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Send letters to the JN: 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034; fax (248)
304-8885; e-mail, letters@the jewishnews.com . We prefer e-mail.

" DAB' E ' F-; BAN K"
HAS AIOVEI)

We are proud to announce that "Dave's Bank" has moved.

While our growth has allowed us to double our staff, it has also caused us to
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highest level. Our new, convenient, banking offices will allow CEO and Executive
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and personally cater to their client's diverse banking needs.

So, while we know the location is different, and the name a bit unfamiliar, the
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Stop by anytime, or call (248) 649-2301

SERVICE No
OR OF THE frEGITEST LEVEE

PROUD RECIPEENT OF
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2007 OUTSTANDING
LEADERSHIP AWARD

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Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

Seeking Sovereignty
"We wish for no victories, but those of
peace; for no territory except our own;
for no sovereignty, except the sover-
eignty over ourselves:'
These were the words delivered
in 1906 by Elihu Root, secretary of
state to President Theodore Roosevelt
in a rebuke of Cuba and all of Latin
America (Theodore Rex, by Edmond
Morris, Modern Library, New York).
How relevant are these important
words, extended to the welfare of
Israel, which has stated on countless
occasions that as a condition of peace,
it demands that Hamas cease the fir-
ing of rockets at civilians dwelling in
southern Israel. Instead, recent rocket
attacks of longer range and greater
power have been fired, indicating
that Hamas has been arming itself in
recent months. That adds urgency to
Israel's efforts to protect its citizen in
southern Israel.
Clearly, this unbearable situation
prompted the initial incursion and
subsequent movement of Israeli
troops and tanks, protected by heavy
air, sea and artillery fire, through the
center of Gaza, taking control of rocket
launching areas and surrounding the
main city, as Israel and Hamas rebuff
present diplomatic efforts to end the
conflict.

Jerome P. Horwitz, professor emeritus

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Detroit

Obama And Israel

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A6

January 15 . 2009

Nearly a year ago in spring, you stated
in your Editor's Letter, as fact rather
than your opinion, that Barack Obama
and John McCain both were pro-Israel,
and that their bona fides, therefore,
were not in question.
Segue to October, where the news-
paper gave an endorsement to, Obama,
while stating that if Israel is the only
or main issue, then the voter should
vote for McCain. Move forward again
to your post-election column (Editor's
Letter, "Obama's Challenge Nov. 13,
page A5) in which you couldn't stop
levelling in the joy of Obama's election,
even going so far as to tell us as read-
ers that you needed to read his victory
speech twice.
Forgive the lack of pleasantries and
fluff, but how all of that comports
with your recent column stating
essentially that George W. Bush did

not do enough to protect Israel defies
credulity. I, in part, agree on the latter,
feeling that while he had an outstand-
ing vice president and first secretary
of defense, neither of his secretaries
of state has been a friend of Israel. His
current secretary of defense is a friend
only to himself, Bob Gates. He is in the
middle on Israel.
My incredulity comes because you
spent a year helping build Jewish
consensus that Obama was perfectly
good for the Jews and, all of a sud-
den, Israel matters again. There is no
question that either George W. Bush
or John McCain has a lifetime history
of stalwart support for Israel and that
Obama, at this juncture, cannot even
begin to think about putting a down
payment on the matter.
Israel is in a fight for its life. There
is much fear in Israel because of
Obama's predilections on Israel versus
McCain's. The Jewish News helped
spread the story that Obama was solid,
with a long history on Israel when, in
fact, the latter part of that sentence
certainly is not the case.
I don't think all of that downloading
of the whole Obama victory speech
(remember, you said just hearing it
once was not enough), and the reading
and studying of it that you did does
a thing to protect the Jewish people.
We are stuck in a terrible war with an
incoming president who cannot find
his voice to defend Israel even in the
honeymoon period of his pre-presi-
dency.
If this seems like an unusually
tough tone, it is. I
cannot help feel-
ing that if John
McCain had been
elected, Hamas
would not have been
emboldened to act
up recently — and
I could sleep more
Sen. McCain
peacefully not wor-
rying about my
sister who lives in Israel. Alas, as your
newspaper wrote, we Jews have other
issues besides Israel and military
security — and now we are reaping
those "other issues."
Forgive my bitter sarcasm, but
is there something in tikkun olam
[repair of the world] that says that
everyone should be helped, except the
Jews?

Eric Rosenberg

Farmington Hills