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RED
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Managing Editor
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Pr n ed i t
Michigan
6 March 21 • 2013
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
frontlines >> letters
J-Serve Teens Are The
Future Of Detroit Jewry
Thank you for highlighting the incredi-
ble J-Serve retreat in Downtown Detroit
("Three Days In Motown:' March 14,
page 1). The teens who participated are
the future of the Jewish community of
Detroit and their service is representa-
tive of the community-wide initiative
that J-Serve has become.
We want to recognize and thank the
32 partnering organizations that are
involved in the planning and imple-
mentation of the J-Serve retreat this
year. These partners include many of
Metro Detroit's synagogues, temples,
agencies and organizations.
The success of J-Serve and the future
of the Metro Detroit Jewish community
are bright with all of these partners
involved. We're looking forward to the
community-wide J-Serve event on April
21. Register today at jservedetroit.org .
Jodi Gross, Adat Shalom Synagogue,
Danny Bittker, BBYO
J-Serve 2012-2013 Co-Chairs
Look At Obama's Actions
Toward Israel, Not Rhetoric
In response to two letters (March 7,
page 5) praising Barack Obama as a
friend of Israel, it is important to note
that both have confused presidential
rhetoric and acts of self-interest with
true friendship. Both letters claimed
that the Peres Presidential Medal of
Distinction proves that Obama has
been a good friend to Israel. However,
that honor does not reflect the Israeli
citizens' opinions of the U.S. president.
Though Obama is selling Israel
equipment with a "qualitative military
edge no matter how great or small the
technological edge, he is simultaneous-
ly providing unconscionably advanced,
lethal weaponry to Egypt's Muslim
Brotherhood regime, the parent of the
Hamas organization. Both organiza-
tions' founding documents declare
enmity for Israel. The Hamas charter
quotes: "Israel will exist and will con-
tinue to exist until Islam will obliterate
it, just as it obliterated others before
it:' quoted from Muslim Brotherhood
founder, Hassan al-Banna.
In addition, Obama's obstruction of
the Benghazi investigation has been an
attempt to block the revelation of how
his administration was working to sup-
ply Libyan weapons to Syrian (includ-
ing Al Qaeda) rebels. These same rebels
are now making threats against Israel
and have invaded the DMZ in the
Golan and kidnapped U.N. peacekeep-
ers.
I would give no praise to Obama
for opposing the P.A.'s unilateral bid
for statehood in the U.N. The U.S. is a
signatory to the Oslo Accords, which
clearly prohibits any such unilateral
theJEWISHNEWS.com
F. Kevin Browett
action, and invalidates the entire peace
process. Nor does Obama deserve com-
mendation for supporting Israel's right
to defend itself. That should be a given,
not a cause for praise, as Israel is an ally
and the only true friend and democracy
in the Middle East.
The president's very public disdain
for Netanyahu, Israel's duly elected
prime minister, has done much to harm
the situation for Israel. And while keep-
ing up significant pressure on Israel,
President Obama has been consistent in
his failure to produce concessions from
the Palestinians.
Finally, for those who never knew
the actual history in the region, or have
conveniently forgotten it, prior to the
1967 war, there were no agreed-upon
borders. There is no such thing as
"occupation" because the territories are
defined as "disputed," and the UN reso-
lutions never required Israel to return
to the 1948 armistice lines, given that
they were indefensible and Israel was
constantly under attack. But, that is
what the "good friend" Obama is insist-
ing on.
So after 20 years of Oslo, Israel would
have gained nothing; like freedom
from aggression, while the Palestinians
obtain a land that was never theirs in
the first place.
Dorene Weisberg
West Bloomfield
Talk Of '67 Borders
A Danger To Israel
Both the letter headlined "Obama Has
Been A Great Friend of Israel" (March
7, page 5), and the letter it criticized,
"Obama Visit Will Only Put Pressure
on Israel" (Feb. 21, page 5), completely
missed the real issue in this dispute.
The issue is neither the loyalty nor
the past behavior of the president with
respect to Israel. Instead, an increas-
ing number of Jews and non-Jews are
becoming convinced that the president
views the national interest of the U.S.
in a manner extremely dangerous to
Israel.
A prime example is the president's
declaration of May 15, 2011, stating
that:
"The borders of Israel and Palestine
should be based on the 1967 lines with
mutually agreed swaps, so that secure
and recognized borders are established
for both states."
This declaration is considered by
many as a very significant change in
the U.S. policy.
After the Six-Day War, the U.N.
passed Resolution 242, which stated
that "the establishment of just and last-
ing peace" should include a number of
principles, the first one of which was
Letters on page 41
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