Why Defend Donald Trump?
I don’t understand how The Jewish Press editorial staff and many of their readers are still defending Donald Trump. They seem to be blaming President Biden and the Democrats for all of Trump’s supposedly fake legal problems. And yet I can list the following Republicans who are former senior White House and Cabinet staff under former President Trump, who have publicly stated that Trump should never be president again.
They’ve all spoken and/or released statements that range from criticizing Trump for his lack of intellectual curiosity to calling him a danger to our democracy. These people are those who would know him the best having worked with and observed him while in office, namely:
Mike Pence, vice president; John Kelly, chief of staff; Mark Esper, secretary of defense; Bill Barr, attorney general; Rex Tillerson, secretary of state; H.R. McMaster, national security adviser; John Bolton, national security adviser; Stephanie Grisham, White House press secretary; James Mattis, secretary of defense; Tom Bossert, Homeland Security adviser; General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs; Mick Mulvane, acting chief of staff; Elaine Chao, secretary of transportation; Betsy DeVos, secretary of education; Richard V. Spencer, secretary of the Navy; Cassidy Hutchinson, assistant to chief of staff; Ty Cobb, White House lawyer; Alyssa Farah Griffin, director of strategic communications; Sarah Matthews, deputy press secretary.
These former allies of Trump must be listened to and their warnings must be taken seriously.
Rivka Hershkowitz
Via Email
Wishing for Haley’s Comet
In response to Myron Hecker, who recently published a letter (April 5) criticizing me for being too critical of Donald Trump, undermining the importance of maintaining achdus among all our fellow Jews – I truly believe that our entire country is now totally divided between those who love Trump and those who hate Trump, as there is nothing pareve about him. And since he elicits such strong emotions, either very positive or very negative among all people, it is impossible to have a rational discussion about him among those who are on the opposing side.
For me, the role he had played on January 6 instigating a mob based on lies of a stolen election, storming the Capitol and threatening the life of his vice president, and taking three hours to then call it off, overrides all the good that he had until then accomplished, and in my opinion, makes him unfit to now lead our country. Of course, others will see this very differently and not judge him as harshly as I do. Suffice it to say, I do not believe he is the right leader that will help unify our country, and neither is Biden who is now too easily influenced by the equally corrupt anti-Israel progressive party.
The only person who I believe can truly unify our country is Nikki Haley, who regrettably decided to suspend her presidential campaign. I feel truly bereft by this loss, as I regarded her as the only credible presidential candidate, and now have a great fear that our country may be headed towards a civil war if either Trump or Biden is elected. I am hoping for some miracle to occur between now and November that will help save our democracy and bring peace to both our country, as well as to Israel and to the world.
Joshua Rosenthal
Queens, N.Y.
Follow the Money
Allow me to add to “On Trump, Haley, Biden and the News” (Letters, April 5). You can judge the moral character of a person by the company they keep. Former President Donald Trump attended the wake for NYC Police Officer Jonathan Diller, who was murdered by a repeat offender out on parole during a traffic stop.
President Joe Biden, accompanied by former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, attended a $25 million-dollar fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall to support Biden’s reelection. Tickets ranged from $250 to $500,000, with a photo with all three costing only $100,000. At those prices, most people could not afford to attend. Biden even had time to participate in a podcast several hours prior to the event. None of the three could find the time to attend the wake. Enough said.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Jews Don’t Need World’s Permission to Survive
Jonathan Tobin’s front-page analysis (March 29) of the Biden administration’s betrayal of Israel clarified beyond the shadow of a doubt the extent to which worldwide antisemitism has spread amongst most nations of the world, sadly including the United States. Tobin concludes: “If Hamas is to be defeated – and it must be if justice is to be served and the security of Israelis assured – then the Israel Defense Forces must be allowed to finish the job it started after Oct. 7.”
Israel does not need permission from any person, government or council of nations to defend its borders and to protect Jewish life. It is not merely coincidental that the message of this week’s haftarah coincides with the decisions Israel needs to make. The Prophet Ezekiel reminds us that G-d has brought us back to nationhood in the Holy Land because we profaned His Name among the nations where we were scattered. The nations persecuted, robbed, raped, tortured and murdered us in the Diaspora. On October 7, Hamas terrorists did this to us in our own land and the nations of the world are cheering them on, while under their breath they are thinking “Where is their G-d?”
