Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

On Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, I sent the following e-mail [edited] to the White House:

“Dear Mr. President,

Your decision to unambiguously support Israel and the Jewish people in their hour of need after the horrendous, barbaric, and totally immoral invasion into Southern Israel by the Hamas terrorists this past weekend is deeply appreciated.

Unquestionably, this decision is in the best interest of both the U.S. and the State of Israel. Terrorism, especially against the Jewish people and antisemitism at home and abroad must be vigorously combated as a disease harmful to democratic society, and to humanity as a whole.

While Israel alone has taken on the responsibility to eradicate the Hamas terrorist organization and its leadership wherever found throughout the world, your deployment of military, and naval assets to the eastern Mediterranean and your decision to supply Israel, with all its military and diplomatic needs to achieve this goal is a decision that should be supported by all sectors of the American public, and should manifest itself in appropriate congressional passage of legislation to implement this policy.

The days ahead may be difficult and ugly given Hamas’ criminal integration of its military assets among the civilian population.

Be assured the IDF will hit only those areas that contain enemy military assets or personnel consistent with international law. Inhibiting Israel’s mission from attaining its stated goal will only make matters worse in the long run. Please stay the course!

God Bless the United States and Israel and each country’s respective military.”

The critical issue is whether the U.S. can stay the course in its overall support of the Jewish State in its stated policy of destroying both the Hamas military and political organizations, and in the apprehension of its leadership and others who participated directly and indirectly in the Oct. 7 brutal and barbaric massacre in southern Israel.

Israel voluntarily and without exacting any concessions from the Palestine Authority, withdrew all its military personnel and uprooted all its settlements in Gaza in 2005 and handed the territory over to the Palestinian Authority.

The hope then was that the citizens of Gaza would become self-governing and live peaceably with Israel; and with Israeli economic assistance develop into a prosperous center to benefit its inhabitants, including the full enjoyment of the freedoms afforded in a democratic society.

Tragically for the citizens of Gaza, in 2007 the terrorist organization, Hamas prevailed in a bloody civil war with the Palestinian Authority and imposed a dictatorial regime on the Gazan population. Hamas rejected any accommodation with the Jewish State, and as called for in its founding Charter, pursued a policy of total rejection and delegitimization of the State of Israel and the annihilation of its Jewish inhabitants.

In response to the creation of a terrrorist state on its southern border, Israel initiated a land, sea and air blockade to prevent the importation of weaponry and military equipment into Gaza. This was done with the cooperation of Egypt which also imposed a similar blockade by closing its border with Gaza.

However, contrary to what you read in the press, there was never a blockade of food, water, electricity, fuel, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.

Israel established two border crossings and Egypt establish one on its northern border with Hamas. Over the years, through all three border crossings, Gaza daily received, in addition to tons of the above commodities, thousands of tons of concrete for building homes, schools, hospitals and other structures needed in a modern economy

Instead of using these imports for the benefit of the Gazan Arabs, Hamas appropriated most, and in some cases all, of these imports to build its war machine and infrastructure; and placed it in the midst of its civilian population.

Most of the imported concrete now is found in the form of a complex tunnel system protecting Hamas fighters and its inventory of rockets, which it periodically rains down on Israeli towns and cities; and as in the recent hospital disaster, frequently on its own citizens.

Peace will come to the Middle East, not by a series of cease fires which leave the Palestinian Arabs free to continue their fantasy of destroying Israel and the Jewish people, but by the complete destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah, along with regime change in Teheran, and a recognition that Jews have returned to the Land of Israel as their birthright.

The U.S. and its Western allies must “stay the course” in their unambiguous support of Israel. It is the only path to peace in the Middle East.

“Am Yisroel Chai!”

If you wish to comment or respond you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner.

Mel Pearlman holds B.S. & M.S. degrees in physics as well as a J.D. degree and initially came to Florida in 1966 to work on the Gemini and Apollo space programs. He has practiced law in Central Florida since 1972. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; was a charter board member, first vice president and pro-bono legal counsel of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as holding many other community leadership positions.