Catching cold can be serious
By Rabbi Berel Wein

(October 25) I have noticed that after living in Israel for the 
past number of years, whenever I now visit the United States, 
I immediately catch a cold. 

Whether the cause is medical, psychological or emotional, I am 
unable to determine. But the sniffling truth is that I catch cold 
in America. 

Now, when one has a cold - a nasty, sniffling cold that is obvious 
to all around you - people politely ignore you and keep their 
distance. By exhibiting the symptoms of one's cold, one is 
transformed into at least a minor pariah. Therefore my reception 
in America is one of warmth and friendship, curiosity and 
interest - but at a distance. 

This pretty much describes the attitude of the US administration 
toward the State of Israel currently. Israel definitely has a 
bad cold and the US is determined to keep away. While America is 
certainly justified in attacking Afghanistan, it has no tolerance 
for our attempts to prevent or control Palestinian terrorism. 
Having enlisted the aid of the foxes in protecting the chicken 
coop, America is foolishly blind to the incongruity of its war 
on terrorism policies. 

Thus Saudi Arabia, home of the main Osama bin Laden terrorists, 
banker for Arab terrorism worldwide and the representative of 
the most extreme and violent definition of Koranic Islam, is a 
welcome partner in the war against terrorism. But for that war 
to be won, Saudi Arabia itself will have to be revolutionized, 
its current society and system of government greatly altered, 
and its official intolerance to Christianity and Judaism tempered. 
The US won't touch Israel with a 10-foot pole, lest it be 
contaminated by our "cold" - by our hard realization of what is 
really necessary to fight terrorism and who the terrorists really 
are. But the Saudis are apparently germ-free no matter what they 
do or say. 

WE ARE all aware how the cause of world peace and security has 
now been advanced by the inclusion of Syria in the Security 
Council of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning United Nations 
organization. It cannot be easy to win any war on terrorism with 
partners such as Syria on our side. 

But the chief hypocritical partner in all of this charade is our 
own "peace partner," also a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Palestinian 
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. 

Piously decrying all violence, he continually allows the forces 
of violence and terror to operate against Israel, always careful 
to deflect any responsibility for his terrorism by the 
time-honored proclamation: "Who, me?" And Arafat is confidently 
aware that any Israeli reaction to his continued violence will 
be roundly condemned by the US for somehow interfering with its 
war against terrorism. 

If this is not Alice in Wonderland diplomacy, then what is? 

As we all know, there are no real remedies for the common cold. 
Hot tea, patience and forbearance are the prescriptions for 
eventually feeling better. Well, these are probably the only 
ingredients of our difficult and mostly unpalatable solution 
to the current matzav. I don't think that the outside world - 
the United States of America included - will ever think that 
we don't have a cold. However, by bitter experience, the 
Americans will eventually realize that it may be better to have 
a friend with a cold than a hypocritical pseudo-friend/sometimes 
enemy who proclaims himself to be in good health and living in 
a germ-free environment. 

We really have no choice but to defend ourselves, no matter how 
unpopular that may make us in the eyes of the Nobel Peace Prize 
Award Committee. So let us stock up on tissues and keep our 
spirits strong and confident. Eventually, we will prevail, 
as we always have. 

Shabbat Shalom