This section includes Letters to Zipple, opeds and opinion essays sent to Zipple by our community. This is your personal opportunity to gripe, compliment or start dialogues within the Jewish community!
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Title: Machanayim - Two Camps
Date: January 25, 2001
"And Ya'akov (1) went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Ya'akov saw them, he said: "This is God's camp." And he called the name of that place Machanayim (two camps)." (Genesis 32:1-2). (2)
Title: Inauguration Prayers
Date: January 25, 2001
Alan Dershowitz must be awfully thin-skinned and insecure in his faith to be offended by prayers which invoke a Deity other than he recognizes. He is petulantly inflamed by the Invocation at the Presidential inauguration, which declared Jesus Christ as "our savior" and which blessed the Presidency in the name of "the Father, the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit".
Title: Another Yom Kippur Surprise?!?!
Date: January 11, 2001
by Emanuel A. Winston
It has been reported that Prime Minister/Defense Minister Ehud Barak has requested outgoing President Bill Clinton to instigate a motion, within the U.N. Security Council to divide sovereignty in Jerusalem between the Jews and Muslims. This is not so far-fetched as it may seem. The frantic efforts by Clinton and Barak to divide Jerusalem and transfer sovereignty over the Temple Mount to the Arabs continue in the last moments of their respective administrations.
Title: Did Barak Ask Clinton to Secure a UN Res. Dividing Jerusalem?
Date: January 11, 2001
by Emanuel A. Winston
If you recall the history of the 1973 Yom Kippur surprise attack by Syria and Egypt, the general attitude and advice from Military Intelligence was ‘Ein Baya’ (no problem). The Arabs would not dare to attack. This arrogant concept (what was called the "Conceptzia’) was a state of self-destructive overconfidence and denial. It was only Gen. Ariel Sharon’s daring crossing of the Suez Canal and routing of the Egyptian Third Army that saved Israel from that bit of critical short-sightedness.
Title: Ending the Assult on History
Date: January 9, 2001
by Rabbi Avi Shafran
Among the casualties of the ongoing Arab uprising against Israel has been
something very dear to all cultivated people, and to cultivated Jews in
particular: History.
Title: An Open Letter to the President-Elect from an Orthodox Jewish Leader
Date: January 3, 2001
Dear President-Elect Bush:
As close as the election was, it wasn't much of a contest in the Jewish
community; polls suggest that an overwhelming majority of American Jews
supported the Gore-Lieberman ticket. This would appear to confirm some
long- and widely-held perceptions about the political proclivities and
policy preferences of Jews in the United States.
Title: Barak Advanced the Arab Timetable to War
by Emanuel A. Winston
Date: January 8, 2001
Barak (last in a long line of Labor Left appeasers) has very definitely
advanced the Arab timetable for war against Israel. The Left, having made
extraordinary concessions to the Arabs over the years, have built up the
Arabs' expectations and conclusions that Israel has lost the will to fight.
Barak confirmed this as he demonstrated in practice that, not only was he
the Ultimate Dove but he was even willing to give up the bedrock of Jewish
identity.
Title: Solution to all Security Problems
by Chag Chanukah Sameach
Date: December 26, 2000
As America labored through the birth pangs of a new presidency, much of the
world laughed. Compared to our difficulties, even mad-cow disease became
sufferable. Contemplating the political shenanigans that might block
Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to unseat Ehud Barak, a veteran Israeli
columnist wrote, "What are we, America?"
Title: BLAME IT ON THE JEWS
by Yitzchok Adlerstein
Date: December 26, 2000
As America labored through the birth pangs of a new presidency, much of the
world laughed. Compared to our difficulties, even mad-cow disease became
sufferable. Contemplating the political shenanigans that might block
Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to unseat Ehud Barak, a veteran Israeli
columnist wrote, "What are we, America?"
Title: The House Divided
by Jonathan Friendly
Date: December 22, 2000
The 120 members of Israel's parliament acted in narrow and cowardly self-interest last week when they voted not to dissolve the Knesset and create a meaningful national election.
Their decision affirmed a fact that has been plain for months --they aren't able to make laws for themselves, much less for the country as a whole. By effectively barring former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from the election, the parliament also underlined the lamentable willingness of current Prime Minister Ehud Barak to strike political deals that may further his immmediate hold on power but at immense future social cost.
Title: Be a "Jew for a Day"
by Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analyst & Commentator
On Saturday December 16th the CHICAGO TRIBUNE printed an extensive number of letters from students of Loyola University trying to make sense of their fellow students chanting: "You killed Jesus" at Jewish basketball players from New Trier High School. While on one hand, they apologized for these students, on the other hand, they trivialized their behavior by saying they were merely kids doing a dumb thing. They spoke about their personal lack of anti-Semitism and defended the Catholic Church in terms of how the Church taught brotherhood.
Title: Editorial on Jewish relationships with President-elect Bush
by Jonathan Friendly
Jewish Renaissance Media
Prepared For Partnership
OK, so George W. Bush wasn't the choice of the overwhelming majority of American Jews. But he is going to be our president in a month, and we better figure how out how we want to deal with that fact.
