A letter from the Echo Chamber

Dear Mr. President,

Much has been written about your trip to the Middle East and to Buchenwald last week. Across the globe the pundits have weighed in about each phrase and word. I want to add my voice to the chorus and share my thoughts.

All in all, I think the speech was a powerful gesture to the Muslim world at a critical moment in our history as a country. There is no more important task than doing what we can to drive a wedge between the extremists and moderates in the Muslim world.

I hope that your speech will achieve that goal.

However, I have great concerns about your statements about the founding of the State of Israel. The world was paying very close attention to what you said about the relationship between the Jewish state and our country. And, your reaffirmation of the unshakable bond between the two countries was a critical message for the Muslim world to hear.

But, your statement that "the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history" is a dangerous mischaracterization that undermines any lasting resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

For the conflict to end, the Arabs of the Middle East, Muslims and Christians alike, must accept that the Jewish people has an historical right to live among them on our ancestral homeland. For over 2000 years, Jews have longed to return to the Land of Israel. A rich archaeological record demonstrates the Jewish connection to the land from time immemorial. Jews have a right to live with self determination in their ancestral land.

Mr. President, I urge you to set the record straight. Please find a way to reaffirm the history and birthright of the Jewish people in our ancient homeland. Our unbreakable relationship between the United States and Israel demands no less.

Sincerely,

Alan Ronkin

Brookline, MA