# 140 – Criticism – Responses

April 5, 2010

Someone didn’t like what I wrote…..

Candy

Yup, let ’em have it – the truth is always a bitter pill to swallow

Lydia

I would like to briefly reply to you – and hope you did send the reply to your “friend”. With “friends” like this who needs enemies???!

I have always found your Letters balanced, fair and most interesting. LIVING under constant threat gives one quite a different prospective than criticizing from an armchair in a safe country. Every country has a secret police and do what they need to do to try and safeguard their population.

The Hamas guy in Dubai was a “foot-soldier” to get arms to fight Israel. There were 5 different passports in his room…

Where was the criticism when Hamas took 2 Israeli soldiers (from inside Israel!!!) and somehow no-one cries “disproportionate” when Israel exchanges hundreds of Palestinians for 1 Israeli….

As far as the money is concerned, the Palestinians too get billions (!) from Europe and the USA (much less if anything from their Arab and oil-rich friends!)

Unfortunately what is true is that the PR of Israel continues to be bad. The Palestinians are much better at exploiting the world to help their fight and the general sympathy Israel has enjoyed in the 60s to the 80s has dwindled in favor of the Palestinians. People like to be on the side of “victims” and they feel politically correct to support the “underdog”. When Israel was the victim of continuous attacks the world opinion was for them. Now Israel looks strong (David and Goliath often quoted) and they seem to put up the middle finger to world opinion – making sure they are talking and negotiating from strength not weakness.

As far as you being an “extremist” – if the world had more extremists like you – it would be a much better place.

I do hope you will not be too phased by people who do not want to be confused by facts as their minds are made up already.

Keep writing – love from us Lydia

Michael

Dear Dr. Radical,
I think that whoever decided to take umbrage was incorrect. Of course, everyone has the right to their own opinion, but unless one lives or has lived in Israel, I feel it is very difficult to judge the situation. People from afar telling others what to do is hardly acceptable in my mind.

Having said that, in my opinion, if Israel wanted to do something not in line with the present US ideology, they should rid Iran of the nuclear facilities before it is too late for everyone.

Severely yours,
Anony Mouse

Jake

For me, your friend is an ideologue….wouldn’t matter what your response was, unless you apologised for your own viewpoints. As we used to say in the 60’s……”Keep the faith brother”

By the way……I think how this administration is treating Israel is disgusting. The dinner snub alone should be reason for Biden (the friend of Israel) to resign!

Bill

So take him/her off your mailing list, but don’t (you) ever change .

Thanks so much for the insight we could never receive from other media.

Donna would tell you that REAL friends love you for your faults AND your attributes.  Let it go.

Marty

Stephen,
As a fair minded conservative, I read your letters with both great interest and appreciation. If I have any criticism (constructive, of course) is that you are too balanced and fair minded. Your letters do not show the partisan passion that I would write, if I were the reporter.

Now, for the friend(?) who was critical of your statements. He or she is either so anti-Israel of blind, not to see that Israel  has been more than conciliatory and fair in negotiating with her enemies. It is not Israel who fired thousands of rockets on defenseless Palestinians. It is not Israel who sent suicide bombers  to kill and terrorize defenseless civilians, etc.

The Israelis gave up Gaza  without compensation and without a peace agreement. What id it get Israel, rockets and more rockets.
You friend(?) doesn’t  want to see reality. He or she is too hateful or partisan to admit that Israel. With all it’s faults, has been on the high road  in the struggle. The Palestinians do not want peace, they want Israel!

As far as the building, Israel has the right  to build where it did. If left to the Arabs, E. Jerusalem would be either turned into a shithole or a rocket base.
Biden is a joke here and everywhere he goes. He is  the closest  imitation of the “Village Idiot” ever to grace  our political stage. Obama picked him  for VP for Biden’s total lack of intelligence, backbone and stature. He has demonstrated these rare qualities since becoming VP.

Obama knows him well. As far as his being embarrassed by the building announcement, he wouldn’t have known  what was happening without someone on his staff alerting him to the gaff.

Your friend is not a friend, As we often say, “With friends like this, who needs enemies.”

Sorry!

M

Robert

Steve, this person is not worth cc-ing. He or she closed their mind and are listening to BBC or CNN only.
I just want to comment on the $3B. Israel has to spend it to purchase US made arms. Because of this “help” Israel is locked out of many markets where they could sell their own weapons, that are superior to the American made. So it would probably be better if the US would keep this money and Israel could enter all markets.

This administration would be Israel’s friend without this Obama and all those socialists around him in the White House. Thanks to the heart-building leftist American Jews, this shameful group is in the White House, and are Israel’s, and as a matter of fact the US’s enemies.

As you said G-d should save and protect us!

PS. This person should go back a little further in history. It doesn’t start with the destruction of the Second Temple.

