Slap in the Face

Having said all that in my latest letter to Bush, and still believing it, my sense of betrayal at this is enough to make me choke.


Not that I disagree with most of what Ms. Sheehan has been saying lately. Unfortunately, this letter makes her sound like more of a whiner than anything else. I don't respond well when people adopt a "What about me?" attitude to tragedy. She's upset because Ted Koppel interviewed women who lost husbands, and fathers who lost children, without interviewing mothers who lost children? I suppose if she ever slaps a cop like Zsa Zsa Gabor did, she'll complain because the jury isn't composed exclusively of Gold Star mothers. Waah.

More than that, Ms. Sheehan's attacks on Israel do nothing for her case. Those attacks have no logic and no honesty. Yes, the United States supports Israel, thank God, and if I thought President Bush went into Iraq to protect Israeli interests I'd be very thankful. I'd be even more thankful if I thought President Bush was protecting Israeli or American interests effectively. He is doing neither, and on that Ms. Sheehan and I certainly agree.


I do not, however, stand idly by while Ms. Sheehan draws a false connection between American presence in Iraq and Israeli presence in disputed territory. "You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism," is it? Well, Israel is now withdrawing from certain territory claimed by Palestinian Arabs, at great cost to its unity and security - we'll see if the Arabs respond in a peaceful manner. Given the history, I'm not holding my breath.

I still want President Bush to talk to Ms. Sheehan. Maybe the two of them can straighten each other out.

Benshlomo says, Two wrongs don't make a right.