Ignoring Advice of Advisers Sometimes a Wise Choice
Bill Dauster’s op-ed (“Pharaoh’s Administration Offers a Cautionary Tale for Today,” Jan. 11) claims that the downfall of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh of the Exodus was attributable to his refusal to heed the advice of his magicians and courtiers to let the Israelites go sooner.
The larger point here, as implied by the title, is that by heeding the advice of their advisers, today’s heads of state (like President Trump) would avoid the mistake of the ancient Pharaoh who failed to listen to his own advisers, thereby leading to tragic consequences for him and Egypt.
Notwithstanding this lesson from Jewish history, there have been instances when the failure of a head of state to abide by the counsel of his advisers has benefited Israel and the Jewish people immensely.
When the State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, in the face of stubborn opposition by his closest advisers in the State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, then-President Harry S. Truman personally extended de facto U.S. recognition to it. Diplomatic recognition of Israel by other countries soon followed, thereby lending legitimacy to the fledgling state.
Jerry Stern | Merion Station
Trump’s Disregard for Grandchildren’s Welfare is Unconscionable
Richard H. Schwartz (“Israel Should Not Be extolling President Trump,” Jan. 18) omitted Trump’s most-telling defect in his litany of the president’s character faults: an unconscionable disregard for the welfare of his grandchildren.
After all, the “Jews (who) will not replace us” whom the Charlottesville neo-Nazis threatened and ranted about, include Ivanka and Jared’s three kids. What kind of zayde insists that there are some “very fine people” supporting individuals who harbor nothing but ill-will toward an eynikl?
Mara D. Atrash | College Park, Md.
Israel Public Services Not Equal for All
People often come back from a visit in Israel and remark that the Arab areas are very dirty. There is a good reason for this.
Public services in Israel neither clean the street in those areas nor pick up the garbage. This shows both contempt and neglect and should be remedied forthwith.
Martin Gingold | Warwick
Presumably for lack of space, my original letter was abridged.
Here is the rest of it:
“And then there is President Trump’s fondness for Norway — a nation that was proudly Judenrein from the Middle Ages until the mid-19th century.
Taqa, a covfefe shanda.
One more thing: ‘The Jewish grandmother riding the Trump train’ (JE, Oct. 26, 2016) has some major explaining to do! Not to mention tshuvah, come the High Holydays. “