When others speak in your name, they usually get it wrong. Sometimes, I write about what is happening with my family or what is on my mind and sometimes, I see a few news articles and realize there is an underlying thread that ties them together. Such it is today.

A few days ago, Obama was quoted as saying that Israel doesn’t know what is in its best interest. A Canadian network (CTV), quoted Israel’s capital as Tel Aviv; and Admiral William Fallon says that Israel won’t be able to take on Iran alone. I feel like the person sitting in the room while all around me, people are talking ABOUT me, instead of just asking – so allow me to respond.Let’s start with the easiest one…Dear Canada Television Station (CTV) – let’s make a deal, you don’t tell me where my capital is, and I won’t lecture you on the concept of researching reports before you make yourselves look stupid. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. You want to argue about East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem, North or South…You want to discuss Old City vs. New City – that’s up to you – but you can’t erase the entire city because you’re too lazy to read a map. Jerusalem – all of it – yes, that’s right – all of it, united, undivided, eternally ours and eternally our capital.Dear Former Admiral William Fallon – I understand in your military assessment based on whatever facts you think you have (and one has to wonder how old that information is, former admiral), you believe Israel can’t go it alone with Iran. A fundamental concept in warfare is to know your enemy (and perhaps, your allies). If you want to go according to standard equations of military history, Israel would not be here today. We never would have left the starting gate back in 1948. By all that is logical, the Arab armies that invaded to push the Jews into the sea would have succeeded – in 1948, in 1956. Certainly in 1967 and most definitely in 1973. When Iraq fired 39 SCUD missiles at a major population area, they should have killed hundreds. Hezbollah’s rocket bombardment in 2006 should have resulted in catastrophic casualties as they fired at over one million people and Gaza’s 15,000 rockets fired at Israel over the last decade or more should have decimated perhaps thousands. They fired rockets at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

If you apply “logic” to this situation, you are correct, logically, Israel can’t eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat alone. Ah, but Former Admiral Fallon, what you fail to see is that our pilots never fly alone. As in 1948, so shall it be now. Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, Chelmno, Treblinka. Warsaw….what we couldn’t do then, we will do now.  If you don’t understand that, you don’t understand anything and you can’t possibly know what Israel can do, will do, to make sure we are never again where once we were.

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And finally, President Obama – my first response to your absurd and patronizing comment is that one could easily accuse the U.S. of not knowing what is in their best interests. After all, they re-elected you, didn’t they? But that is childish and though it tickles my fancy, the fact is that Israel DOES know what is in our best interest and deluding ourselves that we have a chance at peace any time soon is not helpful. We do not have a peace partner. The President of Egypt, one of our so-called peace partners, has repeatedly attacked not only Israel, but Jews in general (see In the Words of Our Enemies). You didn’t ask me, Obama, but I can tell you that Israel is indeed finally coming to the realization that we can’t dance to your tune; that we have to watch out for what is best for us and baby, you ain’t it.


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Paula R. Stern is the co-founder of Retraining4Israel (www.retraining4israel.com), a new organization working to help olim make aliyah successful. Paula made aliyah over 30 years ago with her husband and their three children. She lives in Maale Adumim and is often referred to as “A Soldier’s Mother”. She is now a happy wife, mother of five (including two sabras), and grandmother, happily sharing her voice and opinions with others. She is also a senior tech writer and lead training instructor at WritePoint Ltd. (www.writepoint.com). Please visit her new website: www.israelheartbeat.com