Tag Archives: Iran

Open Letter to Jimmy Carter

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Dear Mr. Carter,

Since I know fully well that appealing to you from the standpoint of a Jewish man would be a waste of time, I will instead appeal to you as an American citizen.  Let me however begin by  saying that I truly believe that appealing to you from any reasonable position is a waste of time, but in the hope that I can somehow get through to you, I will at least do some due diligence. Even more important, I hope that people who do actually read this become even more aware of your devious and detrimental contribution to the security of the nation you once officially lead.

I use the word officially, because in being one of the worst presidents this great nation has ever seen you really provided very little leadership.  I have said before and will say again that in my opinion your mishandling of the Iranian situation when you were the Commander-in-Chief is a very significant reason why we not only have Iran to worry about today, but its numerous and growing satellite terrorist organizations and nations. In fact  if one were to believe you purposely mishandled Iran, your current support for Hamas would fall perfectly in line with your previous actions. Personally I do not believe you calculated this outcome, instead I believe it is rooted in two basic premises.  You have a dislike for the Jewish people that is deep-rooted and rather obvious, and you came to terms with your failings in foreign affairs by choosing to prop up organizations that would legitimize the disaster that was your presidency.  Case in point, your support for Hamas.

I started this letter by stating that I would appeal to you as an American.  Although I believe you to be too egotistical and arrogant to respond to this letter even if you do actually read it, I do believe that as a former President of the United States and someone sworn to protect us, you should let the American people know how you find any justification in publicly supporting a terrorist organization such as Hamas.  How do you feel showing such warmth and support for the terrorist leader Khaled Mashaal is beneficial to our country and what it stands for?  You then turn around and say that meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be a waste of time. Why? Because in your mind it’s better to work with a terrorist than a Jew.  Nothing you can say or do at this point will make it appear otherwise, and for any decent clearheaded person to take you seriously at this point you would need to make a dramatic change in your words and actions.

The more you talk the more difficult it becomes for me to show you the basic respect I wish to show you for the mere fact that you once held the position of President of the United States. I will just say that in my opinion it is you who are a waste of time, and that your participation in foreign affairs does nothing other than hurt the interests of all Americans, not just the Jewish people you have very little interest in protecting.  I hope you continue to enjoy your photo ops with the murderers you so clearly respect and that the people who matter become more and more aware of your disingenuous and harmful intentions.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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The Bad Logic of a deal with Iran has little to do with the Specifics

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One of the arguments I’ve heard for making a deal with Iran is that there is no other viable option.  Those making that argument believe that bombing Iran sets them back a year at best and that enforcing sanctions tightens the noose around what would then become an even more aggressive regime subsequently hurting the Iranian population and driving them further away from reform.  They believe in a perfect world the agreement would delay Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions long enough to see a more tolerant government and an Iranian people unwilling to go to war.  Needless to say, we are not living in anything close to a perfect world, and the logic behind this agreement represents so much of what is wrong with the current U.S. Administration’s foreign policy.

First of all, an American government should never negotiate with terrorists.  Technically speaking some may want to make an argument that dealing with the government of Iran is not dealing with terrorists, but when you look around the Middle East and see all the terrorist organizations and regimes funded and supported by Iran, calling them anything other than terrorists is at best misguided.  Their ambitions have been very clear, and allowing them to move forward with nuclear energy only strengthens their ability to see these ambitions through to the end.

As a Jew and a Zionist, it has always been my personal view that no discussions should ever take place with any regime that does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.  Iran goes many steps further when they not only call for Israel’s annihilation, they say that Israel’s destruction is something they deem as non-negotiable. This leads me to ask this question.  How can the president say he is “absolutely committed to making sure they (Israel) maintain their qualitative military edge”, while simultaneously strengthening a regime committed to her destruction? Make no mistake.  This strengthens Iran in all the wrong ways.  Besides the most obvious and potentially devastating way in which it allows them to maintain a nuclear program, the relieving of sanctions provides a regime of murderers to increase their funding of worldwide terrorism.  To make matters worse, and the significance of this may be lost on people, the perception of the Iranian people is that their leaders are heroes for making this deal.  Any hope of seeing this regime go away internally any time soon has subsequently been destroyed.  This is actually the most negative immediate result of the deal.  The other more devastating results would take longer to play out.

