The following article was published in a number of print and online media outlets throughout the United States:
YOUNG ISRAEL GOES TO WASHINGTON, DC
By: N. Aaron Troodler
In the aftermath of Operation Protective Edge, during which Hamas
terrorists launched indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel and Israel
endured unwarranted criticism from many in the international community, the
state of the U.S.-Israel relationship is as important as ever before. As the
diplomatic efforts to curtail Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions continue, it is
essential that Israel’s legitimate concerns about its safety and security be
duly addressed. With global anti-Semitism increasing at a rapid and frightening
pace, the effort to combat the hatred is absolutely vital.
It was against that backdrop that the National Council of Young
Israel’s (NCYI) Executive Board traveled to the nation’s capital on September
10, 2014 for its Leadership Mission to Washington, DC. Hailing from California,
Florida, and various cities up and down the East Coast, the Young Israel
leaders spent the day interacting with White House officials and key lawmakers
in Congress.
Participants in the mission included NCYI President Farley Weiss,
Chairman of the Board Bob Levi, 1st Vice President Yosef Poplack, Recording
Secretary Bea Seinuk-Ackerman, and Associate Vice Presidents Asher Miller,
Stanley Treitel, and Baila Weiss.
The day began with a special White House briefing that was
organized by Matt Nosanchuk, Director of Outreach for the National Security
Council and the Obama administration’s liaison to the Jewish community, at
which time the Young Israel mission participants were updated on a number of
important issues.
Two senior staff members from President Obama’s National Security
Council (NSC), Maher Bitar, Director for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs at the
NSC, and Nitin Chadda, Director for Iran at the NSC, provided timely
information relating to Israel’s security needs in the wake of Hamas’ attacks
on Israeli citizens, continuing peace discussions between the Israeli
government and the Palestinian Authority, the status of negotiations over
Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the troubling situation with regard to Turkey, and
the emergent threat posed by ISIL.
In addition, Stacy Bernard Davis, Senior Advisor for the U.S.
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the U.S. Department of
State, made a presentation about government-to-government discussions relating
to the shocking rise in anti-Semitic attacks on European Jewish communities, as
well as engagement with the Jewish communities themselves.
The Young Israel mission participants then traveled to the U.S.
Capitol, where they were addressed by Senators and Representatives that play a
formative role in constructing legislation to enhance the relationship between
the United States and the State of Israel.
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, discussed his efforts to impose new sanctions on Iran in
order to keep the Iranian government honest and curtail its
illicit enrichment program. “Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to
possess a nuclear weapon,” said Senator Menendez.
Senator Menendez also spoke about his staunch support for the State
of Israel. “I believe that Israel has the right to defend itself, just like any
other country in the world,” he said. “I will continue working to keep Israel
safe and secure.” The Senator decried Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’
marriage to the terrorist group Hamas and noted that he is exploring the
imposition of financial consequences in response to the PA’s actions.
Referring to his feelings about the BDS movement, Senator Menendez
made his position extremely clear. “Any talk about boycotts of Israel are
condemnable by me,” he said.
Senator John McCain (R-AZ), a senior member of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, was unequivocal in conveying his sentiments about a
nuclear Iran. “We cannot look at Iran in a vacuum,” he said. “It’s not just
about nuclear weapons; they pose threats all over the region.”
“Iran remains the single greatest threat as a nation, as far as I
am concerned,” added Senator McCain.
Senator McCain also expressed his strong support for Israel and
noted his disappointment in the European reaction to the conflict in Gaza. “We’re
seeing neo-fascist activity in Europe,” he said.
In addition, Senator McCain spent some time discussing ISIS and the
threat that ISIS poses to the United States and Israel.
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), who serves on the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, emphatically stated that, “[t]here is no moral equivalency
between what Israel was doing to protect innocent lives and what Hamas was
doing to kill innocent lives.” Senator Cardin told the Young Israel leaders
that he wants the United Nations to investigate Hamas’ actions and stop
focusing all of its attention on Israel.
Noting that, “Iran does not want to give up their nuclear weapons
ambitions,” Senator Cardin declared that Israel is absolutely right to say that
they have no confidence in Iran. On the issue of sanctions against Iran, the
Senator noted that sanctions brought Iran to the table. “They are critically
important and they must be strengthened,” he said. “We need to keep the
pressure on Iran.”
Senator Cardin also discussed the recent rise in anti-Semitism
around the world. “There are governments that are encouraging anti-Semitism and
governments that are supporting anti-Semitism and that’s very scary,” he said.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chair of the Subcommittee on the
Middle East and Central Asia, discussed the U.S.-Israel relationship and noted
that the recent situation in Gaza is exactly why the U.S.-Israel relationship
must grow even stronger.
