IDF volunteer is inspiring
As a Bay Area teen, I am aware of the difficulties of trying to fit in at school, at home and at my extracurricular activities. It must be even more difficult, then, to turn your back on society, one obsessed with grades, friends and colleges, and pursue the path less traveled by. Yet, Aaron Polse pursued such a path and enlisted in the Israeli army (“Young fans of Israeli soldiers form group to support IDF,” May 21).
Now Polse is inspiring others to do the same, getting people involved in their communities and teaching them about their roles in protecting Israel. Polse was very courageous when he strayed from society’s set path and enlisted in the IDF. He, along with his friends, are an inspiring group of young men, dedicated to a cause they truly believe in. I hope to one day see more people who, like Polse, listen to their hearts instead of following the crowd.
Maya Schacker | Piedmont
Remembering Victory Day
I am thankful to the j. for writing an article about Victory Day and the experiences of those people who made that day possible (“Émigrés Celebrate Victory Day — 65 Times Over,” May 7). Every year my family celebrates this day. Every year my father tells me about how my grandparents fought against the Nazis. However, it is impossible for me or for anyone who did not undergo the experiences of World War II to fully understand what Victory Day means. It is impossible to fully understand how this celebration is a day “with the tears in the eyes.”
One can be told that out of all men born in the Soviet Union in 1923, only 2 percent survived WWII. One can be told that more than 25 million citizens of the Soviet Union died in the War. However, one that has not experienced it will never understand what these numbers signify. But everyone has the responsibility and obligation to those who died and to the generations that will come, to try to understand.
Sonya Karchemskiy | San Francisco
Israel’s no place for Chomsky
Israel has no obligation to allow Noam Chomsky to enter Israel (“Was Israel right in banning Chomsky?” May 21) and spew his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hatred at Bir Zeit University. He believes the Jews control the media and want to dominate the world. Israel has no shortage of zealots and dangerous eccentrics, among them Israel Shahak, a rabid anti-Israeli and anti-Talmudist who was praised by Chomsky as “an outstanding scholar …”
As for Judge Boaz Okon, his argument that blocking entry to Chomsky into Israel is against free speech. This is a misbegotten argument since. I’m sure he would not allow someone to enter his home and vilify his family.
Chomsky has defended the French neo-Nazi Holocaust denier Robert Faurisson by writing a complimentary introduction to his books. Chomsky has also been active in California’s Institute of Historical Review, whose main agenda is anti-Semitism and pro-Nazi movies and propaganda.
Joseph Abdel Wahed | Moraga
Thanks for Friendship Circle
In the late ’50s and ’60s, I was a Jewish kid doing what some Jewish kids did: going to camp. Also religious school, but back then it was called Sunday school. Everything was hard for me to grasp; from folk dancing to the Hebrew alphabet, I never caught on. Did I want to be there? Yes. I loved my involvement in the Jewish community. Were people supportive? Sure! I got invited to join the dance. Did I ever master Hebrew? Not a bit. Did I have a bat mitzvah? Yes, I did — at age 39. Improvised? You bet! But I got to do it.
Since then, my involvement has never ceased. I’m there, putting myself in the mix of Jewish life, continually learning where I can be involved. Who am I? I am a person with special needs.
Every time I read in the j. or elsewhere about Jews with special needs, I perk up. Yes, four decades ago I could imagine myself being a benefactor of the organization Friendship Circle (“Bay Area agency for special-needs kids widens its circle,” May 7). I give kudos to that organization. It warms my heart to know that kids with disabilities growing up today have this support.
Susan Cohn | San Jose
Costello let down Israeli fans
By canceling his Israel concerts Elvis Costello has broken a commitment to his Israeli fans and given in to propaganda (“Elvis Costello cancels Israel concerts in political protest,” May 21). On his website, Costello wrote, “There are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act.” Playing a concert in Israel is not a political act; canceling one because it’s in Israel is.
If Costello was afraid his fans might “deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation on Palestinian civilians …” he should have thought of that before disappointing his Israeli fans.
The conditions of Palestinian-Israeli relations did not suddenly change when he scheduled his concert, and by canceling his Israel concerts all he managed to prove was that he’s easily swayed. The best way for him to learn about the issues surrounding Israel would be to visit. Unless he is prepared to research the conflict, he shouldn’t be so quick to align himself in such a public manner and boycott this tiny Middle Eastern democracy.
Costello’s wife, Diana Krall, is still scheduled to perform in Israel.
Whether or not she shares the same ideals at her husband, at least she’s still honoring her commitment and her fans.
Sara Meltzer | El Cerrito
Like children throwing sand
The situation with building in East Jerusalem and the whole charade of peace talks is getting a bit ridiculous to my taste. We told them we won’t, they told us they won’t, we did it anyway, they did it anyway; all the while the Obama is sitting in the white house drinking his cup of coffee and making comments from afar. The whole story sounds like a high school. Didn’t history teach us anything?
Promises are not kept. Not from the Palestinians side, who change their mind about their wanted Palestinian territory every time Israel makes an offer, and frankly, not always from the Israeli side, which really did promise to freeze the building in East Jerusalem and built anyway.
Comments from the White House don’t mean a thing but material for press, yet they are given excess attention. Stop acting like kids in a sand box. Palestinians, either fight Israel, and accept the normal rules of war and defeat if it comes, or stay out of the news and live peacefully among us. Israel, stop being so lenient — it had tired the country and its citizens a long time ago. Obama, no need for your comment on every move.
Rotem Landesman
Cupertino
Double standards and lies
I was happy to see the op-ed piece by Alan Dershowitz, about Richard Goldstone (“Legitimating bigotry: the legacy of Richard Goldstone,” May 14).
The Goldstone Report was so full of one-sided, biased and falsified information that to finally see some of the other side of the story out in the public is nice. Despite all of the facts that have been brought up refuting much of the Goldstone Report, like how Israel is committing “crimes against humanity,” many still believe the report and that Israel is an apartheid state. Rather, Israel is an extremely pluralistic society where everyone is equal under the law.
Since facts and logic haven’t convinced people of the truth, perhaps by exposing the history behind Richard Goldstone as having once been a supporter of the South African apartheid regime, and thus the hypocrisy of the Goldstone Report, will finally show people how the Goldstone Report is factually incorrect.
Having public opinion of Israel be positive is very important for such a globally integrated nation. I can only hope that the Goldstone Report, which has been used to delegitimize Israel, can now be used as a tool to show the double standards, the false information and the lies against Israel.
Samuel Rothmann
San Francisco