So for those who might say to me, it is easy to be against the deal and provide no alternative solution, here is what I propose. Political and economic pressure from as many directions as possible.  The immediate outcome of this deal almost proves why continuing sanctions is the best immediate choice.  Sanctions would put a stranglehold on the Iranian regime creating discontent among the Iranian population, making it more and more difficult for Tehran to continue exporting terrorism.  Although I believe war is inevitable, I also respect and appreciate every effort to avoid or at least delay that inevitably. That is as long as it keeps America and Israel safe, something I believe this deal does not do.  All it really does is lay the groundwork for allowing one of the most devious and evil governments in the world a place on the world stage.  A place they are less than likely to use for any good.

 

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How the Lessons of Passover Still hold true

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As we approach the beginning of the holiday of Passover, I am struck by the fact that that many of the lessons learned from the holiday still hold true today.  It is very possible that the most significant lesson is that hatred towards the Jews is more often than not for the mere fact that we exist, not because of the actions we take.

What is so remarkable about the phenomenom of anti-Semitism is that when you look at it closely, it is rarely about the things Jews do wrong.  This is an important point. I do not claim that the Jewish people are perfect by any means.  Like any group we have some character traits that are appealing, some that are not.  We have produced criminals like any other group of people. Yet the rampant growth of anti-Semitism is not generated by a reaction to a Bernie Madoff, someone who actually caused harm to many people, it is more likely because of the religious Jew living in Brooklyn or the West Bank. The reason for this has nothing to do with behavior.  It has to do with growth.

When slavery began in Egypt the Pharoah rallied his people with the following words: ‘Behold the Children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply.'” But the Jewish people were not violent, they were not aggressive or ambitious, they were merely members of the Egyptian community that were growing and developing.  They were actually more beneficial to Egypt than they were harmful. But despite the lack of reasoning behind this thinking, they were considered a threat.  How were they more and mightier?  They were a minority in Egypt.  But in their structure and cohesiveness they were strong and productive.  This was threatening to the Pharoah.

When we hear of Iran preaching the destruction of Israel, I always wonder how any reasonable person doesn’t ask themselves why Iran would care? Why would anyone care? Israel is a speck of land compared to the land surrounding it. Yet in its hard work and productivity, but most of all in its growth, it is considered a tremendous threat.  The truth be told, most of those calling for Israel’s destruction won’t say, destroy Israel unless Israel gives the Palestinians anything they want, they clearly call for Israel’s demise regardless of what actions Israel does or doesn’t take.  Ultimately it is for one simple and very sad reason.  It is a Jewish nation.

On paper a two-state solution might work if Israel was at war with the United Nations.  However, Israel’s enemies do not merely call on their departure from what they refer to as the “occupied territories”, Israel’s enemies call for its complete and total destruction.  The Palestinian people, the people the world seems to want to believe is persecuted by Israel, are actually the pawns in a much more devious and cynical game.  They are being used to create one of the most disgusting public relations farces in history.

For Israel, a prosperous and peaceful Palestine would be wonderful. But it’s not Israel that doesn’t want to see this happen, it’s those wishing to see the region rid of the Jewish people.  The Muslims and Arabs in the region don’t need Israel’s land.  They control over 99% of the territory in the Middle East. Yet somehow Israel is the cause of all the regions problems. Why?  Just as it was in Egypt at the start of all the troubles, it is merely because it exists.  “Come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply.”  In the end, that is what is really about.  Not an occupation, not settlements, and not Benjamin Netanyahu. What it is really about is that not only are the Jews not going away, they are actually having the audacity to multiply. Something which was not acceptable to Pharoah, and not acceptable to the anti-Semite of today.  One can only hope and pray that today’s anti-Semitic leaders see the same fate as the Egyptian ruler did so many years ago and that  the Jewish people and all decent civilized people are allowed to live in the freedom so many have sacrificed so much to achieve.

