I am an American

I recently submitted the following Letter to the Editor to my local newspaper the Fort Lee Suburbanite. I would like to share it with my readers. The letter follows:

I live in the Colony in Fort Lee. The other day a woman asked me in the elevator whom I planned to vote for. I responded Obama, and asked and you? She said, “I don’t know – I didn’t like Obama’s refusal to meet with Netanyahu.” Then we parted.

Here is my response to this woman and others who may have similar doubts.

As an American, a Jew, a Holocaust survivor, A Zionist descended from Zionists, but above all an American, I do not believe that the head of any country has the right to summon the President of the United States. He can petition the President for a meeting, and if it fits into the President's schedule, and it is in the mutual interests of the parties, a meeting can be arranged. That applies to all foreign heads of state. The Prime Minister of Israel is not, nor should he be, an exception.

But Netanyahu has gone out of his way to violate every rule of diplomatic behavior. In my view he has been a disaster for Israel. Since any Letter to the Editor has to be short I commend readers to "Peter Beinart on Netanyahu’s Bullying Act" from The Daily Beast.

That article relates in some detail Netanyahu’s long history of meddling in American politics, so much so that the Republican Secretary of State James Baker briefly had him banned from the State Department. But beyond that, and I quote from the article, “Netanyahu has been brazenly intervening in American politics—often with an eye to screwing Democratic presidents.”

But let us also not forget Netanyahu’s role in inciting so vehemently against the sainted assassinated Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, that many accused him of responsibility for that assassination.

But now he has the gall to come to the US and use our airwaves to try to dictate American foreign policy. Appearing on US Television, Netanyahu declared: “Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don't have a moral right to place a red light before Israel.” I agree with the Prime Minster that no one has a right to place a “Red Light” before Israel. But, in fact no one has!!!

Israel’s Defense Minster, Ehud Barak has said: "Israel retains its right to make sovereign decisions and the United States respects that."

The opposition comes from within Israel where Meir Dagan, former Mossad Chief, said on 60 Minutes that an “Attack On Iran is the 'Stupidest Idea' He's Ever Heard.”

The attempt by any country to dictate American policy, particularly on issues of war and peace must be rejected by all Americans.

Note: Links to URLs were not part of the Letter to the Editor.

It is necessary to add that according to Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, the Obama White House has been the most supportive administration throughout the two countries' diplomatic relations on matters of Israeli security. See here, here and here.