frontlines >> letters
Now to Send Letters
We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or reject letters. Letters of 225 words or less are considered first. Longer ones will
be subject to trimming. Letter writers are limited in frequency of publication. Letters must be original and contain the name, address and title of the
writer and a day phone number. Non-electronic copies must be hand signed. 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 email.
Has Federation Been
Hijacked By The Right?
The Detroit Jewish Federation, along with
some other U.S. Jewish organizations, has
issued a call to oppose the Iran nuclear
arms deal. Why?
Middle Eastern policy issues are
exceedingly complicated. Nuclear weap-
ons debates are even more difficult. It took
25 years of almost constant negotiation to
resolve the threat posed by 45,000 Soviet
nuclear warheads. The Communists,
who butchered tens of millions of people
(including our own), were not exactly
paradigms of righteousness. Yet U.S. presi-
dents of both parties pursued engagement
with the U.S.S.R. because the alternative
was unthinkable.
The Iran agreement was negotiated dur-
ing a two-year period by diplomats and
arms experts from five nations and the
U.N. led by Ph.D. nuclear physicists from
MIT. It encompasses 200 pages of highly
technical provisions. Have any physicists
recently been added to the Federation
staff?
Over the last few centuries, a rather
radical notion has evolved and is now axi-
omatic: Only duly elected representatives
can rightfully speak for their constituents
or membership. Neither the Federation,
nor AIPAC, nor the leaders of any other
organization rightfully represent my
opinion on this matter or indeed even a
majority of our brethren. It has been well
documented that the views of the orga-
nizational leadership of U.S. Jewry are far
more conservative not only than U.S. Jews
as a whole, but in many cases, of their own
membership. Recent polling data indicate
that U.S. Jews support the Iran agreement
by a margin of over 20 percent.
Why should our community acquiesce
to the hijacking of our opinions and our
political will by a hard-right obstructionist
Republican agenda? Because those are the
views of a few large donors? We must be
vigilant of policies that marginalise Israel
and U.S. Jewry.
Israel has not arrived at this point in
its history because it was weak or reluc-
tant to take risks. Quite the opposite. We
forget that, historically, some of the worst
tragedies that befell our people resulted
not from weakness but from extremist
zealotry and that some of our greatest
triumphs arose from compromise and
accommodation.
Isaac Lakritz
West Bloomfield
Meager Inspections Make Iran
Pact A 'Meaningless Charade'
I applaud our Detroit Jewish Federation
for its statement of opposition to the
pending Iran deal, a position that has been
taken by many other Jewish organizations.
I was nonetheless stunned to hear at
Federation's recent forum on Iran that it is
believed the IAEA (International Atomic
Energy Agency) is not up to the task of
leading inspections of Iran's facilities. That
shockingly came from David Makovsky,
a former adviser to Secretary of State
John Kerry and the featured speaker at
Federatioris forum.
The IAEA is supposed to be the world's
watchman against prohibited nuclear
conduct by Iran. But as we've learned
from the past, this is far from what Iran
has demonstrated as they prove them-
selves to be a serial cheater, defying the
international community at least 20 times
as it forges ahead to develop its nuclear
program, secretly building sites like Fordo
that escaped detection by the IAEA and
the rest of the international community.
Even more disturbing, we now know
that the IAEA and Iran have secret side
deals regarding the inspection protocols,
which the U.S. will never see nor be party
to. If, as the deal stipulates, America is
prohibited from participating in inspec-
tions and if the IAEA, as described
by Makovsky, is simply not capable of
performing its charge, and if as we now
know, the signatory nations will not have
anywhere/anytime access to Iran's facili-
ties, let alone its key scientists, the whole
verification process is so severely compro-
mised that it renders this deal a meaning-
less charade, in fact laughable, if not for
the catastrophe it could very well mean for
our children and grandchildren.
Sue Burstein-Kahn
Farmington Hills
Federation's Rejection Of Iran
Pact Does Not Speak For All
My assumption is that as a contributor to
the Federation for about 60 years, I would
be treated as a member. That apparently
does not appear to be the case.
The recent decision suggesting rejection
of the nuclear agreement reached with
Iran, I am certain does not reflect a unani-
mous reasoning by Federation members.
