Shamir replies: ------------------ Dear Nancy, thank you for your letter. I like people with feelings who express them. Now, a brief riposte: 1. if "They (Jews) are no different than folks like the NRA" why there is no horror about being called anti-NRA? I am sure you would take such accusation in your stride, but to be considered an antisemite is ruination. 2. You write: "The US has plenty of its own interests, which may or may not coincide with Israel's." Why do you suppose the US has a mind of its own? Its media, the main means of mind-forming, is Jewish; so where is this 'mind of the US'? You quote BP, but BP left Iraq for the war ruined oil business... 3. As it happened, the USSR, Poland and Czecho were under heavy zionist (Jewish nationalist) influence immediately after the WWII. The Jewish Antifascist Committee was extremely influential and directly connected with the US Jews. Its influence was also due to the positive and active role the US Jews played in organising material and military support to Russia. This situation ended only in 1950, with the cosmopolite campaign in Russia, Slansky's process etc. This period (1944-1950) was also the period of ethnic cleansing of Germans and other groups (Chechen, Crimean Tatar etc). In my view, it is not preposterous to presume that these cleansings (unprecedented in Russian and extremely rare in European history, but paradigmatic for Judaic mind) were connected with it, whether in form of direct lobbying or in form of paradigmatic influence (imposition of Jewish state-of-mind on Russian official thinking). 4. You write, "Then your whole CRAP analysis of the treatment of Jews in Europe over the years. What BULLSHIT. It was the on-off pogroms and discrimination in employment, (along with the racist nationalist movements developing in Europe at the time) that gave so much ammo to the first Zionists". In my view, to the opposite, settlers' movement to Palestine and Zionism in general were caused by steady and rapid growth of Jewish wealth and influence. It was an overflow, rather than a rush to safety. Yes, it was presented as self-defence, but so was the recent erasing of homes in Rafah. Thus, no bullshit (rather unladylike expression, uh?) but reality of Jewish advance makes me think the Jews were treated well. 5. Your recurrent attempts to attribute to me desire to 'kill all Jews' and claim that 'Jews are irredeemable' are contemptible. Jews are redeemable, and that is a task of Christianity to redeem them or to help them to redeem themselves through Christ. There are no irredeemable people; even dead Lazarus was brought back to life, and so may the souls of men be brought to life of spirit. 6. Now as for exile I should expect, in your view, in case of Palestinian victory; I would certainly prefer it to mass murder of natives and destruction of the land I witness. If my sacrifice will be worthy, I am ready; I will choose to stay in Palestine even in unlikely event of Hamas' victory. But I hope we shall see peaceful and united Palestine of equality where immigrants and natives will amalgamate. Israel Adam Shamir