John

Don’t put yourself down because someone doesn’t agree with you or thinks you’re extremist.  To me, everyone is entitled to his or her viewpoint.  Requesting to be taken off a mailing list is, when you think about it, a form of intolerance and there’s too much of that already and always has been.

I don’t know much about Israel and its settlements but I do believe that Israeli politicians might be interested in reviewing the history of Northern Ireland.  Having failed to conquer that nation, Britain, back in the sixteenth century, came up with the idea of sending settlers from Scotland into the northern six counties.

As everyone now knows, the results of that move have been disastrous, particularly in more modern times.  It’s a well-known fact, although seldom mentioned, that nothing would please Britain more than to be rid of its six counties once and for all.  There’s little chance of that happening anytime soon.

I hope Israel has considered the effects of what they are doing, or planning to do, not for themselves but for future generations.

Tony

Jill and I are in Paris visiting relatives and as you know France now ban the wearing of all conspicuous symbols of religion. The debate rages still. Today we had lunch with 22 of my French family of various degrees of separation – most seem to think the bans is correct.

Anyway on the passport issue – yes maybe Australia is naive but I believe that Israel was incredible stupid to use Australia which after all has the largest number of holocaust victims outside of Israel, is a supporter of Israel and a friend. So my obvious comment is with friends like Israel who needs enemies!!!!

Cheers

Tony

PS Feel free to circulate my response if you feel so inclined.

Mikey

Stephen.

Regarding xxxx and his opinions and your opinion about the Middle East politics–I think you and him have to agree to disagree and not bring up the subject when you are together. Friends are important and to let opinions re. the subject ruin a relationship is ridiculous. So bite your tongue – don’t discuss Middle East politics. You and Catherine and Eva have so much ‘history’ in the past, it would be a shame to lose it.

xxxx is a good man, he is an academic and he believes in what he has lectured in. That is the way he has been taught. He is smart and can discuss other subjects of life in a relaxed mode, without being proven whether he is right or wrong. You, Stephen, have to be a little bit more understanding and tactful to whom you send the Letter from Israel. You have your own opinions, which is fine and many recipients who receive your letter enjoy reading it and will also give you their comments regarding the subject without any pressures.

There are others who will never agree with you (that is their right) and, to put it bluntly, pisses you both off. So, lighten up; continue with your letters, write how you feel about the subject, agree to disagree and be tactful about whom you send them to.

Go and have dinner with Catherine and xxxx, stay off the subject – you both will never see eye to eye re the Middle East – and ENJOY.

Re. Simon. Yes, I can understand you did not mean any harm by your ‘note’, but again, I think you have to take time to consider to whom you are writing to and what possible reactions may result from these ‘notes’. Simon is very Catholic and as most Catholics at this time,  are thoroughly embarrassed by what’s happening now!!! I think it would be nice if you dropped him a line and stated that  it was out of place and you are sorry.

I hope you do not mind me being a little bossy sometimes, but I am your brother and I love you.

Mikey

Arye

Dear Stephen

As i think i mentioned to you the last time we met, I really enjoy your ‘Letter from Israel’ and almost always agree with the sentiments expressed.

I found this (below) open on my parents computer (also my work computer) and can only assume it was from you.

I had to give you my tuppence ha’penny’s worth.

Paragraph # 1 from your friend:

Response.

They are disputed territories. Labelling them ‘occupied’ indicates that they belong to someone else.

If they belong to anyone else, it is to Jordan – and they are not complaining.

Paragraph # 3 from your friend:

Response.

It is exactly because it is a right-wing government that concessions can be made. A left-wing government would just be seen as too weak and the pressure would remain on the next right-wing government to retrace steps.

Paragraph # 4 from your friend: 

indicates to me that your friend is looking for things about which to be critical.

The only real damage from the passport forging affair is to British pride, and the only thing Israel did wrong was to get caught.

From my point of view the clearest indications of the world bias against israel are

     1. In no other dispute worldwide does the status of refugee pass from generation to generation

       Only the originally displaced person is a refugee.

       Yet there is no limit to the number of generations of Palestinians that retain refugee status.

2. The number of motions passed censuring israel at the UN is more than the total of those against all other countries combined.

The real effect of this is to nullify the moral strength of any criticism (even when justified)

I would be happy to be added to the mailing list

Best wishes,

   Arye

Rachel

Too late to suggest you if to send it to your friend or not…  but I can say to you not to be sad to lose such a friend.

L.D. Taylor

First — the criticism from a friend————- inevitable when discussing politics and history and religion. And I said discussing. The is being too sensitive and not very open to thoughtful exchange. She/he should have sent the reply to all of us and waited to see our reactions and responses. I don’t always 100% agree or understand all that you say but love that it makes me think and ponder your positions and mine.

L.D.

Stephen