 

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Bibi Bashing. It’s all the Rage

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I don’t claim to have the entire corner on reality.  Although I am by no means deluded, I am a flawed individual and therefore never claim to be that much smarter than anyone else.  I do know however, that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s not a dog.  No matter how many people say otherwise.

Let me first get something out of the way.  My personal feelings aside, I realize Benjamin Netanyahu is not liked by many people.  He is a strong-minded and ambitious politician who comes off to many as smug and arrogant.  Despite the fact that I do not share their sentiments, I realize there are even people who I have great respect for that feel that way.  That being said, the facts don’t completely change just because of a dislike for a leader’s personality or even his policy.

Popularity or lack thereof often seems to come in the form of a fad. I am by no means saying that there are not many people who have carefully thought out their reasons for bashing Benjamin Netanyahu every opportunity they get, but there are numerous people  out there who have remained silent and are only now speaking loudly about their dislike for the Israeli Prime Minister.  It’s a very polarizing issue.  Families and close friends will disagree vehemently over their feelings for him.  Non-Jews with marginal knowledge of foreign affairs now know who he is, with many having formed an opinion.  As is the case so often, people follow the hoards.

I am baffled by how so much of liberal politics has taken the form of sympathy for the Palestinians against the evil Israeli oppressors. But much of that is also caused by people being followers.  The proof of that lies in the existence of liberals who do indeed support Israel and recognize the fact that Israel lacks a true partner in the peace process.

A friend of mine once said that people buy with emotion and try to back it up with logic.  As the world is being sold a bill of goods regarding the situation in the Middle East, the salespeople are constantly scrambling to back up their anti-Israel rhetoric.  For the sake of making my argument I will pretend I not only dislike Benjamin Netanyahu, but I will go one step further and pretend I don’t agree with his policies.

So I begin by pretending that I agree with the notion that Netanyahu is an arrogant, racist, self-serving politician who has done more to hurt Israel and its relationship with the rest of the world than he has to help it.  I will pretend that I agree with the notion that he has shown American President Barack Obama no respect and is working against him in a way that is diametrically opposed to the great relationship between the United States and Israel.  I am pretending all this is true.  Now that I am doing this I have a few questions.

Has Iran threatened to annihilate Israel?

Has Israel ever suffered attacks from terrorist organizations?  Let be more specific with my question. Has Israel been attacked consistently by terrorists from Lebanon in the North, Gaza in the South, and the Palestinian Authority in the east?

Were there terrorists attacks before Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister?

Did anti-Semitism exist before Benjamin Netanyahu was Prime Minister?

Have offers for peace agreements that could have possibly led to a two state solution been made by Netanyahu governments?

Has the Palestinian Authority repeatedly turned away offers made by Israel?

Was Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas formerly a member of the terrorist organization Fatah?

Did Abbas help fund the massacre at the Munich Olympics?

Have close to 200,000 people been killed in Syria’s civil war?

Did Hamas use its people as human shields?

The answer to all these questions is YES.

 

Now I have 2 more questions.

Do most of the people who bash Bibi know the name of the head of ISIS? (without googling)  It’s Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by the way.

Would Israel suddenly have willing peace partners in the region if Bibi was not Prime Minister?

The answer to both those questions is NO.

 

My point is not that Netanyahu is perfect.  I recently had a discussion with someone very close to me who does not share my affection for him at all.  Despite his feelings this person does not bash Bibi for sport.  In fact he clearly gets no pleasure at all in criticizing him.  He has his views, he speaks his views, but then supports Israel and its government with a passion and commitment greater than most of us, myself included.  There’s a difference between being someone with a free voice who utilizes it to criticize their leaders than those who bash a high-profile public figure just because it’s become popular and everyone else is doing it.

