Have more respect for Bush

Letters

Editor: In the past few years, governments around the world have variously encouraged, supported, financed and rewarded those who attacked Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora; blamed Israel for its actions against terrorist murderers; acceded to the United Nations, treating Israel as a pariah; declined to proscribe known terrorist front groups; and failed to protect their own Jewish citizens from anti-Semitic violence and threats. One major statesman, however, has consistently, clearly and firmly declared that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state and to defend itself and its citizens. He has also repeatedly put his own nation, the most powerful one on the planet, behind the promise to protect those rights.

And what does the editorial writer of the Bulletin have to say of this one staunch friend and defender? Thank you, perhaps? No; he is "... a U.S. president desperately trying to justify, post facto, a 'sexed-up' foreign policy gamble." ("Canada in fire and ice," Bulletin editorial, Aug. 29)

Even if one disagreed with the American-led war on Iraq, the discovery of mass graves in Iraq, including those of murdered children, should give any Jewish writer pause before denigrating the ouster of Saddam Hussein – to say nothing of the fact that he will no longer be around to lob scud missiles at Israeli cities. And even if one dislikes President Bush, a decent sense of gratitude would lead to expressing one's criticisms in a courteous rather than insulting tone.

Shame on you.

Peter Suedfeld
Vancouver

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