It would constitute chillul Hashem for Israel to sacrifice the security of its Jewish citizens because of fear of the gentile nations.The key to Jewish survival is faith.If our decisions were based on logical and practical choices, we would have long ago disappeared from history; we certainly would not have declared statehood when we knew that seven trained, armed and experienced Arab armies would attack us the next day.The key to Redemption is the same as it was when Nachson led us across the Red Sea, we must have faith and trust in G-d.
This trust can be manifested by Israel pushing forward regardless of world opinion.Israel needs to intensify its “siege” of Gaza.Over 1,200 deaths were inflicted by the terrorist massacre on October 7, hundreds more were taken hostage, and hundreds more Jewish soldiers have died, engaging in urban warfare when a total siege would be the better option.Siege is defined as an essential aspect of modern military operations. A primary purpose of its implementation is to “avoid slow, costly, and bloody urban ground assaults.”
In the situation of Gaza, there is yet another purpose, besides waiting out an enemy as we protect the lives of our soldiers. Hundreds of hostages, almost all Jews, mostly Israeli and some American, need to be rescued before it is too late. The United States proposed the construction of a temporary port on the coast of Gaza for the purpose of receiving humanitarian aid. Its function needs to be switched to the purpose of organizing a corridor to evacuate civilian refugees. These Gazans are nonetheless victims of a vicious terrorist organization that uses them as human shields. It would seem that Egypt is required by International Law to admit this displaced population.
Until that happens, a temporary port should be used whereby the residents of Gaza become refugees of war. The longer the terrorists take to release the hostages, the greater the number of refugees who will evacuate Gaza. This plan of action would slowly and methodically set in motion what the Torah demands: the settling of the land and the removal of those who don’t accept Jewish sovereignty. By employing my strategy, the terrorists would face the prospect of an ever-diminishing population, a daily reminder that time is no longer on their side. We will save the world over and over again for every single Jewish soldier’s life that is saved even while we liberate more of Eretz Yisrael from enemy occupation.
David Ferster
Great Neck, N.Y.
Israel Is Not the 51st State
Regarding “Biden’s U.N. Betrayal of Israel Is a Victory for Hamas” by Jonathan S. Tobin (Mach 29): It is really unfortunate that Jews have a very short memory. The only reason that Israel (as well as the Jewish people) have been around regardless of who supported us in the world or didn’t, is that G-d, in His unlimited mercy, has decided that we should still be around.
I can quote many passages in Psalms and other religious sources, but I will keep this writing straight and to the point.
With all due respect to the Israeli army, to PM Netanyahu, and all those who think that they are in control of Israel’s destiny, I have news for you. Hashem runs the world.
This is not the first time we Jews have been alone against the world. This wonderful world has murdered Jews for many centuries and guess what, we have outlasted many empires and now is no different.
I remind Jews who think Israel’s survival depends on the U.S. that it was the U.S., who put an arms embargo on the new state of Israel, right after voting for its “inception” in 1947. Even then, the Americans considered the Arab factor and many felt that Israel would be destroyed soon after. Well, the Jews who just went through a Holocaust and did not have a strong unified fighting force, not to mention being very outnumbered, by a miracle of G-d survived.
In 1956, when the U.S. decided not to send Israel fighter planes, G-d arranged for us to get MIGs from France. I can go on and on, but my point is that Israel is not the 51st state and it is high time that Israel cut the umbilical cord and put an end to the blackmail put upon it by those who, as far as they are concerned would like to see an end to this annoying Jewish country.
In case anyone wants to know the true secret to victory, just look at the Thursday Song of the Day in our morning prayers. Simply stated, if we Jews follow Hashem’s ways and, especially, keep the holy Shabbat, He will provide easy victory against our countless enemies.
That’s it, folks, that is the secret to it all. This will bring Mashiach as well. Faith, faith, and true faith in Hashem. We need to stop displacing our faith.
G-d says it in many places – if you put your faith in Me, I will deliver you. If we put our faith in mere mortals, then He will step back and we are in their hands.
Jews, wake up! Rely on Hashem. He and only He can deliver us, as He has done many times over, when we exhibited true faith in Him alone.
Chaim Abramovich,
Boynton Beach, Fla.