No one would ever admit to this, but I’ve watched over the years as opinions get formed, they gain traction, and then all of a sudden countless numbers share these opinions without ever having any facts to back them up.   If you want to disagree with Benjamin Netanyahu and produce facts that back up your argument, than I’ll listen.  If however you want to come at me with a statement like Israel is an apartheid state under Netanyahu, I may just ignore you. If all you can talk about is how evil Bibi is but you say nothing about Syria, ISIS, Boko Haram and many others, I will realize your agenda has nothing to do with bettering the human race.  And I will expect that in many cases, as soon as you find the next fad you’ll probably move on anyway.

 

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Open Letter to the Editorial Board of the NY Times regarding article about Israeli Elections

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Dear Editorial Board,

The first 3 words of this letter already tells so much of the story.  To be forced to start a letter “Dear Editorial Board” makes you wonder why no individual had the intestinal fortitude to use his or her name when going on the attack as they did against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu one day after his election victory.  For those of you reading on this self-perceived holier than thou and smarter than the rest of us board, here is how criticism is given when you are not afraid to stand by your convictions.

My name is David Groen.  I am a proud American, a proud Jew, and proud Zionist. I am also an ardent supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu who found your editorial titled “An Israeli Election turns ugly” to be not only offensive, but skewed to suit your political agenda and a contradiction to the factors that make democracy great.

CLICK HERE TO READ NY TIMES ARTICLE

Israel is not only a great democracy, it is the only real democracy in the Middle East.  You speak of Benjamin Netanyahu as though he is some fascist dictator on the rise.  This is a man who leads a nation constantly under attack from terrorist organizations and threats from rogue nations such as Iran calling for its annihilation.  Yet somehow you have a problem with Netanyahu trying to defeat the Arab vote knowing full well that their agenda would be to go against his political strategy of how to keep Israel safe and secure.  I’m not debating whether or not his strategy is right or wrong because this letter is not so much to debate his tactics, it is to debate yours.

There is no evidence that voters were harassed, be they left-wing Jews or Arabs, and no reason to believe this was an election ripe with any significant corruption. What it was instead was an example of an ambitious politician using democracy to his advantage.  It is almost comical to me that the NY Times, that great defender of freedom and civil rights would have a problem with democracy functioning on a prime level.  No one forced anyone to vote for Prime Minister Netanyahu.  The Arab population had a big vote in the election.  Their representative party has seats in the Knesset.  They have a say and a role in the Israeli political system.  How many Arab nations have Jewish representation?  None.  Because in most Arab nations the Jews were run out of town.  If “you” don’t like Benjamin Netanyahu that’s fine.  Just don’t attack him for utilizing his country’s democratic structure.

Which bring me back again to that question.  Who is the “you” in all this? Who am I actually writing to? The entire Editorial Board is in agreement on this issue?  How about signing all of your names to it so we know how many of you there are and know you are all in agreement.  Not because I believe there should be anything heinous done to you, but because if you are to criticize someone who speaks to the people just because you are upset he got what he wanted, don’t you think you should at least let everyone know who you are when you criticize him?  To hide behind the title “Editorial Board” is a level of hypocrisy that totally destroys any credibility you have left.  Whoever “you” actually are.

What Benjamin Netanyahu did this election was nothing different from what any other politician would do in any democracy.  He did what he felt he had to do to win.  Creating this perception that his words were racist attacks on the Arab population of Israel is either irresponsible on “your” part, or even worse, an attempt at manipulating the minds of your audience.  But here is the difference between “you” and me.  I accept your right to do this in a democratic society with free speech, and when I don’t like “your” methods, I sign my name to my criticism.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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47 Wrongs Didn’t Make this Right

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Anyone who has read anything I have written till now is aware that I am completely opposed to any negotiations with Iran’s current regime.  I have, and will continue to oppose any deal with a government that sounds frighteningly similar to Hitler’s Nazi Germany.  That being said, the recent actions taken by Republican lawmakers in which they sent a letter to Iran’s government was not only wrong, it was dangerous.

