ICJS Reader attended protest at Annapolis

This article is a question / answer between Roberta Dzubow (who describes herself below), and Jeff Jacoby, columnist at the Boston Globe

Roberta Dzubow to Jeff Jacoby

22 December 2007

Hello Jeff,

I am a 65 year old Jewish woman Zionist. I get to read some of your columns when they are sent to me by e-mail friends. I appreciate your articles and send them on to my own list (of about 50 - most in the US, two in the U.K., one in Australia, a few in Israel).

I was born in 1942, in Philadelphia. I was two years old when your father experienced the Holocaust, first hand and personally. What a supreme horror. I am, as you are, so grateful to be an American. I also appreciate how important Israel is - to Jews, to civilized societies - to the Western World.

As you had access to President Bush, my question regards your opportunities for interaction with him. No one is more reluctant than I am to speak seriously to someone in power - particularly in a festive social situation- but I wonder - were you or any of the other guests able to "get into the mix" how critical Jerusalem and Israel's precarious situation is at this point?

I was at Annapolis, with ZOA , protesting the supposed "peace" conference, where the Arabs refused to shake hands or listen to Olmert's speech. Condi Rice, mixing up her sympathy for Black Americans (seeking equal rights), and Arab "Palestinians" (seeking the annihilation and elimination of Israelis/Jews) - saw no parallels with Blacks at "colored fountains" and Jews, denied door number one, and forced to go in door number two, the "Jews service door."

While you were attending the Chanukah party, Bob Kunst of Shalom International - a prime organizer of the Annapolis protest - was in Lafayette Park holding signs against dividing Jerusalem, knowing that when you let killers and hate-mongers move in next door, you get what they've been programmed to do.

I hope some how, some way, the President will recognize that […] the Arab [countries] bore in to destroy, They do it overtly, covertly and remotely — but they do it 24/7. I am so terribly afraid that your father's horrible experience, losing his family, being so close to losing his life, will be the outcome for Israelis in the not too distant future. Any voice that can "speak truth to power" as Rabbi Avi Weiss has described, is a voice that performs a mitzvah. I hope that you had/have/will have the opportunity to help "repair the world" and keep Israel safe.

Sincerely,

Roberta E. Dzubow
Fort Washington, PA

Jeff Jacoby to Roberta Dzubow

23 December 2007

Many thanks for your very kind words. Unfortunately, the way the reception at the White House is organized, each guest has only a few seconds to shake hands with the president and first lady, so there was no time to get into any issues with him. I have to say, though, that I don't think Annapolis would have happened and I don't think anyone would be talking about jeopardizing Jerusalem if it weren't for the Israeli government giving the green light. I have never seen a more pro-Israel president than Bush, and it is only at the behest of the Israelis that he has so strongly supported a "two-state solution" and treated Abbas as a legitimate democratic leader.

I don't know how often you have seen my columns; I'll take the liberty of attaching one or two of them to this [article]. If you would like to get my pieces automatically, just visit http://www.jeffjacoby.com .

I hope you had a bright and happy Chanukah, and wish you a healthy, peaceful, and successful 2008.

All the best,

Jeff Jacoby

Here are three articles written by Jeff Jacoby:

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