Jewish Group and Bush Cabinet Share Values

Re “Conservative Jewish Groups Have Clout,” Opinion, March 10: Michael Massing states that lobbying groups that support Israel have the support of the Bush administration. As Michael Ramirez pointed out in his perceptive cartoon (Commentary, March 9), Europe supports Iraq against U.S. policy (and supports the Arab position against Israel) because of its dependence on oil. The most repressive regimes in the world and the U.N. overwhelmingly support anti-Israel resolutions.

Massing seems to feel that President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice (all strong supporters of Israel) can’t think for themselves. According to Massing they don’t know where America’s interests lie and with which countries the U.S. shares common values. Has he ever entertained the idea that sometimes national interest and lobbying can be on the same page, or must the U.S. share the craven views of much of the world?

Jerry Freedman

Los Angeles

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Massing tries to assert that the 60,000-member American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a “conservative” group that does not reflect the views of American Jews. As someone who interacts regularly with Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jews in many different settings, I can attest that AIPAC is very much representative of the views of American Jews.

Jews from across the spectrum, whether they agree with the concessions offered to Yasser Arafat at Camp David in 2000 or not, are sickened and repulsed by his violent response. Most Jews realize, as do most Americans, that Israel’s deep yearning for a peaceful solution is simply not matched by the Palestinians at this time.

Jason A. Muss

Forest Hills, N.Y.