Comments on: American Jews: a guide to dissent

By: Ronni Shalit

Ronni Shalit — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 01:34:05 +0000

Israel does go the extra mile, and always has. But going the extra mile doesn't mean committing suicide, which is what would happen if Israel listened to American Jewry. American Jewry has a tendency of coming late to the party (i.e., post-mortem).

By: Herbert Kaine

Herbert Kaine — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:46:18 +0000

Perhaps the left could join Hamas and Hezbollah and influence them.

By: Marc Schulman

Marc Schulman — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:49:11 +0000

It may be insanity, but I can still remember being in the army a long time ago and serving with someone whose Father had fought in 1948. I thought then, that while I doubt we will have peace in time for my children I want to know for their sake that we always did the most we could, so I could look them in the eye and say we always went the extra step. Now with my second child already in the army a year, I want to know in a few years when its my youngest time that I can say that- Thats not even counting future grandchildren. Which of course does not mean I live in a dream world, I just want us to forever know we always went the extra mile

By: Robert C Woolwine

Robert C Woolwine — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:14:31 +0000

Kill you… Believe him!!

By: Robert C Woolwine

Robert C Woolwine — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:13:51 +0000

I'm sorry but in response to your liberal Zionist friend – you should have told him that is the very definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result! Instead he should focus on something more productive and also another quote – i your enemy says he wants to

By: אבי קסנר

אבי קסנר — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:52:31 +0000

Perception is meaningless if there is no truth behind it, and nothing you can do to change it. You have two options here. 1. Make life better for Israelis and get sanctions from the international community or 2. Make life harder for Israelis and get sanctions from the international community.

There is no third option here. But the truth is, there will be no sanctions from the International community, because truly, they aren't that stupid. Building houses is not slavery, it is not Apartheid. It is diplomatic fodder for the ever increasing attempt to prevent Muslim hostility in Europe. If Israel makes peace with the PA, they will be spoken harshly to for not making peace with Hamas. If they make peace with Hamas, they will chastised for not having better trade deals. If they have better trade deals, they will be warned about diplomatic relations with Iran. It will not end, and their opinion is therefore truly, meaningless.

By: Marc Schulman

Marc Schulman — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:36:48 +0000

You truly do not get it- Its not trying to compare the rights, and I am certainly not comparing the morality of the two- what I am saying is that it is all about perceptions and how the world sees things. We are always at a disadvantage- and yes its not fair, but that life and we have to deal with an unfair playing field. However that is the field we are in and we need to make the best of it. What I am most importantly saying is that we need the world, we cannot be an island since we are dependent on the world- so we must make the best of the situation, and if you do not have to upset the world you do not- Its better to be smart then right, and no I am not trying to make a double entendre

By: אבי קסנר

אבי קסנר — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:11:16 +0000

Are you really trying to compare the building of homes to Slavery and apartheid? Is that supposed to be a serious argument? If the world wants to put economic sanctions on Israel because Jews are building houses for themselves, well then there is nothing short of suicide which will stop the sanctions. If it's not building houses, it will be refusing to allow Palestinians in Syria, the US and Jordan to move into expensive apartments in Tel Aviv. If it's not that, it will be not giving more money to the PA. If it's not that, it will be for imprisoning terrorists, if it's not that it will be for refusing to ethnically cleanse Judea and Samaria of all Jews, the list will go on and on. If the world will bring on sanctions for doing something which is as benign and moral as building homes then they will do it for anything.
And if you think building houses, houses which the PA could in theory make into homes for their own citizens, is worthy of sanctions, then so be it. Nothing will stop the sanctions.

By: Sam Wineburg

Sam Wineburg — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:45:27 +0000

Excellent column. It is refreshing to hear some solid common sense expressed in pages where such a commodity is rare.

By: Marc Schulman

Marc Schulman — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:47:57 +0000

We had great relations with Africa in the 60's we sent advisors to help all the early independent states, and when push came to shove they all broke diplomatic relations. The Afrikaaners in South Africa thought there superior economic positions would help them, but it did not- we can go all the way back in history to the US Civil War when the South was convinced that the world would support them because of cotton, but they did not because the people in Europe opposed slavery. We must always make sure that we have the moral high ground- Yes there are people who will always oppose us, and yes we are fighting an asymmetric fight with the other side lying. That however does not allow us to make sure that we are always on the right side, and that we are always the ones going that extra mile looking for the elusive peace that the other side may never give us

By: אבי קסנר

אבי קסנר — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:32:22 +0000

And it's not really even just economic, as the aide we provide to Africa to help them grow crops doesn't really benefit Israel economically, but it does create a relationship which prevents war.

By: אבי קסנר

אבי קסנר — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:30:53 +0000

I'm not saying that we don't care about the world. I'm saying that there is no reason to be concerned with the opinion of diplomats. Economic relationships is all we need to worry about, and those have gone from strength to strength lately.

By: Albert Fischer

Albert Fischer — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:01:54 +0000

Marc Schulman Yeah but you really cannot base your decisions on what lefty jews and europeans say. They say a lot when the days are long…. blah blah blah waffle di waffle di waffle. I think jstreet-like advice can safely be ignored. When did that ever harm exports, to disregard such backstabbers (cos that's what they are, revelling in the warm glow of selfrighteousness whilst not having to face any of the problems, having never lifted a finger for Israel)?

By: Albert Fischer

Albert Fischer — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:01:54 +0000

By: Marc Schulman

Marc Schulman — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:42:07 +0000

While we cannot rely on the world to protect us, we are not an island alone in the world. Our economy is totally dependent on exports, and we need the support we have received from the US. Therefore acting as if we do not care about the world is a very poor policy