Editor's Letter t ot to Israel's Self-Destiny T he Israeli prime minister used a massive Jewish stage to tell the world that Israel and America will confront global challenges in lockstep as unswerving partners no matter the differences these two democratic allies encounter along the way. "We stand together because we are fired by the same ideals and inspired by the same dream — the dream of achieving security, prosperity and peace;' Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu told 7,500 delegates to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) 2010 policy conference held March 21-23 in Washington. "The dream seemed impossible to many Jews a century ago;' Netanyahu said. That's an understatement. What Netanyahu, also chairman of Israel's Likud party, said next was interesting and significant, but little reported. He talked about his father, Benzion, turning 100 in March. "When he was born;' Netanyahu said, "the Czars ruled Russia, the British Empire spanned the globe and the Ottomans ruled the Middle East. During his lifetime, all of these empires collapsed, others rose and fell and the Jewish destiny swung from despair to a new hope — the rebirth of the Jewish state. For the first time in 2,000 years, a sovereign Jewish people could defend itself against attack." Therein was the essence of his message to AIPAC: Israel must always reserve the right to defend itself. It's a message that resonates given Israel's Middle East neighbors include Hamas to the south, Fatah to the west and Hezbollah/Syria to the north — and the most dangerous, Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Fatah may purportedly sit across from Israel at the negotiating table in pursuit of peace, but don't for an instant forget about its anti-Zionist underpinnings. In the shadows of the close of the AIPAC policy conference, Fatah's leader, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who governs the West Bank, promoted Mahmoud Damra, who com- manded a Palestinian terror unit, to the rank of major general. Notably, Damra has been impris- oned in Israel since 2006. Clarity Of Thought Israel's commitment to guarding its citizens and land was underscored for Netanyahu when he met Shlomit Vilmosh some 40 years ago. Netanyahu, 60, served with Vilmosh's son, Haim, in the same elite unit of the Israeli army. Haim died by gunfire in battle in 1969. "At his funeral:' Netanyahu recounted, "I discovered that Haim was born shortly after his mother and father had been freed from the death camps of Europe. If Haim had been born two years before, this daring young officer would have been tossed into the ovens like a million other Jewish children. Haim's mother told me that though she was in great anguish, she was proud. At least, she said, my son fell wearing the uni- form of a Jewish soldier defending the Jewish state." How compelling an image is that? Time and again, the Israeli army has repelled much larger armies bent on destroying any semblance of Zionism in the Middle East. It's important to understand the power of such force. Egypt and Jordan didn't veer toward the path of peace until they had witnessed Israel's military might. A Potent Danger Still, Israel remains vulnerable if it lets down its guard for even a moment. Jew-haters — who dispatch terrorists, mis- siles and threats of atomic bombs — continue to openly call for Israel's destruction so Palestinian Arabs can claim the land for the "state of Palestine' "The ingathering of the Jewish people to Israel has not deterred these fanatics;'Netanyahu said. "In fact, it has only whetted their appetite. Iran's rulers say 'Israel is a one-bomb country' The head of Hezbollah says, `If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.'" In its 2006 war with Israel, Iran-backed Hezbollah proved to be no pushover. We know the effect of not recognizing, or ignoring, real danger: 75 years ago, at least 11 million people, including 6 million Jews, died in World War II, ignited by Nazi Germany. Shifting his focus to Tehran, Netanyahu said a radical Iranian regime armed with nuclear war- heads could bring an end to 65 years of nuclear peace. He warned that such a regime not only might be tempted to use them, but also provide them to terrorists to attack a common enemy — with Israel first up. Iran's foray into atomic Prime Mini ster warfare also is a grave threat to the region — and Through The Ages Netanyahu Previous to Benzion Netanyahu's lifetime, Jews ultimately the world — what with the increasing were subjected to cascades of savagery as well: sophistication of such weaponry. the bloodletting of the Middle Ages; expulsion from England, I urge the Obama administration and Congress to finally Spain and Portugal; slaughter in the Ukraine; the pogroms in adopt tougher sanctions in hopes of halting Iran's nuclear Russia, culminating in the Holocaust, which we commemo- development, which is moving along. As Netanyahu declared in rate on Yom HaShoah, this year on Sunday, April 11. his AIPAC speech, "Israel expects the international community Israel's statehood in 1948 was no deterrent against to act swiftly and decisively to thwart this danger. But we will attacks on Jews. "It merely gave the Jews the power to always reserve the right to self-defense:' defend themselves against those attacks;' said Prime As it should and as it must. Minister Netanyahu, who took office a little more than one 0 : Is America too sluggish with Iranian sanctions? year ago, on March 31, 2009. c i But Israeli Jews clearly have defended the state quite well, u) thanks to a formidable military born of necessity amid Arab in Why is Israel under such a critical microscope? z and Islamic neighbors who despise the Jewish ancestral a o homeland and all that it stands for. a 11 ❑ Z arc I t I I i FLAT (1 %1 FIFTH THIRD BANK We went from slamming doors to opening doors. JARC's Respite Program has allowed us to start living life again. Before Respite, ordinary outings would be out of the question. Now they are everyday occurrences. Jayden's Laughter and smiles tell the whole story. Lisa, Jayden's Mother SpringElation is the major source of funding forJARC's Merle and Shirley Harris Children and Family Division, which serves more than 450 families with children with any disability, including those with developmental delays, on the autism spectrum and with learning disabilities. May 27, 2010 - 9 PM A Private JARC Evening At The Detroit Zoo! All Inclusive Tickets $25 Each - Age 2 and Under Free! - TICKETS ONLINE! www.jarc.org For Sponsorship and Additional Information: Carol Kaczander 248 538.6610 x 343 or carolkaaanderejarc.org - arc iN Enriching Lives. Erasing Barriers. April 8 • 2010 5