‘Preposterous’ claims by Breaking the Silence
As a veteran IDF officer, I read with a heavy heart Yuli Novak’s op-ed (“Testimonies of IDF soldiers expose truth about occupation,” Nov. 22) denouncing Israel’s occupation as a moral issue; yet the real danger is this vocal minority’s misguided activity that may demoralize the public and undermine Israel’s resolve to stand up to its mortal enemies.
Further, Breaking the Silence’s claim (regardless of authenticity) that transgressions of a few hundred soldiers characterize the conduct of hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers is preposterous. Israel’s brave soldiers are doing their best in a hostile and confrontational environment to avert the spread of Palestinian terrorism into Israel and its indiscriminant killing and violence all over the country.
Please make no mistake; the Palestinians are not interested in a two-state solution. This was clearly demonstrated in their rejection of Israel’s compromise offers. They will not accept any plan unless it will enable them to abolish Israel as a Jewish state and replace it with an Islamic one.
Novak’s lament is sadly based on a misguided view that “Israel’s occupation” is a major issue, rather than considering the multitude of risks Israel is facing, in particular Iran’s nuclear threat.
Sam Liron | Foster City
Breaking the cycle of ‘military terrorism’
Former IDF commander Yehuda Shaul of Breaking the Silence provided deep insights into the psychology of Israel’s occupation at Congregation Sherith Israel Nov. 22, for which he and event organizers deserve thanks. NGO Monitor’s Naftali Balanson, in a dismissive op-ed about the BTS tour (“Group’s message emboldens enemies, delegitimizes Israel,” Nov. 22), doesn’t dispute Shaul’s facts; rather, he fears that truth will undermine unconditional Jewish support worldwide for military repression of Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories.
Shaul’s testimony exposes deliberately calculated military terrorism — the systematic infliction of fear on a civilian population by IDF soldiers commanded to preserve small, illegal Orthodox Jewish settlements amid much larger, legal neighborhoods of Palestinians. This causes Balanson discomfort: Full disclosure to the world can erode unconditional Jewish support for the occupation.
Yet, unconditional support is blind; confronting truthful testimony, and rejecting state-sponsored terrorism, makes new space for democracy and moral action — Israel’s and ours. As Americans, we, too, have much work to do to end our own country’s illegal terrorism against civilians in far corners of the world (think drone strikes) and violations of civil and human rights at home.
Testimony from former IDF soldiers (almost 1,000 and growing) is — thankfully — making waves in Israel and abroad precisely because it tests our commitment to democracy and human rights. Silence encourages immoral complicity: the willful deafness of those who will not hear.
World silence all but destroyed Eastern European Jewry; Israeli soldiers now urge breaking the cycle of political abuse. We who know our people’s history are listening.
Diana Scott | San Francisco
H in Hanukkah is fine; but the double k is not
I find this spelling switch really crazy making wherever I see it. (“Goodbye Chanukah. Hello, Hanukkah,” Nov. 15) I’m not sure why we are running to Anglicize things more than we need to for simple comprehension by non–Hebrew speakers. So despite my distaste for it, I’ll give you the H. But the double K? It’s just weird.
Sarah Lefton | Oakland
‘Hanukkah’ reeks of ‘hip’
I’d like to add my name to the list of those who do not like the new changing of the spelling of Chanukah.
But then, I didn’t like it when the name of the Jewish Bulletin was changed to “J.”
It all reeks of the “hip,” “cool” and “cutesy” aroma spilling off the frenzy to be youthful. There’s nothing wrong with being young. However, I’ll bet a large part of your readership is proudly old, as I am. I facilitate a Chanukah celebration in the social hall each year where I live, and we’ll keep the “Ch” as long as I can help it.
Sandy Tate | Sebastopol
Correcting the record
The caption on the photo of Mona Golabek on page 3 (“One-woman play in Berkeley hits home for local ‘Kinder,’ ” Nov. 22) was wrong. I, Lisa Brinner, am the enthusiastic audience member and Kindertransport “Kind” in that picture (not Ilse Eden). Please correct!
It was a great experience to be with Mona, especially for my granddaughter Zoe Brinner as well as my sons and their wives, Ben Brinner and Lisa Gold, and Rafael Brinner and Danielle Fox Brinner.
Lisa J. Brinner | Berkeley