In my post titled Unity or Destruction. Pick One, I discuss the importance of a unified front against evil.  It’s not really a challenge when everyone has the same political opinion and strategy or approach.  So for those who will say they support the letter because these Republicans are right about Iran and the administration is wrong, I offer you the following response. It’s irrelevant.

Here’s some clichés and quotes for you: United We Stand Divided We Fall,  Divide and Conquer, and of course Abraham Lincoln’s:  “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand”, all apply here. Take your pick.  Just as I did not feel that Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech should have been turned into a partisan issue, and I called out the Democrats who made it one, so too I believe that the break from structure here is a damaging partisan move that hurts the country more than it helps the country.

Make no mistake.  This is more than just a break in protocol.  The entire structure of our democracy is impacted by this global show of a lack in unity within our governmental system.  Not to mention the damage to the office of the President.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with the individual and everything to do with the office. In other words, even if all the criticisms of the president are correct on this issue, insulting the office is never justified by elected American representatives.  That even applies to situations in which they wish to make the case that the policy of the president shows disrespect for his own office.  In other words, 2 wrongs, or in this case 47 wrongs don’t make a right.

When I try to predict some of the responses I might get to this article I realize that in many ways this is as non-partisan as anything I’ve ever written.  Both sides will make their claim.  Some will say the 47 were right for sending the letter.  After all, they don’t support dealing with Iran and feel the president is going against their wishes in conducting these negotiations.  On top of which the danger in dealing with Iran is so great that the ends justify the means. Personally I believe they are laughing today in Tehran and believing they have us just where they want us.  Fighting among ourselves to such a point that we’ve gone out of the family, so to speak.

For those who will say John Boehner did the same thing when he invited Benjamin Netanyahu I say this.  There is a big difference between 47 lawmakers sending a letter to a hostile country contradicting the president than there is in the Speaker of the House inviting the Head of Government of an important ally.

Too many people seem to be taking their eye off the ball and taking actions that are more political than beneficial.  Actions that hurt the structure of the American government impact everyone, and other than our enemies, not beneficially.  We need more elected representatives who stand up for what is right for the nation rather than what they perceive as right for their career or party.  The stakes are too high, and if politicians continue to play these silly games the results will ultimately be catastrophic.

If ever we needed true leadership, something I believe we are sadly missing, it is right now.

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Open Letter to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

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Dear Congresswoman Pelosi,

For much of the day I debated whether or not to write this letter, but since I had difficulty purging my mind of your earlier histrionics I felt I had no other choice.  The histrionics I am referring to were the disrespectful and unprofessional reactions you displayed during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.  You went on to insult the Prime Minister further by making a point to leave the chamber before he did and then issued a statement that included the following comments.

I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister’s speech – saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 +1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation.

Ms Pelosi, I ask of you the following.  Just imagine if the leader of a powerful nation had sat and negotiated with Adolph Hitler.  And then imagine if that same leader had determined that negotiations were not only the right approach, but that they were working as well.  Now imagine that this misguided approach empowered and gave extra time to an evil regime to establish itself and start a juggernaut of evil that would result in 60 million people dying as well as a genocide that would result in the murder of 6 millions Jews, and millions more people including Serbs, gypsies and homosexuals.

I won’t insult your intelligence, because I now see how sensitive you are to that, by presuming you do not already know my point and to when and whom I am referring.  One can have a long debate as to whether or not President Obama compares to Neville Chamberlain, but there certainly is no debating the fact that Iran’s intentions for the 6 million or so Jews living in Israel are basically identical to the intentions Hitler had, and sadly was successful in carrying out against the Jewish population of Europe.

