The Pope and the President

Dear Editor:

Pope Leo XIV is a disgrace. Is he trying to prove his Jew-hating creds as many of his predecessors have? When he throws Israel under the bus, he does the same to Lebanon. It is only Israel that can free Lebanon from their Iran/Hezbollah oppressors.

More than 300 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, The worst countries to be a Christian in are North Korea (which has nuclear weapons), Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan (a nuclear state), Sudan, Iran (sworn to nuke Israel) and Afghanistan.

This is your list, Leo. This is where you should be concentrating your efforts and not fall back on the old trope of blaming the Jews for every societal ill.

Israel is the only country in the Middle East and North Africa where the Christian population is growing and thriving and the only place where women can follow their dreams.

And, Leo, while you are re-thinking where your moral center belongs, you might consider inviting Israel Museum researchers to visit and allow them access to the Vatican Treasury. They may unearth artifacts the Romans looted from the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Sincerely
Len Bennett, author of ‘Unfinished Work’
Deerfield Beach, Fl.

Making Israelis Suffer

Dear Editor:

Some prominent voices on the political far left are promoting a new demand—that the US should stop giving military assistance to Israel and instead require Israel to pay for the American weapons and defense systems that it receives.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) declared last week that “the Israeli government is well able to fund the Iron Dome system.” Former New York City comptroller Brad Lander, now a candidate for a Democratic congressional seat, agreed that Israel should be forced to pay for Iron Dome.

Note that each Iron Dome unit costs between $50-million and $100-million. Israel is currently employing ten of them, to protect against missiles from Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

J Street, the pro-Palestinian statehood group, says the principle of compelling Israel to pay should apply to all US weapons for Israel, not just Iron Dome. It asserted this week that “Israel is a strong, wealthy country and can afford to purchase its own weapons,” so “the US should phase out” giving aid to the Jewish state. “Israel can buy—Israel should buy,” according to J Street.

It remains to be seen whether these critics will adopt a similar position concerning other besieged allies of the US, such as Ukraine and Taiwan.

And what about US aid to the military dictatorship in Egypt, which brutally oppresses political dissidents, unions, LGBTQ+ people, and women? Will they demand that Egypt likewise pay?

Critics of Israel often employ egregious double standards, so perhaps it would not be surprising if they do so again, in this instance.

As for whether Israel should be considered “wealthy,” as J Street put it, it is certainly true that Israel is in many ways an advanced and successful country. Israelis have reason to feel proud that they have turned swamps into fertile farmland and made their little corner of the desert bloom.

But the most recent annual report from the National Insurance Institute of Israel, concerning the incomes of Israel’s citizens, reminds us that the notion of “wealthy Israel” is a myth for many Israelis.

Two million Israelis, including 880,000 children and 150,000 elderly Israelis, are living below the poverty line—fully 21% of the population. Among children, the poverty rate is 28%.

The Times of Israel points out that Israel now has “the second-highest rate of child poverty among OECD countries, after Costa Rica.”

More than 28% of Israelis suffer from food insecurity; just under 10% suffer severe levels. Nearly 5% have to give up a hot meal at least every other day, and 9% forego medical treatments due to their poverty.

Those numbers will increase if the Israeli government is forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year to purchase the weapons that protect Israel from annihilation. Social services inevitably will be cut to ensure the country’s existence. All Israelis—Jews and Arabs alike—will suffer.

Nonetheless, the far left is insisting that Israelis should pay. And if it gets its way, they certainly will.

Sincerely
Prof. Rafael Medoff

Praising the Isaac Accords

Dear Editor:

The recently signed “Isaac Accords” between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Javier Milei represent a pivotal and forward-looking moment in international diplomacy. By expanding cooperation beyond traditional alliances and into emerging regions such as Latin America, this initiative has the potential to reshape economic and strategic partnerships on a global scale.

The accords are particularly significant because they emphasize collaboration in critical sectors including technology, energy, agriculture, and security—areas that promise both innovation and tangible economic growth. Argentina’s clear alignment with Israel also signals a broader shift that could encourage other nations in the region to follow suit.

If implemented effectively, these agreements could generate substantial trade, strengthen geopolitical stability, and foster long-term prosperity for all participating countries. This is not merely symbolic diplomacy—it is a blueprint for meaningful, mutually beneficial progress.

Sincerely
Jaime Orchowitz