Letters to the Editor, October 21, 2024: National taxes

In comparing the respective voting schemes for overseas citizens of Australia and the United States in "What’s good for America",  Greer Fay Cashman asks: “Why should Americans who have been living abroad for more than 20 years have the right to determine the political future of those who reside in America?”

This American citizen now residing in Israel hastens to point out that we overseas Americans, whether residing abroad for 20 days, 20 years, or 120 years, are subject to taxation by the US government on our income from all sources worldwide.

We appropriately have the right to vote for the president and members of Congress who will participate in legislating the national taxes we will pay; we do not participate in the elections for the state and local officials who will legislate the taxes that apply to the US locales in which we no longer reside.

KALMAN H. RYESKY 

Petah Tikva

Loose talk

In “Dangerous transparency” (October 16), Joel Leyden covers an issue that I have felt very strongly about throughout the year. In intelligence and security agencies, there is a rule of “need to know.” While in a democratic country, the public has a right to know and be warned of imminent danger, it does not need to know exactly where a drone fell or where a military base is located.

The enemy also rejoices if they read headlines or media reports about Israel`s possible shortage of resources. Social media are hard to control but there should be constrictions, punishable appropriately if the country is endangered by loose talk. During World War Two in Britain, not only were windows blacked out, but the news was heavily censored and the real facts only available to those who “need to know.”

WENDY BLUMFIELD

Haifa

Achieve total victory

Regarding “Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar eliminated in Rafah” In taking out Sinwar, its latest most wanted target, Israel is showing its confused American patron how to win wars. It is not with deescalations, ceasefires and unattainable diplomatic solutions with a resolute enemy. It is not by threatening an ally with withholding much needed armaments if the IDF enters Rafah, bombs Beirut or destroys Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities.

From Saigon to Kabul, America has not fought wars to win. It has forgotten the goals it had demonstrated to the evil empires 80 years ago centered in Berlin and Tokyo and more recently in Moscow. It is time for the US to relearn those lessons and recalibrate its Middle East policy to allow Israel to achieve total victory against its murderous enemies. 

FRED EHRMAN

Ra’anana

Friends, but not allies

Regarding “Harris, Netanyahu, and allyship,” while America and Israel are considered allies, I consider them great friends but not allies. America has been great at providing arms to Israel and defending Israel in innumerable ways, but I do not consider them allies.

America is not willing to fight against Israel’s enemies. For example, when America warned Israel before the recent Iranian military attack, America did nothing to stop the attack.

An ally with the greatest military force in the history of the world would have stopped the attack before it happened. The American aircraft carriers near Israel are helping to defend Israel when attacked by Iran and the Houthis, but an ally would have deterred the attack itself.

American forces are deterring only Israel, not deterring Israel’s enemies. By deterring Israel, it seems America wants to return to the status quo before October 7. That status quo is untenable. The war with Hamas started in 2007, not 2023. Another example: while everyone praises the American financing of the Iron Dome, the Iron Dome has actually saved Hamas more than Israel.

Without the Iron Dome, Israel would have had to invade Gaza many years ago to stop Hamas, and this would have occurred before Hamas built up its warfare capabilities. Even now, America is discussing with Israel how Israel should respond to the Iranian attack. A true ally claims an attack on one is an attack on the other. 

We are indebted to America; America is Israel’s greatest friend. But allies? No. 

MARVIN CHINITZ

New Rochelle, NY

One step further

Neville Teller’s “UNIFIL – as ineffective as ever” (October 14) concisely summarizes UNIFIL’s history of ineptitude since its establishment.

Still, his summary should have gone one step further. That step is the call to disband UNIFIL. After 46 years, it is time for UNIFIL to go. 

Come to think of it, the similarly inept, arguably complicit, UNRWA should be disbanded just as quickly.

ROD MCLEOD

Timrat

Nothing more than a shill

In “Netanyahu’s rooting for Trump: Why he does and why you shouldn’t”, Douglas Bloomfield once again uses his weekly column to launch a hate-filled partisan attack against his favorite bogeyman – Donald Trump. This is only the latest in a series of unhinged and dishonest Bloomfield diatribes. Anyone who reads his column is familiar with his modus operandi – hide or misstate critical information so as to place his enemies in the worst possible light while shielding those he favors from criticism or responsibility.

Time and again, Bloomfield fails miserably in his most fundamental obligations as a columnist. He offers precious little useful information regarding what is happening in Washington. 

As an American, I am offended that he is allowed to express his personal political preferences in a manner that demeans half of the American electorate. As an Israeli, I demand an honest and balanced report not just on the upcoming election but on a host of other issues that affect our relationship with our most important ally.

As a Jew, I am outraged that he minimizes the accomplishments of the most pro-Israel president in history while ignoring the blatant antisemitism of his fellow Democrats. His willful blindness to this moral failing is abhorrent.

Bloomfield is nothing more than a shill for left-wing Democrats. In providing him a weekly platform to spew his bile, The Jerusalem Post has become an accomplice to his vendetta. 

EFRAIM COHEN

Zichron Ya’acov