I present to you this question.  With what is at stake for not only the State of Israel but the entire world, so what if Prime Minister Netanyahu did insult the intelligence of the United States?  Why exactly does this bother you so much?  And to be quite blunt, with so many members of Congress giving him a standing ovation and so many people respecting and appreciating what the Prime Minister said, do you truly believe you can speak for this country when making this claim?  I know of numerous people, very intelligent people who greatly appreciated this speech.  I am sure Congress consists of numerous people of above average intelligence and most of the one’s I saw watching his speech seemed anything but insulted.

I offer this statement as an answer to most of these queries.  In taking this stance against America’s most important and most loyal ally, elements within the Democratic Party did exactly what they claimed they objected to the most. They politicized the speech.  And what made it even worse, and may very well be some of the source of your consternation, is that it did not make those who opposed the speech with vigor look very good.  Seeing as you were one of those people, I can see how you would be upset.

I want you to know that this letter comes from a man who has voted Democrat far more often than he has voted Republican and from someone who voted for Barack Obama.  This is not a letter from a right-wing Conservative.  This is a letter from a Jewish American man who loves the State of Israel, loves the United States of America, and loves peace and freedom.  And this is a letter from a man who can not for the life of him understand why anyone who loves any of those three would be insulted by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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The Cowardice of Opposing Netanyahu

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I have a theory.  It is a theory that is certain to upset some people.  You see, although I realize that Benjamin Netanyahu is not always the most well-liked man, and has in the past taken a political posture some may see as offensive, I believe most if not all of the opposition to his upcoming address to the United States Congress is rooted in one very dangerous and unattractive character trait.  That trait is cowardice.

There are some who may be in such disagreement and even so offended by this statement that they may have already stopped reading, but to me there is little to no question that this is the basis of most of the opposition.  We live in scary times.  Being afraid does not make one a coward.  My father, may he rest in peace, admitted without shame that during the years he was on the run from the Nazis he did indeed feel fear, despite the impression he gave to many that he did not.  I will say again that the emotion of fear is not what makes one a coward.  In fact I will go one step further and say, that it is one’s reaction to fear that can make one brave just as it is one’s reaction to fear that can make one a coward.  It is on this premise that I maintain that the reaction many have to the fear of the future, is what indeed makes them cowards.

I have met people who do not want to be involved on any level with anything political because of the fear they have for what lies ahead.  I am not judgmental of this approach.  If one chooses to avoid involvement because it frightens them too much, granted they may not be deemed heroic, but they also are doing nothing to actively obstruct or oppose those that do.  They just want to stay far away.  People who run away from danger should not be judged harshly, partially because they have every right to do so, and partially because none of us know when we will make the same choice, but mainly because they impact themselves more than they impact anyone else.  But those whose fear is manifested in the obstruction of what is right, in order to gain favor in the eyes of those who are wrong, are indeed dangerous and irresponsible cowards.

I have tried to find a reasonable answer as to why anyone who claims to love modern civilization would have a problem with the Prime Minister of Israel speaking to U.S. lawmakers about the incredible danger of conducting negotiations on nuclear energy with Iran.  It seems we’ve come a long way from not dealing with terrorists.  Unfortunately we’ve gone the wrong direction. Where we once were a nation with the policy of not negotiating with terrorists, now we have a government hell-bent on conducting negotiations that would lead to the nation sponsoring so many of these terrorists having the ability to possess nuclear weapons.  It is so bizarre that it defies all logic.  Enter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a man who understands and confronts this danger, and somehow he now becomes public enemy number 1. Somehow members of Congress that have very little to say about Hamas or Isis are emboldened and brave enough to boycott Netanyahu’s speech.  Why?  Because they are cowards.

