LETTERS
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ALL THAT GLITTERS.
It's Only A
Matter Of Life
Everyone demands that you pick a side
in the Middle East saga ("The Changing
Arab World," March 29, page 34).
Our culture demands that you choose
between good or evil, black or white,
Jew or Muslim.
Anyone who dares to question the
insanity of these options is usually
labeled a person without conviction, a
shallow human being; some even call
you a coward.
In spite of our culture's peer pressure
and the loyalties of religious convictions,
many of us still till the soil in the mar-
gins. Some of us refused to assail Jews or
Muslims. Many of us reject suicide
bombers, freedom fighters, soldiers, mer-
cenaries, terrorists and patriots. For us,
the only side that matters is life.
Greg Thrasher
West Bloomfield
Israel's Strengths
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LOIS HARON
248-85 I -6989
Allied Member • ASID
734-422-8040
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Only Look Like It!
In your interviews following U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to
the Mideast ("Success Or Failure?", April
19, page 12) there was little to take issue
with the pro-Zionist content.
In the interview with David Gad-
Harf, executive director of the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit, however, there was a note of
pessimism that might not altogether be
justified. Obviously, David is a solid
supporter of Israel, but it is helpful, in
times like this to point out Israel's
strengths as well as its weaknesses.
Israel has almost total support of
Congress, American Jews and President
George W. Bush. Even after a flip-flop,
Bush continues to give Israel a free hand
during the course of Israel's incursion
into Palestinian areas. As for the United
Nations, the European nations and the
Palestinians, the loss of their good will
does not amount to much because Israel
never had it.
Israel's strength militarily is over-
whelming. Though the Palestinian Arabs
hate Jews (probably more so after the
incursion), this does not mean it cannot
lead to a cease-fire. Not all Palestinians
are martyrs, as was shown by the alacrity
to surrender of many of the terrorist
gunmen.
Continued pressure and even more
crushing incursions, following suicide
bombings and terrorist attacks on Israel,
cannot help but dampen both the ability
and enthusiasm of the Arabs to wage
wars.
Most of all, Israel's course is just. The
people are attached to Eretz Yisrael (land
of Israel) historically, religiously and cul-
turally. Their will, determination and
intelligence is as great as the Jihad (holy
war) fighters who are waiting to enter
heaven.
True, in the long run, peace must be
made through political solutions. For
the near future, as Powell has said, there
must be a cessation of hostilities.
Joseph E Savin
Birmingham
Interstream D.C.
Harmony Lauded
Together with 500 other Detroiters, my
son Zachary and I were privileged to be
in Washington, D.C., on April 15 to
"Stand Up for Israel" ("Making An
Impact," April 19, page 20)
I want. to extend a hardy yasher koach
to those visionary individuals who made
it possible for us to travel to Washington
on such short notice. Under the leader-
ship of Rabbi Daniel Nevins of Adat
Shalom Synagogue and. Rabbi Lee
Buckman of the Jewish Academy of
Metropolitan Detroit, an extraordinarily
hardworking "travel team" was assem-
bled in just hours to make arrangements
for this trip.
Working together with the staff of the
Jewish Academy, the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit —
David Gad-Harf, Rabbi Marla Feldman,
board member Allen Olender — and
Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel,
they accomplished what others doubted
could be done on such short notice.
Those of us who work within the
Jewish community devote most of our
time and energy to our own constituent
groups; here was one of the finest exam-
ples of cooperation between leaders of all
segments of the community —
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform —
coming together to facilitate this one-
day "mission" in the face of the terrible
times and tragedies, which our belea-
guered brothers and sisters in Israel
endure so bravely.
On behalf of my family and the
numerous members of our congregation
who made the trip, I thank all of our
travel team captains extraordinaire" for
taking on this enormous initiative so
ably. May the commitment of our lead-
ers reverberate in Washington, in the
Middle East and throughout the world.
May we all continue to work together
on behalf of peace for our Jewish
brethren in Israel and everywhere on
Earth.
Alan Yost
Adat Shalom Synagogue
Farmington Hills
"