There are very strong reasons for rejec-
tion, but no one even suggested reasonable
alternatives, except a possibility of another
Middle East war, to my knowledge.
I strongly believe the failure to support
and ratify this agreement will be a strong
detriment to future cooperation with
Israel by the U.S. and Western world.
The Detroit Federation appears to be
rejecting the agreement while apparently
other federations throughout the U.S. do
not pretend to be as knowledgeable on
behalf of their donors.
I support the agreement reached by
Kerry. It has flaws, but there are provisions
for inspection, plus providing 10 years
before a bomb built by Iran could or does
become a reality. Iran may cheat, then
action would be acceptable and undoubt-
edly taken. The powers in Iran are com-
pletely aware of the danger of not living up
to the agreement and the strong benefits
provided to their country.
If this agreement is rejected, there will
be a race in the Middle East, not only by
Iran, but by countries with the monetary
capability to acquire the equipment and
elements necessary to become a nuclear
power.
I object to Federation personnel acting
for me without my knowledge. There are
many, besides me, who believe the reac-
tion by the Federation should have been
kept with their personal opinions. We are
aware that the Israeli prime minister is
presently empowered, but with the assis-
tance of a very conservative religious right.
A rejection by the Federation board of
the action it took is essential — or at least
an acknowledgement that its opinion is,
in fact, limited and not reflective of the
Federation's membership.
Milton Y Zussman
Ask Attorney
Ken Gross
about...
Your
Legal Issues
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
Bloomfield Hills
Congressman Says Iran
Deal Is 'Beyond Alarming'
The votes by our U.S. senators and repre-
sentatives on the Iran deal will be the most
momentous they ever cast.
Given the cataclysmic threats posed by
a nuclear- and ICBM-capable Iran, already
the world's leading sponsor of global ter-
rorism even before it is pumped up by
hundreds of billions of dollars of sanctions
relief and oil revenues, there is no room
for distracting polemics and political
circus.
Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch
of Florida seems to understand this bet-
ter than most. Deutch is the ranking
Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs
Committee's Middle East and North Africa
Subcommittee. While serving in the
Florida legislature, he spearheaded legisla-
tion making Florida first in the nation to
prevent taxpayer dollars from financing
Iranian nuclear weapons.
Recently, he penned a piece for the
Florida Sun-Sentinel explaining his think-
ing. (See it online at bitly/1 VZVw9D).
"Many of my colleagues are trying to
turn the Iran vote into a partisan fight.
They should stop:' Deutch said.
"No one denies Iran's support for the
world's most notorious terrorist groups:'
he added. "No one disputes Iran's desta-
bilizing influence in the Middle East or
role in killing Americans. And because no
one trusts Iran not to cheat in anyway it
can, the fact that this deal makes it nearly
impossible to reinstate sanctions of today's
intensity is beyond alarming:'
Deutch said that lifting the arms
embargo in five years lets Iran procure
the sophisticated missile defense systems
they need to guard the nuclear weapons
they want. And suspending the ballistic
weapons ban after eight years allows Iran
to develop the technology to deliver a
weapon anywhere in the world.
Deutch noted that although the deal
may temporarily slow Iran's nuclear
Letters on page 6
116.
I'm retired. My credit
card debt and housing
costs are too high. Do
I keep paying?!
If you are elderly,
retired and living
on a fixed income
and your obligation
on your credit cards and
housing costs leaves
you no money for food,
transportation and
living, you can and
must do something to
fix the problem. You can't
keep paying until you are
broke. There are solutions
that will get rid of the credit
card debt and trim your
housing costs - so you have
money to live and enjoy your
retirement - but you need to
take action.
A.
THAV GROSS
has been solving
its clients' business, tax and financial
problems since 1982. Be sure to tune
in to the new Law and Reality -
Saturday mornings 9 to 10 AM on
WDFN 1130 AM Radio and Sunday's
at 11 AM on TV20.
0 THAV GROSS
888.235.4357 (HELP) or
248.645.1700
For information, visit us online at
thavgross.com • Iawandreality.com
30150 Telegraph, Suite 444
Bingham Farms, MI 48025
August 13 • 2015
5