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To Pope Francis – A Lesson in History
Dear Editor:
Let me explain what war is, so even Pope Francis will understand it.
From 1914 to 1918 Germany and Turkey fought the Western allies. They lost. Germany was made to pay punishing reparations and Turkey lost its Ottoman Empire.
The Middle East was split into mandates; The mandate for Palestine was the reconstituted Jewish homeland. Lebanon was to be a Christian haven. Syria, Iraq and Transjordan were new states in the vast Muslim Middle East. Numerous international treaties attest to these mandates.
In 1939, the Nazis invaded Europe. (Pope Pius XII collaborated with them.) In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. Between 70 and 85 million people are estimated to have been killed in WWII. To hasten the war’s end, Berlin and Dresden were firebombed and Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuked.
The losers were put on trial for war crimes. Some were executed. Germany and Japan were occupied for years, until the victors could trust them again.
That’s how wars are fought.
In 1947, the United Nations, ignoring Article 80 if its charter, suggested splitting the Mandate for Palestine into Arab and Jewish areas. The Jews agreed. The Arabs did not.
As the British departed, the Jews declared the State of Israel.
Local Arab militias and five neighboring armies attacked the new state. The Arabs failed to destroy Israel. 700,000 Arabs fled, becoming refugees. Egypt and Transjordan illegally occupied Gaza, Judea and Samaria. They gained from their aggression.
The 1949 Armistice Line could have been a peaceful border, but Egypt and Jordan refused, using the territories to launch attacks into Israel.
In 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan vowed to ‘drive the Jews into the sea’. Israel pre-empted, re-unified Israel and captured the Golan and Sinai. This time the aggressors paid a price.
In return for the Sinai, Egypt made peace with Israel. Jordan Followed soon after. Syria lost the Golan permanently.
The 1993-95 Oslo Accords allowed Yasser Arafat and 100,000 followers to enter Israel and set up a temporary administration in Areas A & B of Judea and Samaria until Israel and the PA could finalize a 2-state solution. However, Arafat unleashed his suicide bombers on innocent Israelis in 2000, proving Oslo was a massive error.
In 2005, Israel gave Gaza, free of all Jews, to the PA. This fatal decision led to terrorism and periodic wars between Hamas and Israel which ended inconclusively.
The Oct. 7, 2023, rapes, slaughter and kidnappings in southern Israel by Palestinians demonstrated they had not abandoned their goal of killing Jews and replacing Israel with a Caliphate.
Israel will not capitulate to pressure this time. The Palestinians will pay for their aggression. Hamas will be vanquished. Iran will reel in Hezbollah. That’s how this war ends.
Sincerely
Len Bennett, Author of ‘Unfinished Work’
Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA
Huckabee Says It Like It Is
Dear Editor:
Recent news articles have quoted the ambassador-designate to Israel, Governor Mike Huckabee, as having once remarked, “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.”
That’s a partial quote. Huckabee’s full statement was: “There’s really no such thing as a Palestinian. You have Arabs and Persians, and there’s such complexity in that. But there’s really no such thing [as Palestinian national identity]. That’s been a political tool to try and force land away from Israel.” Governor Huckabee also once remarked: “The idea that they have a long history, dating back hundreds or thousands of years, is not true.”
One of Israel’s most well-known prime ministers, Golda Meir, said the exact same thing, repeatedly. For example, Meir told the BBC in 1970: “What difference is there between Arabs who were on this side of the Jordan and the other side of the Jordan?…They are the majority in Jordan, they are in parliament, they are in government. What has happened since then—why have they become more Palestinian-conscious since the war of ’67?”
The answer to Prime Minister Meir’s question—why did Palestinian Arab identity suddenly emerge after 1967?—was answered succinctly by Governor Huckabee: it was invented to serve as “a political tool to try and force land away from Israel.”
Sincerely,
Moshe Phillips
National Chairman
Americans For A Safe Israel
New York, NY
afsi.org
The Death of Law & Order in NYC
Dear Editor:
It happened again this morning, and it’s sadly becoming a joke at this point.
I walked into Starbucks, and the shelf that just a couple of days ago was full of holiday merchandise for the new season was completely empty.
Again.
When I asked the barista, they confirmed it: someone walked in, calmly cleared the shelves, and walked out without a care.
They, of course, aren’t allowed to stop them–that would be nonsensical.
The barista told me that even if they call the police, it takes hours for them to arrive, and nothing happens anyway. This is just the new normal.
The folks at Target told me the same thing when I watched a guy fill two entire bags and just calmly walk out with a smile on his face as he was surrounded by security that could do nothing to stop him.
Some might say, “So what? Starbucks or Target are massive companies, and a few missing holiday items don’t matter.”
But it does matter. It makes order meaningless. It erodes the social fabric—the part of society that values integrity and accountability.
What do kids think when they see this? What does it mean to the person who saves up to buy a special Starbucks mug as a gift for their uncle? It sends the message that stealing is fine, that rules don’t apply, and that no one cares.
I don’t know what to do, but shrugging this off feels like a massive failure. Starbucks will restock the shelves, and they’ll just be cleared again. There are no consequences, so the thieves will keep coming back. And where does that leave us?
A seemingly minor crime like this has far-reaching implications. It’s not just about stolen mugs—it’s about the creeping normalization of lawlessness.
Years ago, New York City adopted a policy to address graffiti immediately. Graffiti may seem like a small crime, but tackling it sent a big message: small acts of disorder would not be tolerated. Crime rates dropped because the city prioritized order.
Now, I find myself dreading the day I have to explain to my son why some people can just walk in and take what they want, or why we pay for the subway while others effortlessly jump the turnstile. These small acts of defiance aren’t harmless—they chip away at our society, slowly at first and then all at once.
We need to bring back the lessons learned from the graffiti-removal days. This can’t go unchecked—it needs to stop, no matter if the resources it would take are great. The short-term expense is worth it.
The costs of not doing something now is too high.
It’s not too late.
Sincerely
StripMallGuy at X
Sounding Off on Congestion Pricing
Dear Editor:
Since 2019, the party line was it would require a $15 toll for Congestion Pricing to raise $15 billion. This would help fund the MTA $51 billion 2020–2024 Five Year Capital Plan. Now five years later, Governor Hochul claims that the same $15 billion can be found with a $9 toll. She proudly boasts that this 40% reduction in the price will save commuters and taxpayers a significant amount of money. How do you justify the change in math five years later? No details were provided at Hochul’s press conference to explain this. The MTA Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey periodically raise bridge and tunnel tolls. It will be the same with MTA Congestion Pricing before reaching $15. So much for truth in advertising. .
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
