F L A M E : The Wall Street Journal

Letter to the editor of
The Wall Street Journal:

March 19, 2002

Dear Editor:

Most of us, even though we may not have voted for him, approve of the president's resolute fight against the evil Islamists whose goal is to Islamisize the world, to bring the United States to its knees and to make Israel disappear from the map of the world.

In order to punish those whom we believe to be responsible for the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and on the Pentagon, an attack in which over 3,000 Americans died, we pursue them halfway across the world, with the full power of our military force and drop "daisy cutters" and cluster bombs on them. How surprising and disappointing, therefore, that the president would have "harshly rebuked" Prime Minister Sharon for using military force to crush those who, moved by the same ideology, have tormented his countrymen for over eighteen months and who have daily inflicted heavy casualties. Over 500 Israelis have died in these massacres ö equivalent to about 25,000 Americans. Would the United States stand still for that? Of course not!

Mr. Sharon is responsible for the welfare and security of Israel's citizens just as President Bush is responsible for the welfare and security of the citizenry of the United States. Would Mr. Bush use "restraint" if Americans were daily killed in our cities by merciless enemies? For the president to rebuke Mr. Sharon for his actions and to keep him from completing his task of destroying the deadly enemies of Israel is cynical, hypocritical, dictated by short-term political expediency, and unworthy of him.

Sincerely,

Gerardo Joffe, President