“I feel a natural affinity and connection to the State of Israel,”
said Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen. “I will always voice my support for Israel’s
right to defend itself.”
The Congresswoman denounced Hamas’ use of civilians as human
shields in an attempt to have the world condemn Israel. “Israel warned people
in Gaza to get out; Hamas ordered them to stay,” she said.
“We need to show Israel’s enemies that the United States stands
steadfast with Israel and our support for Israel is strong and unwavering,”
said Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen. “As long as America is strong, Israel will be
strong.”
The National Council of Young Israel also heard from Rep. Eliot
Engel (D-NY), the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Relations Committee, and Rep.
Adam Schiff (D-CA) about the terrorist group ISIS in advance of President
Obama’s address to the nation about ISIS that was to take place later that
evening.
“ISIS is a direct threat to U.S. national security,” said
Congressman Engel. “If we don’t get them, they will get us.”
Congressman Schiff noted the important role that Arab countries
such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait can play in combatting ISIS. “They need
to tell the Muslim world that this is not Islam; its savagery,” he said.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) discussed the issue of Iran and talked
about the ramifications of a nuclear-armed Iran. “You get terrorism with
impunity from Iran,” he said.
Congressman Sherman also offered his thoughts on Hamas’ actions
during its latest conflict with Israel. “Hamas’ goal is the maximum number of
deaths on either side,” he said. “They ask, how many funerals can we throw? Body
bag counting is not a moral substitute for sound analysis.”
“Every rocket fired by Hamas at an Israeli city is a separate war
crime,” said Congressman Sherman.
The Young Israel mission participants were also visited by Rep.
Brad Schneider (D-IL), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and
long-term activist within the Chicago Jewish community, who discussed the unbreakable
bond between the U.S. and Israel. “Congress stands together with a single voice
for support for Israel,” said Congressman Schneider. “We need to hold the
Palestinian Authority and Hamas accountable,” he added.
On the issue of Israel’s security, Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) told the
Young Israel mission that, “Israel has the right to defend itself.” Referring
to Iran, Congressman Salmon said, “[w]e need to eliminate the possibility of
developing a nuclear weapon in Iran – to me, that’s non-negotiable.”
“In light of the numerous challenges facing the State of Israel and
Jewish communities across the globe, it is critical that the American Jewish
community make its concerns known on Capitol Hill and take steps to ensure that
our voices are heard by the decision-makers in our nation’s capital,” said NCYI
Chairman of the Board Bob Levi. “The National Council of Young Israel is
greatly appreciative to the Obama administration and the Members of Congress
for meeting with us and engaging in an honest and constructive dialogue on the
issues that matter most to our constituents and our brothers and sisters in the
State of Israel.”
Monday, September 22, 2014
A Special Aron Kodesh Finds A Home At Yeshivat Noam
The following article appeared in The Jewish Link of Bergen County:
A SPECIAL ARON KODESH FINDS A NEW HOME AT YESHIVAT NOAM
By: N. Aaron Troodler
As Yeshivat Noam welcomed in a new school year last week, it also welcomed in a brand new Aron Kodesh in the Middle School Beit Medrash.
The tall and majestic Aron Kodesh has beautiful dark wooden doors that are adorned with the design of a large golden menorah. One of its most unique features is the brightly lit interior portion, which consists of an ascending ladder that holds the Sifrei Torah, and which rotates when touched. The Aron is home to Yeshivat Noam’s three Torahs, which have been generously dedicated by Yeshivat Noam grandparents, Malca and Louis Drazin, and Yeshivat Noam parents, Shira and Clive Lipshitz, and Tammi and Bennett Schachter.
The Aron Kodesh was the centerpiece of the Sanctuary at Lincoln Square Synagogue on Manhattan’s West Side for years. Construction of the Synagogue’s new building a few doors down was nearing completion at the end of 2012. At the time, the congregation tried, without success, to find an appropriate place for the Aron in the new building. Left with no other choice when the congregation moved out of the old building, the Aron was dismantled and put into storage. If a new home would not be found for the Aron, it was ultimately to be buried.
Around the same time, Yeshivat Noam had completed the renovation of its brand new Middle School. The school’s new Beit Knesset had a temporary cabinet installed to hold its Sifrei Torah. Chaim Birman, a Yeshivat Noam parent and board and building committee member, happened to be overseeing the Lincoln Square Synagogue Project in his professional capacity. He brought the status of the Aron to principal Rabbi Chaim Hagler’s attention. Rabbi Hagler, who was once a youth director at Lincoln Square Synagogue, supported bringing this information to the Yeshivat Noam executive board’s attention. The board decided to pursue discussions with Lincoln Square Synagogue on possibly salvaging the Aron by relocating it into the new Middle School’s Beit Knesset. Over the months that followed, interested parties at both institutions worked together to make this a reality, culminating in the Aron’s installation at Yeshivat Noam at the end of August.
