by Mark Sarna & Anita Perkiel Sarna
Dear President Obama,
As proud children of Jewish Holocaust survivors, we strongly condemn your recent statement that Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu are the only ones who oppose your ill-conceived deal with Iran.
Rather than propagate these erroneous and misleading attacks, the American people would be better served if you highlighted the truly relevant facts. Fortunately, the Israeli people, Netanyahu, and many members of Congress seem to understand these facts – especially in light of the important lessons of the Holocaust.
You, and those who support you, are quick to appear at annual Holocaust memorial commemorations and utter the words “we shall never forget.” But, with this deal, it is abundantly clear that you have indeed forgotten, or perhaps never understood the lessons of the Holocaust. At least Neville Chamberlain did not have the advantage of history as his guide.
You, on the other hand – knowing that six million Jews were killed at the murderous hands of the Nazis, that more than one million people were murdered on the Cambodian killing fields, that another roughly one million people were brutally slaughtered in Rwanda, and so on – you cannot claim such ignorance. You had the option to do what was right or to yield to a murderous, oppressive regime. You regrettably chose to appease the enemy and have really received nothing in return but a promise made by a government that is infamously famous for breaking past promises.
You claim that the alternative is going to war. You think that repeating this many times will get people to believe it. Well, the undersigned do not believe it. We grew up learning of the horrors of war and we too are against it. But we also grew up learning of the disastrous outcome of appeasement and of not standing up to the evils of the world. Iran, as long as it still calls for the destruction of Israel and America, as long as it daily supports terrorism throughout the Middle East, as long as it daily continues to burn the American flag, and as long as it continues to hold American hostages is one such evil of the world.
Mr. President, this is not a political statement. It is simply a matter of understanding right from wrong. We cannot fathom how you can trust the current Iranian leadership when it continues to call for the destruction of Israel and the United States. What prevents you from believing them and their murderous threats? To permit this regime to have nuclear weapons in another 10-15 years is an unconscionable and abominable act.
Shame on you President Obama for not standing up to evil. Even if the rest of the world had refused to stand with you, as you repeatedly claim to be the case, then you, as President of this great country, should have had the courage to stand alone and challenge tyranny and oppression – as our heritage has taught us to. Unfortunately for all of us, you chose political expediency over fortitude. The American people deserve stronger leadership than what you have demonstrated with regard to Iran.
Thankfully there is today an Israel and many educated members of Congress who are not afraid to stand up for what is right. History will judge them accordingly.
The authors are both the children of Holocaust survivors.
