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. 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