There he goes again - The Jewish Standard

There goes Rabbi Boteach again, using his position as a columnist to blindly knock the president (“President Obama’s astonishing overtures to a terror state,” October 4). The rabbi’s diatribe, this time, refers to the president’s overtures to the new Iranian president. For one thing, rabbi, as someone who supposedly does a lot of counseling, you should be the first to acknowledge that nothing is accomplished unless and until the two parties communicate with each other. Is it better to not talk to each other and allow the status quo that you complain so vociferously about to continue? How does anything change?

All during the Cold War, American and Soviet heads of state kept in communication limiting the possibility of a third world war. Yes, Iran has done terrible things, yet you want to quash any possibility of ending this? Is your only solution to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran, as your presidential candidate, John McCain, suggested during his failed campaign? Is that your first instinct, war? America and Iran have not spoken directly since 1979 and now that there’s a possibility of some kind of communication, we should just turn away from even the slightest chance to defuse the problems between the two countries? What have we got to lose by talking? Do you think that’s weakness? No, that’s actually called statesmanship. Do you think Anwar Sadat was weak going to Israel to talk peace? No, rabbi, this is just another dig at the president, and you should be ashamed.

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