Better representation needed

I was shocked and disappointed that Kansas Rep. Kevin Yoder signed Congressman Joe Walsh’s letter lying about what the president said concerning Israel’s borders.

The President did NOT call for a “return to 1967 borders” as the letter claimed.

In fact, he announced his support for the same plan supported by Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (1967 borders adjusted by mutually agreed land swaps and security arrangements to give Israel safe, easily defensible borders).

Does Rep. Yoder understand that the president did not call for Israel to return to its 1967 borders?

Did Representative Yoder know that the allegations in the letter he signed came from an article Congressman Walsh wrote in which he slandered Jewish Americans by saying that “too many American Jews aren’t as pro-Israel as they should be”?

As an American Jew and life-long supporter of Israel, the last thing I need to hear from an official of my secular government is that I am insufficiently Jewish or pro-Israel because I (and most American Jews) don’t march in lock-step with all the policies of the Israeli government. The current Israeli government has taken numerous actions and steps that undermine the peace process and the hopes of achieving a real two-state solution. The Palestinians haven’t always bargained in good faith, either, but that doesn’t excuse the Israeli side for doing the same thing at times.

With the momentous changes sweeping across the Arab world, it is more important than ever for this conflict to be resolved soon, so Israel can live in peace with all its neighbors and begin taking its place as a leading democratic state in the Middle East. Congressman Yoder’s attempt to score cheap (and false) political points against President Obama doesn’t help achieve the goal of peace in any way.

I hope Jewish voters on the Kansas side will remember this in November 2012. Kansans need responsible and centrist representation in Washington that reflects the real values of the 3rd Congressional District, and not the extreme right-wing views Rep. Yoder has been promoting since he was elected last year. We deserve better representation than this!

Rob Montague
Overland Park, Kan.

An obstacle to peace

In 1991, Esther Levens invited me to be one of six charter members of a group called “Voices United for Israel.” Its goal was to combine the efforts of both Christians and Jews in creating support for Israel. I told Esther at the time that she had a tiger by the tail and since she was planning to solicit members through Assembly of God churches that it wouldn’t be long before she would have 40 million members and that when Israeli prime ministers would come to the United States they would, in addition to meeting with the president, also ask to meet with Esther.

Today the organization is called “Unity Coalition for Israel” and she does, in fact, have more than 40 million members. Israeli prime ministers (not to mention U.S. senators and congressmen) do want to meet with her and have their photos taken with her.

There’s just one problem. The UCI organization has become an obstacle to peace since it does not want to give back land to the Palestinians and believes settlements should continue. In addition, it has become a voice for the right-wingers in this country and if one reads the editorial comment on the UCI website they will see articles attacking President Obama such as “Obama’s innate hatred of Jews and Israel,” “Obama’s Neville Chamberlain speech,” and an article referring to him as “An Anti-Israel President.”

Shame on you, Esther. You know as well as I that Israel’s security is of the utmost importance to President Obama. It seems to me that you should let people know that you are a staunch Republican who would love nothing more than to see President Obama fail.

Marvin Fremerman
Ridgedale, Mo.