To our American Jewish "leaders" - and to the rest of us who must hold them accountable:
It is an extremely sad reality that the United Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, and all but two or three of the other 52 groups that comprise the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, are "powerless" to save the Jewish people, as a result of being afraid to criticize or contradict the Israeli government.
The Israeli government's leader announced his refusal to appoint an independent state commission of inquiry into the management of the war with Hizbullah. Instead, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the government would appoint two investigative committees. In other words, the people to be investigated by the committees are also those who will have appointed them.
I implore you to support Israel and the Jewish people by calling publicly and loudly for the immediate resignations of Olmert, Amir Peretz, Shimon Peres, Tzippy Livni and IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. The Jewish State finds itself in a perilous situation, while Israelis from across the political spectrum continue to speak out against the current government's handling of the war: about its indecisiveness that placed thousands of heroic soldiers at great risk; about its micro-management of the war that ignored and contradicted years of planning by the nation's top military strategists; about its policy of appeasement of the media, foreign governments and the United Nations by its acceptance of a self-destructive cease-fire. which empowers Hizbullah and all of Israel's enemies, enabling the terrorist organization to regroup and re-arm with even more technologically-advanced weaponry and bringing a questionable (at best) force of soldiers smack against Israel's northern border; about its encouragement of disunity among its soldiers and citizens by continuing its calls for withdrawals from Judea and Samaria while the fighting was ongoing; about its lack of preparation in caring for the victims of rocket attacks in the north - in general, about its total lack of leadership.
The American Jewish leadership's silence in the aftermath of the Olmert-led government's pitiful, life-jeopardizing performance during the war, at a time when the threat to Israel's very survival has never been more real, is beyond abhorrent - it is criminal. If, G-d forbid, Israel were to suffer a devastating attack while Mr. Olmert were still in office, I would hold the American Jewish organizations and their representatives responsible to a significant degree for the death and injuries of our fellow Jews in Israel, and for the destruction of Jewish land and property.
Last month, in New York City, a memorial service was held for Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, the heroic Jew who tried desperately to save the lives of Poland's Jews before it was too late. In the 1930s, Mr. Jabotinsky traveled to Poland on numerous occasions, imploring the Jewish organization heads to lead a mass exodus from the country. He saw the signs of impending devastation quite clearly; yet, his impassioned pleas were ignored time and time again. The signs today are so much clearer than they were when 3,000,000 Polish Jews could have been saved from their unthinkable suffering and ultimate death.
Israel's enemies have consistently and blatantly called for her destruction. Iran has imported huge caches of sophisticated weaponry and is rapidly approaching nuclear capability. Moshe Yaalon, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2002 to 2005, says that we are already in the midst of World War III. The Israel-haters of the Middle East are now empowered more than ever by Hizbullah's perceived victory in Lebanon over the once-mighty Israeli military machine. And, it is so clear that Mr. Olmert, Mr. Peres, Mr. Peretz, Ms. Livni and Lt. Gen. Halutz are incapable of preventing, or even slowing down, the driving force of Iran, Syria and Hizbullah (not forgetting Hamas) from achieving their ultimate goal.
In this most serious of times, the American Jewish leadership must break from its timeless policy of not speaking out against the government of Israel. Is there not one executive director, chairman or president of a major Federation or one of the more influential members of the Conference of Presidents who will have the courage and sense to speak out and help save the Jewish People? The major American Jewish leader who would call publicly and loudly for the resignation of Olmert, Peres, Peretz, Livni and Halutz would be viewed as a Jewish hero, for time immemorial - the rest of the lot, as cowards and appeasers.
This is the opportunity of our generation, perhaps the final opportunity for the Jewish people. We need at least one of you to be a true leader; we need a Ze'ev Jabotinsky. This time, we will all listen - and act accordingly.
It is an extremely sad reality that the United Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, and all but two or three of the other 52 groups that comprise the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, are "powerless" to save the Jewish people, as a result of being afraid to criticize or contradict the Israeli government.
The Israeli government's leader announced his refusal to appoint an independent state commission of inquiry into the management of the war with Hizbullah. Instead, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the government would appoint two investigative committees. In other words, the people to be investigated by the committees are also those who will have appointed them.
I implore you to support Israel and the Jewish people by calling publicly and loudly for the immediate resignations of Olmert, Amir Peretz, Shimon Peres, Tzippy Livni and IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. The Jewish State finds itself in a perilous situation, while Israelis from across the political spectrum continue to speak out against the current government's handling of the war: about its indecisiveness that placed thousands of heroic soldiers at great risk; about its micro-management of the war that ignored and contradicted years of planning by the nation's top military strategists; about its policy of appeasement of the media, foreign governments and the United Nations by its acceptance of a self-destructive cease-fire. which empowers Hizbullah and all of Israel's enemies, enabling the terrorist organization to regroup and re-arm with even more technologically-advanced weaponry and bringing a questionable (at best) force of soldiers smack against Israel's northern border; about its encouragement of disunity among its soldiers and citizens by continuing its calls for withdrawals from Judea and Samaria while the fighting was ongoing; about its lack of preparation in caring for the victims of rocket attacks in the north - in general, about its total lack of leadership.
The American Jewish leadership's silence in the aftermath of the Olmert-led government's pitiful, life-jeopardizing performance during the war, at a time when the threat to Israel's very survival has never been more real, is beyond abhorrent - it is criminal. If, G-d forbid, Israel were to suffer a devastating attack while Mr. Olmert were still in office, I would hold the American Jewish organizations and their representatives responsible to a significant degree for the death and injuries of our fellow Jews in Israel, and for the destruction of Jewish land and property.
Last month, in New York City, a memorial service was held for Ze'ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky, the heroic Jew who tried desperately to save the lives of Poland's Jews before it was too late. In the 1930s, Mr. Jabotinsky traveled to Poland on numerous occasions, imploring the Jewish organization heads to lead a mass exodus from the country. He saw the signs of impending devastation quite clearly; yet, his impassioned pleas were ignored time and time again. The signs today are so much clearer than they were when 3,000,000 Polish Jews could have been saved from their unthinkable suffering and ultimate death.
Israel's enemies have consistently and blatantly called for her destruction. Iran has imported huge caches of sophisticated weaponry and is rapidly approaching nuclear capability. Moshe Yaalon, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2002 to 2005, says that we are already in the midst of World War III. The Israel-haters of the Middle East are now empowered more than ever by Hizbullah's perceived victory in Lebanon over the once-mighty Israeli military machine. And, it is so clear that Mr. Olmert, Mr. Peres, Mr. Peretz, Ms. Livni and Lt. Gen. Halutz are incapable of preventing, or even slowing down, the driving force of Iran, Syria and Hizbullah (not forgetting Hamas) from achieving their ultimate goal.
In this most serious of times, the American Jewish leadership must break from its timeless policy of not speaking out against the government of Israel. Is there not one executive director, chairman or president of a major Federation or one of the more influential members of the Conference of Presidents who will have the courage and sense to speak out and help save the Jewish People? The major American Jewish leader who would call publicly and loudly for the resignation of Olmert, Peres, Peretz, Livni and Halutz would be viewed as a Jewish hero, for time immemorial - the rest of the lot, as cowards and appeasers.
This is the opportunity of our generation, perhaps the final opportunity for the Jewish people. We need at least one of you to be a true leader; we need a Ze'ev Jabotinsky. This time, we will all listen - and act accordingly.