They are not alone.  There is plenty of support in the press, from celebrities, and from the public as well. To put this phenomenon in simplistic terms, I believe the following mentality prevails.  If we go after the enemy of the bad guys now, maybe the enemy will show mercy on us later.  It’s a little like saying ISIS just needs jobs or the inability to call Muslims that commit acts of terror, Muslim terrorists.  If we don’t speak too harshly against them maybe we’ll be safer when the time comes.  After all, let’s be honest here. Benjamin Netanyahu won’t be sending Israeli hit squads to kill those who oppose him, but active opposition to Iran, Isis, Hamas, or all other equivalent elements of evil could indeed put one’s life in grave danger.  In some perverse way I believe the most high-profile opposition of Netanyahu, with the exception of his Israeli political opposition, is hoping they can establish some credit with the bad guys just in case their master plan of world domination continues on this dangerously successful path.  And all of this is being led by a President who at best is catastrophically misguided, at worst dangerously devious.  Or maybe he is just too scared as well.

I believe the individuals who hold the same level of disdain for Netanyahu’s upcoming speech are either ignorant to the truth and or just as cowardly. Again, anything one says to speak out against Netanyahu is likely to just fade into oblivion, but speaking out against the Ayatollah of Iran for example, well if the wrong person saw that you just might get hurt.

I know there will be those who will vehemently disagree with this theory, but I am almost arrogantly certain this to be the truth.  I will say that in many cases the fear and cowardice is almost subconscious and therefore not something I expect anyone to admit and in some cases even realize, but why else would people oppose anyone defending the future of freedom and modern-day civilization?  I know they will have their responses, claiming this is inappropriate political posturing on both Netanyahu and John Boehner’s part, but even if it is, how on earth could anyone not see that the message Benjamin Netanyahu is sending is so important that those other factors are just not enough to negate the need for his speech. Unless of course you don’t want to make the bad guys angry.  I for one would be far more afraid to oppose a person, in this case Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will be asking Congress to protect the safety and security of every freedom and right we all hold dear, and I say without any fear that I support him 100%.

 

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Calling the President’s bluff on Netanyahu’s Speech

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I am not naive.  I realize that the reasons people are showing opposition to Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled speech to the U.S. Congress are at least partially based on an anti-Israel sentiment.  That being said, I am somewhat pleased as to what has transpired.  First of all, I am all for the concept of smoking out the enemy, so to speak.  I don’t necessarily believe that those boycotting the speech are automatically the enemy of Israel, but if nothing else they are the enemy of common sense.

The most high-profile politician to state that he will not be attending the speech is Vice President Joseph Biden.  Not that I ever saw him as a credible candidate anyway, but should he declare himself as running for president in 2016, it’s good to know that not only can Israel not count on him when needed, but that he didn’t even have the character to admit it openly and honestly.  Biden’s reason for not attending the speech is “a scheduling conflict”.  I guess when an administration has chosen to dumb it down  for this long, why stop?  No reason to stop insulting our intelligence now.

It just so happens that there is a solution to all of these so-called political maneuvers.  That solution is rescheduling.  The only thing not to be rescheduled should be the Israeli elections.  As of now everything seems to be running in 2 week intervals, with the elections smack in the middle.  Bibi’s speech is scheduled for March 3, Israel’s elections for March 17, and an outline for an agreement with Iran for March 31.  If the president is sincere about all of these issues then the best solution is the following.   Reschedule the target date for the proposal with Iran for one month later and reschedule Bibi’s speech for after the Israeli elections.  In doing so it would appear as though everyone is getting what they want and the accusations of politics being injected into a crucial security issue can be dismissed.  That would be great were it not for one very important factor.  Politics is always part of the equation.

First of all, despite the fact that I, as a supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu appreciate Boehner pushing for the speech, I also am aware that he has spent most of his time over the past 6 years fighting this administration.  Therefore it is clear that in circumventing the White House he gains satisfaction and at least in his mind some political gain.  That being said, of all the important issues surrounding this matter, Boehner’s tactics are the least important, and the least dangerous.  There are 2 other parties that are happy keeping things exactly as they are today and have far more impact on our future.

