyone seems to agree on—the situation is highly complex.

Meanwhile, people are dying.

I distrust anyone who claims they know what is happening. Anyone who claims to understand the situation—Israeli or non-Israeli, left or right—is either arrogant or ignorant.

This is a dirty war (as wars always are), fought in the most populated area on the planet—a fact that is used by both warring sides in horrible and cynical ways.

Both sides must take responsibility for their actions. Hamas chooses to fire rockets from within a U.N school and the IDF chooses to fire back. Neither of the fighting parties comes out of this round with their humanity intact (and no amount of warning leaflets dropped from planes can change this fact), so please let’s not pretend otherwise.

While we argue who is at fault and who is the victim, bodies pile up in the street, and a new generation of traumatized children is set forth to continue the dance of death started by previous generations. The dogs bark as the caravan of folly and destruction passes by once again.

Jonathan Moss
Portland

Wake up the world

To the editor:

Before it’s too late, we need to wake up the world on the subject of radical Islamic countries.

I am not Jewish, but I worked in Israel from 1971 to 1976 at Beit Zera.

I am a stroke victim now and it is hard for me to talk anymore, but I will work in Israel if I have to.

My support.

Michael Fuller
Portland

Kwartler on target

To the editor:

Ken Kwartler’s article, “Action against Hamas careful, necessary response,” (Jewish Review, Jan. 1) is about the best report that I have read about the situation in Gaza and Israel.

I hope everyone reads it and will be better informed. I’m going to send the article to all my relatives and friends who ask about what is going on.

Nadene Goldfoot
Gresham

Caricature offends

To the editor:

The Jan. 1 issue of Jewish Review has a Dry Bones cartoon (page 16) in which a character meant to represent a Hamas radical, I assume, is portrayed in my opinion in a derogatory manner that is reminiscent of the repugnant stereotypes of Jews in the past.

A stereotype such as this has no place on an opinion page in which reasoned commentary and analysis is called for; not hackneyed caricatures of an enemy terrorist organization.

People need to know issues without coloring their opinions with bogeyman pictures. Using such images lowers the journalistic bar to a standard comparable with that used on a daily basis by the enemies of Israel.

I would urge that such images not be included in what is normally a very fine publication.

Robert Cohn
Beaverton

Café at J well kept secret

To the Editor:

I just wanted to tell you about the wonderful dinner my family and I had tonight at the Café at the J at Mittleman Jewish Community Center.

Each Tuesday night they serve up an absolutely delicious meal with an extensive and exotic vegetarian buffet, salads, soup and dessert with optional meat entrees. 

This is some of the finest food in Portland and it is strictly Kosher! 

Thus far the Café at the J seems to be a well kept secret but I’m certain as the word gets out, we will see large community support, especially Tuesday evenings.

Come see your friends and support the only Kosher gourmet food in town!

Rick Hartoch, MD
Portland