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Israel: A Miracle
Happy birthday, Israel, 60 years and
counting.
In 1948, three years after the
Holocaust and almost 1,900 years after
the Roman conquest with its massacres
and ethnic cleansing, once again the
Jews had sovereignty in the Land of
Israel.
But freedom and democracy were
established at great cost with 6 million
murdered in the Holocaust and count-
less numbers killed in the centuries
prior to winning statehood. Now seven
full-scale wars and daily acts of terror-
ism later, Israel licks its wounds and
carries on. Despite being surrounded
by bloodthirsty enemies who are con-
sumed by hate and are waging a con-
tinuous war of extermination against
her, Israel endures and flourishes.
Every day of the past 60 years has
been a wondrous miracle. Every day that
Israel survives gives hope and inspira-
tion to all the downtrodden, abused and
oppressed people in our world.
So Israel: Keep up the good work.
Have many more happy birthdays. We
need you to continue being strong, cou-
rageous and righteous.
Douglas Miller
Franklin
What's In A Name?
In reference to presidential candidate
Sen. Barack Obama, it might be interest-
ing to note that "Barak," meaning "light-
ning;' is a respected Hebrew name from
the Jerusalem Bible (Judges 4,5).
Barak was a general about 3,000 years
ago who was inspired by the prophet-
ess Judge Deborah to defeat the army
of King Jabin in a great victory at the
Qishon River, thereby bringing peace to
the region for over 40 years.
Tova Milinsky
Beverly Hills
Our Ally, Israel
On May 4, I had the privilege to join
my friends and neighbors at the Jewish
Community Center in West Bloomfield
for a celebration of the 60th anniversary
of the founding of the modern State of
Israel ("Walk The Walk, Talk The Talk,
May 8, A13).
I visited Israel while I was in the
Michigan Senate; and I have never for-
gotten the beauty of the land, the kind-
ness of the people and the courage with
which Israelis confront the challenges
around them each day.
As our oldest and strongest ally in the
Middle East, and as the only democracy
amid a sea of tyranny, Israel is at the
front line of our fight against terrorists,
and her security is inextricably linked
with our own.
In Congress, I will work to preserve
and strengthen our longstanding friend-
ship with Israel, and I will be a strong
voice for ensuring that she remains
secure, vibrant, democratic and free.
Gary Peters
candidate for Congress
Ninth District
Oakland County
Survival Fight
High moral ground is typical to
Judaism as a philosophy and way
of life. As Jews tried to propagate
their spirituality, pogroms and the
Holocaust proved that in order to be a
"light to all nations," Jews have to be
alive first.
The"Jewish Question" was aimed
to position the Jews so that they can
defend not only the Judaic way of life,
but also their physical existence. Israel
was not established on the premise of
the Holocaust alone, but also desire to
propagate peace and justice as preached
by our prophets.
As Israel made her survival, it had
to fight her bad neighbors. Geneva
Convention laws between regular
armies have no holding in terror
wars. It is demanded, however,that
regular armies must obey rules of
engagement. Yet when Kassam mis-
siles fired from Gaza fall on Israeli
civilians, a moral question pops out:
Does Israel have the right to respond,
to occupy to run the life of others?
Anti-Zionist Jewish organizations felt
that the moral foundation of Judaism
is more important than Jewish physi-
cal existence and if the State of Israel
has to be sacrificed, so let it be.
The "Jewish Question" was replaced by
the "Israel Question:'
Many anti-Zionist Jews do not live in
Israel. The decadence among those in
Israel who do not want a Jewish state,
the academics and journalists, misun-
derstand that Israel is not in a war to be
"a light to all nations;' but in a war for
her survival.
Isaac Barr, M.D.
Bloomfield Hills
Our Christian Friends
Christianity is a proselytizing religion
so Union for Reform Judaism President
Rabbi Eric Yoffe is no doubt correct that
Christian Zionists harbor a hop in their
hearts for the conversion of the Jews, but
they do not make this a condition for
their support ("Reject Yoffie, Embrace
Christian Zionists," April 24, A50).
The rabbis said that it is better to do
the right thing for the wrong reason
than to do the wrong thing for the right
reason. Judaism is not interested in the
motivations for actions, but in the con-
sequences of actions.
All I know is that for the 60 years of
Israel's existence, the Arab world has
waged wars against Israel, encouraged
Palestinian terrorism against Israeli
civilians and carried out a worldwide
campaign of defamation against Israel.
Christian Zionists give monetary and
public relation support for Israel and
they visit Israel often.
Christian Zionists say that are
not motivated by the biblical verses
Genesis 12:2-3 — where God says
to Abraham, "I will make of you a great
nation ... I will bless those who bless
you and whoever curses you, I will
curse I hope that God will bless our
Christian friends.
—
Shoshana Wolok
Oak Park
MERV `Oa
Don't Know
Aside from the books of
Ezra and Daniel, where in
the Hebrew Scriptures is
the only sentence in the
Aramaic language?
—Goldfein
'11:01 11e!waiar :Jamul/
ALEFBET'cha runs every other week.
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May 15 • 2008
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