‘Deceitful’ implies lying

In a recent letter to the Chronicle, Rabbi Mark H. Levin, used the word “deceitful” to describe those who have voiced concern about the sincerity of President Obama’s promises of continued support for Israel’s security. Obama recently asked a gathering of Jewish Democratic Party donors to side with him in the coming months if he encounters friction with the Israeli government. He repeated his commitment to Israeli security, stating that he knew what was best for the Jewish state.
If that doesn’t send chills down your spines and cause you to check to see if the luggage is intact, nothing will. I would be the last to besmirch the integrity of the esteemed rabbi by suggesting any participation by him in what may prove to be the second most deceitful chapter in the history of the Jewish People.
I hope that Obama does not use similar tactics against Israel as he has used in Libya. A United Nations vote to establish new borders, and then threatening to use UN or NATO forces to implement may well be his back-up strategy if Israel does not accept the UN plan. We may never even know if such coercive tactics are employed.
I would never accuse someone of deceit in a public forum without having seen undisputed proof. Being deceitful implies lying. What could be worse than being called a liar by a widely respected rabbi? Opinions, observations, and conclusions are not lies. Perhaps the rabbi responded in haste or anger or was simply mistaken by his choice of words. Perhaps he was just lacking in clarity that day. Words can be used and taken in unintended ways.
Regardless, what can be considered to be blind political allegiance is evident in the continued acceptance of Barack Obama as a fair arbiter of the long conflict between Muslims and Jews over the mere existence of the State of Israel. That is my opinion based on observations that resulted in that clearly stated conclusion. To call it shilling for the Republicans or labeling it as deceitful would be inaccurate.

Leonard M. Moss, M.D.
Scottsdale, Ariz.