Opinions

This has been a very interesting month in American politics. First there was the upstaging of the office of the president, with Prime Minister Netanyahu addressing a joint session of Congress. The next upstaging was when the newly elected Sen. Cotton (R-Ark.), after only 60 days in office, gets 47 senators to sign a letter to Iran’s government, trying to crash the negotiations on the nuclear discussions. Then Sen. Cotton makes the claim that Irani leaders do not comprehend the U.S. Constitution.

“We have saturated our market and no one has the time to commit to weekly study, especially parents of young children because they are just too busy!”

Why is Netanyahu Allowing West Bank settlers to continue their treatment of the local Arab population?

Legendary campaign manager James Carville coined the phrase “The economy, stupid,” in the war room of Clinton’s 1992 campaign reminding his team of the only issue that mattered to their staff.

On the left and the right, in the White House and in the Knesset, we have all become distracted.  

One may falsely think the largest foreign policy issue is whether or not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking before Congress. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}This is not the real issue.

I would like to respond to Rabbi Nemitoff’s open letter to “Bibi,” published in the Feb. 19 edition of The Chronicle. 

The rabbi is very concerned about the investigation of Israeli corrupt politicians. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}The country is a democracy and holds its leaders accountable for their behavior. Those actions have been publicized in Israeli and world media. As investigations are either underway or have not been concluded, it is inappropriate for any of us to arrive at conclusions, let alone casting aspersions on the country’s prime minister.

The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation recently received a grant from the Community Legacy Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City to help implement and improve its facility safety and security plan. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}This grant will be utilized to address such issues as improved interior and exterior security measures; tornado emergency improvements and planning; fire safety improvements and development of an enhanced safety and security plan.

Mr. Prime Minister:

I just returned from eight days in Israel. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}As always, it was a remarkable time, made even more incredible when I awoke each day knowing that I was in a place in which my ancestors (literally ... my grandfather, my great-grandfather, my great-great grandfather) lived, a place that hundreds of generations of my ancestors prayed for and prayed to see, a place that percolates with new and ancient ideas side by side, figuring out how to make this spit of land on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean a place worthy to be called “ha-tikvah” (the hope).

The White House’s announcement of its conference on “Countering Violent Extremism” names Boston as one of the pilot cities where law enforcement officials have developed partnerships with Muslim community leaders. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}Unfortunately, to counter “violent extremism,” federal agencies are working with the Islamic Society of Boston and its political arm, the Muslim American Society.

“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share it.” Tolstoy

One strikingly poignant article, and an opposing view to the Page 1 article published in The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle (Feb. 12, 2015) entitled “Analyzing the high-stakes game of Netanyahu’s Congress speech,” is a commentary by Ruthie Blum. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}(“Right from Wrong: Anti-Semitism denial and smug Jews,” Jerusalem Post, Feb. 16, 2015)

Did you know that volunteers for the Audio-Reader Network read The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle every week? Your local newspaper is available for free, in audible format, via a closed circuit radio and on the Internet to anyone who has difficulty reading print due to a disability. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}My mother, Petey Cerf, started Audio-Reader 43 years ago. She was dedicated to providing the visually impaired and print disabled with free access to printed material. Four decades later, Audio-Reader now has 350 volunteers who provide 24 hours of programming each day to thousands of listeners in Kansas, Missouri and beyond.