The first party that wants today’s status-quo to remain intact is the current President of the United States.  Whether it is out of a Chamberlain-like mentality of appeasement or the extreme view some hold that this is some master plot to destroy the U.S. as we know it, the president seems to want to make a perceived nuclear deal with Iran part of his legacy.  Common sense would dictate that it makes no sense to negotiate nuclear deals with a nation that not only sponsors worldwide terrorism but calls on the destruction of Israel and its allies in the west, but unfortunately the only way any of this makes some sense is if we believe those in charge are dangerously naive or that they have the very worst of intentions.  Should the rescheduling take place, calling the Obama administration’s proverbial bluff, I have no doubt that we would find that when all is said and done this has very little to do with whether or not the American political structure impacted Israel’s elections.  I am confident the opposition to the speech would remain.

The second party I see resisting a rescheduling of events is Iran.  It makes more sense that Iran would prefer to keep Netanyahu in power than to see Israel run by a more liberal and pacifist government.  No one in their right mind believes Iran is honest about their intentions, and should an Israeli government be elected that is willing to capitulate to Iran even in some fashion, Iran’s bluff would be called as well. Israel could have a government that would openly declare the willingness to do anything they want for peace, and Iran would still declare their desire to wipe Israel off the map.  So with a more conservative Netanyahu-lead government, Iran can continue its international deception of being a country dedicated to peace.

Regardless of anything else that happens, the one thing all the hoopla surrounding the speech has given us is a clear picture of where everyone stands in future U.S. elections.  Since Iran is a threat to American and Israeli security, I hope all those with a vote realize the larger statement being made by those putting a misguided policy ahead of what keeps all of us safe.  That statement seems to be that sleeping with the enemy is more important than working with your friends.  A very concerning and ultimately tragically dangerous approach.

 

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Open Letter to Ron Jones regarding BBC’s The Big Questions’ tweet:”Is it time to lay the Holocaust to rest?”

 

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Dear Mr. Jones,

“Is it time to lay the Holocaust to rest?”  I would say “good question”, but in truth it is not a good question.  It is not a wise question, nor a sincere question.  It is a question that exhibits ignorance and hate and lack of understanding of the world as it is meant to be.

I do not know what connection you or your personal viewpoints have to this question tweeted by BBC’s;The Big Questions, but since it is produced by Mentorn Media and you are the Executive Chairman, it is you I will address regarding this matter.

Naturally, as a Jew, I am beyond offended.  I am only in my 50s, so the fact that I never knew my grandparents nor my mother’s only brother and my father’s younger sister, should already indicate that this is not ancient history we are talking about.  To be frank, even if it was ancient history I would find this question offensive.  Should we put Passover to rest as well while we’re at it?  After all, it WAS only Jews who were slaves in Egypt.

6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.  To make it easier for the small-minded people at the BBC to comprehend, that is the equivalent to filling up Wembley Stadium 66 times.  The question is not an example of enlightenment through journalism, rather an irresponsible, ignorant, and quite honestly a disgraceful opening for a discussion that should not even be considered in the civilized world.

The very question is not much different from blatant Holocaust denial, a media tool perpetuated most significantly by the Iranian government, a regime that has expressed its desire to wipe Israel off the map, a process that would lead to almost the same amount of Jewish deaths.  The question might as well be, “is it time to get rid of the Jews?”

Even from a non-Jewish perspective the question is offensive.  It’s not as though we live in a world without evil.  We still see people getting tortured, persecuted and murdered.  Is it time to put slavery to rest?  How about the Cambodian genocide? Or the Armenian genocide? For that matter we might as well put the Rwandan genocide to rest as well.  After all, we would hate to get in the way of BBC’s quest for enlightenment.

Even without putting the Holocaust to rest the Jewish people face threats and challenges.  If we put the Holocaust to rest it will lead to those acting as though it never happened, empowering those that wish to see it happen all over again.  We as a person are not prepared to let that happen and nothing a staunchly Arab-influenced BBC does will change our resolve.

NEVER AGAIN is the motto many of us live by, and that is exactly the opposite of putting the Holocaust to rest.  Get over it.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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