We start by saying that we respect the office of the president and believe that Bush has the capacity to be a leader for the whole nation.
by Jay Wechsler
Date Sent to Zipple: December 17, 2000
opinion: During the 2000 election campaign, I often found myself plagued
with the all too famous question. Which candidate, Bush or Gore, would be
best for Israel? I shlepped this question with me throughout the campaign.
After all, there were so many variables, and so much to consider.
Title: Rebuilding A Government
Author: Jonathan Friendly
Date Sent to Zipple: December 12, 2000
Ehud Barak’s dramatic resignation as Prime Minister of Israel is a good first step toward sorting out what the nation wants next.
Now the Knesset should follow his lead and dissolve itself to face new elections at the same time. There is no point in pretending that the current members can overcome their mutual hostilities long enough to work with Barak or any other separately elected prime minister.
Title: Left Wing, Right Wing
Author: Unknown
Date Sent to Zipple: December 11, 2000
What's Right With Israel?
By Yosef Ben Tzion (Joel Busner)
Director B'Ahavat Yisrael Organization
In Israel: B'Ahavat Yisrael Organization
P.O. Box 349 Hod Hasharon Israel 45102
U.S.A. (tax-deductible) Friends of B'Ahavat Yisrael
1310 52nd street, suite 318 Brooklyn N.Y. 11219
Title: MILITARY ANALYSIS
by an analyst who prefers to remain anonymous
Date Sent to Zipple: December 10, 2000
Political pundits are mystified by Barak’s decision to resign and hold
elections within 60 days. He seems to have very little to gain. He will
either lose to just about any challenger - as polls strongly indicate, or he
will win and be stuck with the same grid-locked Knesset.
Title: CNN
Author: J. Pavony
Date Sent to Zipple: December 05, 2000
Hi, I am forwarding you a web page of CNN's website in a bid to search for the truth. You will see a picture posted of a jeep burning. The caption underneath the picture states that this occured this past Saturday.
Title: A U.S. Partition Plan
Author: Azriel Chelst
Date Sent to Zipple: December 06, 2000
In this difficult time of great strife between occupying incumbent Democrats and the escalating Republicans, Vice President Gore, the popular majority leader and Electoral College runner-up, must strive to explore all possible peaceful resolutions to this critical heated conflict.
Title: EXCESSIVE or ESSENTIAL FORCE
Author: Emanuel A. Winston
Date Sent to Zipple: December 3, 2000
To accuse Israel of using excessive force in the face of an armed rebellion is not all that unusual for the United Nations. When they deal with Israel, the nations have always employed double standards. One standard for their countries’ actions and policy for riots, insurrection - even war - and a totally different standard for the Jewish State of Israel.
Title: THE SEPARATION OPTION: AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE PEACE
PROCESS?
Author: DAN SCHUEFTAN
Date Sent to Zipple: Friday, December 01, 2000 10:35 AM
Last week, the Dutch Parliament officially legalized what has been common practice in the Netherlands for many years: the killing of patients by
doctors.
Their illnesses need not even be terminal for patients to qualify for the
now-legal administration of a lethal poison.
Title: Ends and Means
Author: Rabbi Avi Shafran
Date Sent to Zipple:
Last week, the Dutch Parliament officially legalized what has been common practice in the Netherlands for many years: the killing of patients by
doctors.
Their illnesses need not even be terminal for patients to qualify for the
now-legal administration of a lethal poison.
Title: Wajdi, a 14 year old: "When I become a Shahid [Martyr], give out cake"
Author: Itamar Marcus, Director
Date Sent to Zipple: Friday, December 01, 2000 9:40 AM
'When I become a Martyr, give out Kannafa' [sweet cake]. These are the words that 14-year-old Wajdi Al-Hattab often said to his friends in the days prior to his death in the riots, as reported in the official Palestinian Authority daily paper.
Title: ZACHOR!! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?
Author: Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analysis & Commentary
Date Sent to Zipple: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 2:42 PM
Ehud Barak, have you forgotten that we are Jews? Of course, you have, but the Arabs haven’t. Neither have the Europeans, Russians and the U.S. State Department forgotten we are Jews. It is the year 2000 (5761 according to the Jewish calendar) but it might as well be any other time in the past for the Jews.
Title: ISRAEL AT RISK DURING ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Author: Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analysis & Commentary
Date Sent to Zipple: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 11:51 PM
Israel’s Prime/Defense Minister Ehud Barak has announced that he will submit to new elections. However, the tricksters in the Arabist U.S. State Department still operating on the Clinton peace schedule, expect Barak to now give away everything he offered at Camp David 2.
Title: The Media as the Enemy
Author: Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analysis & Commentary
Date Sent to Zipple: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 8:18 PM
For a number of years we have studied the media and their effect on the public’s mindset. Perhaps the most invidious use of the media was inspired by Hermann Goebbels during World War II. He brought the concept of propaganda through the media to a high state of the art.
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Title: Dangerous Times Require Drastic Measures
Author: Harvey Gochberg
Date Sent to Zipple: November 22, 2000
I would like to float an idea of mine that will surely be controversial and perhaps hotly contested. However, it is one that deserves consideration by the people of Israel right now, before the Arabic nations join in the Palestinean Intifada.
