LETTERS

Make Israel Real
To Americans

The article on emigration to Israel
was well worth noting ("And Still
They Come," Oct. 12, page 20).
However, I am concerned that readers
could get the wrong idea about mov-
ing to Israel — that it is only for the
poor or for Russians (no offense
meant, but the article clearly focused
on members of the former Soviet
Union) or only for people who have
no alternative.
Our daughter, Devra, recently
become an olah (emigrant) after many
trips to Israel with United Synagogue
Youth during high school, study dur-
ing college and a six-month intern-
ship with the Jerusalem Report.
Although she has our family and
friends as contacts, many, if not most,
of her friends are olim from the
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia
and many other places across the
globe. They chose to move to Israel
for other reasons than economic
necessity or religious persecution.
Aliyah is down — very much down
— in Israel. Nothing can change the
statistics. And the already low rates of
aliyah from North America are down
as well. However, there are still people
making the transition, following their
lives every day, working at jobs and
otherwise functioning as members of
Israeli society.
The Jewish News could do a greater
service to its readers by highlighting
those stories — by making Israel real
to Americans.

Leonard Wanetik
West Bloomfield

Helping To
Define Terrorism

I am confused. When is the premedi-
tated killing of innocent people ter-
rorism? When are those who commit
and support such deeds, terrorists?
Is the location important? Is the
quantity of lives lost important? Is it
terrorism when the mayhem wrought
reaches some monetary amount? Is it
terrorism when it happens to me, but
justice if it happens to you?
What criterion is that point which
determines when nations or religions
publicly declare that such deeds are
separate from, and unallied with,
their tenets?
The events of the past month have

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2001

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created much rancor within
("Cheering For Terrorism," Oct. 12,
page 16).
The Detroit media helped Muslim
leaders publicly state that terrorism is
anathema to Islam. Daily, I have heard
Muslims declare that acts witnessed on
Sept. 11 are not what Islam preaches.
Was it the location, Washington and
New York? Was it the almost 7,000 sac-
rificed innocents? Was it the billions of
dollars wasted that caused Muslim
spokesmen to alienate their religion
from Sept. 11, and declare publicly that
the New York happening was a non-
Muslim terrorist act?
There has been much violence and
butchery committed by those claiming
to be "Muslim." Have they forgotten
the events of the Olympics in
Germany, Lockerbie in Scotland, the
raid in Entebbe, Uganda, the recent
Marseilles French commando coup, or
the continuing copycat bombings in
Israel?
Why were the other events before
Sept. 11 "just"? Was it because they
were located in countries void of the
influence exerted by the United States,
or because of the relatively small num-
ber of lives exterminated? Or maybe it
was because the financial ruin they
caused was miniscule compared to New
York's.
Where were the Islamic protests
when all these "lesser" crimes were
committed? Why is it, now, an attempt
is made to distance Islam from death
and butchery? Would the Muslim
world have found it expedient to con-
demn the catastrophe if the oblivion
had occurred in Tel Aviv? Would other
countries have condemned this
"damned spot" of Islamic extremism
had Israel been the target? I have not
heard one Muslim apologize for the
"lesser" crimes.
The world has witnessed the quintes-
sential example of what happens when
one mixes religion and politics. Self-
righteous groups should take note.
When is an act of terror, terrorism?

Dr. Marshall A. Shapiro
West Bloomfield

A Way To
Improve Oslo

The 1993 Oslo Accords, designed to
provide a path to peace and coexis-
tence, have led instead to violence and
death. Despite being a failed peace ini-
tiative, the agreement continues to
receive support from the Bush admin-

istration ("Bush Nudges Peace
Process," Oct. 5, page 20).
This support can have consequences,
possibly unintended. Suppose Israel is
coerced into signing peace treaties, first
with the Palestinian Authority and
then with Syria, leaving it without
defensible borders. And suppose
Palestinian refugees, feeling betrayed by
treaties not addressing their needs,
attempt to enter Israel, leading to vio-
lence.
Suppose also that the violence,
fueled by Arab hatred for Jews, quickly
spreads and escalates, leading Egypt
and Syria to simultaneously attack
Israel as in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Israel, to survive, would have to
respond swiftly and ruthlessly, resulting
in tens of thousands of Arab casualties,
some innocent. And by no means is it
assured Israel would survive.
A wise policy would be one which
minimizes the possibility of such a
catastrophe, something the Oslo
Accords fail to do. A wiser policy than
the Oslo Accords would include the
following elements: incorporate the
Gaza Strip into Egypt and portions of
the West Bank into Jordan, each sup-
ported by economic incentives.
Such an approach would be an
improvement over the Oslo Accords
since the PA has shown itself to be
ungovernable as well as a source of
instability and terror.

Irving Warshawsky
West Bloomfield

Editor's note: The following letter ran
Oct. 5 with a typographical error that
distorted the meaning, so it is being
re-run in its entirety.

Sharon Holds
Key To Peace

The recent tragic events continue to
cause all to be concerned about the ter-
rorism that tragically now engulfs the
United States and continues to plague
Israel ("What Kind Of Coalition,"
Sept. 21, page 23).
I listened carefully as President
George W. Bush told all of us that he
had stated conditions in his ultimatum
to the Taliban. He said there would
not be any negotiations concerning his
stated conditions. He did not state that
he was going to send Secretary of State
Colin Powell to meet with Osama bin
Laden.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
has not stated his conditions for peace

and security in an ultimatum to
Palestinian Authority leader Yasser
Arafat. He has not stated that the secu-
rity and peace conditions were non-
negotiable. He remains under the con-
trolled persuasion of Nobel Peace
Prize-er Shimon Peres, now Israeli for-
eign minister.
The recent events in Israel struck
hard and close to me. The victim of
the ceaseless fire, Sarit Amrani, was a
neighbor of my daughter, a founder of
Nkodim (El David), who still resides
there. Sarit Amrani and a later victim
of the ceaseless fire, Salit Sheetrit, were
both known to a neighbor of mine
whose children reside in Kiryat Arba.
Shimon Peres will not stop the cease-
less fire by meeting with Arafat. It is
possible that there may be pause in the
ceaseless fire if Arafat believes that this
will win him favors from the United
States via Colin Powell. But the cease-
less fire against Israel will continue in
the future when the terrorist Arafat
decides it is time to resume terrorist
activity.
Sharon must now exert leadership
without influences from Peres. Now is
the time for him to state Israel's condi-
tions for security and peace in an ulti-
matum leaving no room for negotia-
tions or meetings with Arafat relative
to the conditions.

Dr. Wilbert Simkovitz
Clawson

Thanks To All
On Mark's Behalf

Mark Herman and his family would
like to express their heartfelt thanks to
all of their friends, family and the
entire community for their over-
whelming love, support and prayers
during the past seven months
("Caring For Mark," Sept. 21, page
38).
We would like to particularly thank
all of the sponsors, auction donors,
restaurants and numerous services
that volunteered their time and servic-
es, and helped to make the Oct. 6
fund-raiser such a tremendous success.
Your kindness, caring and generosi-
ty have touched us deeply and we are
forever grateful to you all.

Suzanne Leibovitz
Walled Lake