For Openers
Messaging The Media
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I
srael has every right to
defend innocent civilians
from the "horrendous butch-
ery of Hamas, the Palestinian
Authority and Other terrorist groups,"
says George Barahal, a Southfield psy-
chologist.
And he's not afraid to tell that to
President George W. Bush or to the
editors of some of the largest newspa-
pers in America.
"If American children, adolescents
and innocent civilians were being massa-
cred in the streets of New York,
Washington and other cities," Barahal
wrote President Bush, "would you not
be vigorously reacting against these ter-
rorist groups?"
A Navy veteran who fought in World
War II, Barahal speculated that Bush
would respond just as Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon has — with
increasing military might.
Barahal praised the president for his
"consistent and inspirational approach-
es" to fighting the terrorist threat world-
wide. But in a March 19 letter sent to
the White House, he chastised Bush for
changing course and expecting Israel to
"hold back" against aggressors loyal to
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Barahal told Bush he was "old enough
to remember the appeasement of Adolf
Hitler, which resulted in World War II."
"You have been great in our refusal
to appease Arafat in his inability
and/or unwillingness to curb the ter-
rorist attacks, and the bloodshed he
has triggered-off in Israel. I would
hope you would return to your previ-
ous morally appropriate policy that
you were adhering to before this
shift."
The professor emeritus of psycholo-
gy at Wayne State University in
Detroit shared with Bush the letters
he wrote to the Wall Street Journal, the
© 2002
y Goldfein
4 v•••\
New York Times and the Detroit Free
Press.
Barahal lauded the Journal for sup-
porting Israel and its "right and obli-
gation" to do whatever it takes to
defend its people from the "vicious
attacks" of terrorists.
He challenged both the Times and
Free Press for questioning the level of
Israel's retaliatory strikes.
"I cannot understand how you can
expect Israel to show more restraint
when their civilians are killed by sui-
cide bombers on a regular basis," he
told the Times.
"The blood of targeted, innocent
civilians has been flowing in the
streets of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and
other cities in Israel," he added.
He asked the Free Press, "Does a
country have a right to defend the
lives of innocent people? Should
Sharon passively stand by and contin-
ue to watch innocent people massa-
cred?"
Barahal isn't a man afraid to share
his feelings.
And to underscore how deeply held
they are, he told Bush how proud he
was of America not backing away
from those who would try to tear it
down.
"In fact," he wrote, "if I were a
younger man, I would re-enlist in the
armed forces." ❑
—Robert A. Sklar, editor
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Quotables
"To take Judaism seriously means to
allow Jewish values and ideals to help
share our lives. This, in turn, requires
that we devote more time and energy to
learning and understanding Jewish
sources. Without that 'investment,' we
preclude the possibility of Judaism ever
being meaningful to us."
— Rabbi Jerome Epstein, executive vice
president of the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism, in the spring
issue of United Synagogue Review.
"I don't need to apologize that ances-
tors of mine ... denied women access to
positions of public status and authority.
This viewpoint was part of an ancient
patriarchal culture, not the result of
God-given commandments. We, there-
fore, have license to reinterpret Judaism
in light of our own moral insight."
— Rabbi David Ellenson, president of
the Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion, in the winter issue
of Reform Judaism.
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) Pretender To The Throne
Ariel Sharon's declining fortunes in the polls
and the increasing disaffection with the failures
of the national unity government has Israelis
looking desperately for new leadership. And,
according to Jewsweek senior columnist Avi
Davis, in the prevailing irony of Israeli politics,
it is, oddly, the old leadership that is now
starting to look quite as good as the new.
Also, the latest news from the Middle East.
www.jewish.com
) To Fight Or To Talk
Harvey Sicherman, president of the Foreign
Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia,
argues that America must stand firmly with
Israel because neither democracy can afford
to lose the test of wills that the Palestinian
leadership has created. But Dr. Stephen P.
Cohen, president of the Institute for Middle
East Peace and Development, contends that
Israel must reject retaliation for the violence
of the intifada (uprising) and urges President
Bush to call together the leaders of Israel and
the Arabs to
a joint covenant of rejection of terror and an
end to all occupation.
w-ww.jewish.com
Yiddish Limericks
He woos with a wink and a whistle.
Her heart starts to soften a bissel*
Along with her will.
He's in for the kill.
Her heart's locked, but he's got the
shlissel.**
— Martha Jo Fleischmann
* little
** key