The Yeshivat Noam Middle School students received a special visit from Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin, the Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel, and the Founding Rabbi of the Lincoln Square Synagogue, on the first day of Torah reading following the students’ return to school, who told them the story of the Aron Kodesh. Specifically, Rabbi Riskin discussed the extraordinary individual who dedicated the Aron Kodesh to his shul.
The Aron Kodesh, which was designed and built by Edward Jacobs, an architect who is also Rabbi Riskin’s son-in-law, was dedicated by the late Mrs. Martha Cohn in honor of the memory of her parents, both of whom perished in the Holocaust.
Rabbi Riskin recounted how he hired Mrs. Cohn as the first full-time secretary of the Lincoln Square Synagogue when he started the shul in 1964.
At the time, Rabbi Riskin was seeking to hire a young and modern secretary as part of his effort to attract people from the neighborhood around Lincoln Center to the shul. Rabbi Riskin characterized them as “very liberal people politically and not very given to religion.”
In walked a 64-year-old woman with a heavy German accent who said that she wanted to be the secretary for the synagogue. “There was something about her that made me feel this is the person,” he said. Martha Cohn was a widow and was not blessed with children. Despite facing some challenges in her life, Rabbi Riskin noted that, “she steadfastly always remained deeply religious.”
Martha Cohn was incredibly dedicated to the shul and to her work. Mrs. Cohn knew the phone numbers of all of the congregants in Lincoln Square by heart. She understood that there was a great deal of sensitivity needed in dealing with the Orthodox and non-Orthodox members of the shul. “She knew everybody, she spoke to everybody, she knew where everyone had to sit,” said Rabbi Riskin. “Her dedication is impossible to describe. She noticed everything.”
Toward the end of her life, Mrs. Cohn told Rabbi Riskin that she wanted to make a dedication to the shul. Although she was not a wealthy woman, her life was dedicated to the Lincoln Square Synagogue and to Shaare Tzedek Hospital in Israel. “Her life was service to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and Judaism,” said Rabbi Riskin. Martha Cohn informed Rabbi Riskin that she wanted an Aron Kodesh and that it should be in a place where there were children who could kiss the Sifrei Torah inside the Aron Kodesh.
Rabbi Riskin lovingly showed the Yeshivat Noam students the inside of the Aron Kodesh, which swivels, and described how he used to spin the part of the Aron that held the Torahs. “She used to say the Rabbi makes the Torah dance and that’s what I would like – I would like the Torah to be dancing,” said Rabbi Riskin. “So, all the years that I was the Rabbi of the synagogue, I would make sure the Torah was dancing when the ark was opened.”
Rabbi Riskin explained to the Yeshivat Noam Middle School students that Lincoln Square Synagogue moved to a new building and Martha Cohn’s Aron Kodesh did not fit in the new sanctuary due to the height of the ceiling. The shul was planning to chop up the Aron Kodesh and bury the pieces. “When I heard that, I burst out in tears,” said Rabbi Riskin. “The Torah and children and the future of Torah were the most important things to her.”
Instead, the Aron Kodesh found a new home at Yeshivat Noam. “When I heard the Aron was coming here, you have no idea how happy it made me feel,” said Rabbi Riskin. “It’s an Aron Kodesh that was dedicated by a very, very, very special woman,” he said. “May it be really a very fitting blessing and memorial to a very special woman, Martha Cohn.”
The results are magnificent. Not only do the Aron and the Yeshivat Noam Beit Knesset complement each other beautifully within the space, but it is also a message to future generations of students about the respect we all should have for Klei Kodesh. Furthermore, the Aron Kodesh that Mrs. Cohn dedicated specifically for children to enjoy has now found its permanent home in Yeshivat Noam, surrounded by hundreds of children who daven in its presence daily.
“Not only were we fortunate to be the beneficiaries of an aesthetically pleasing Aron Kodesh, but our Sifrei Torah also received a new home that is infused with Kedusha because of the unique and beautiful story behind its creation,” said Rabbi Chaim Hagler, Principal of Yeshivat Noam. “We are extraordinarily grateful to have this special Aron Kodesh at Yeshivat Noam and are extremely thankful to Rabbi Riskin for visiting with us and sharing with our students the rich history behind this wonderful addition to our school.”
A SPECIAL ARON KODESH FINDS A NEW HOME AT YESHIVAT NOAM
By: N. Aaron Troodler
As Yeshivat Noam welcomed in a new school year last week, it also welcomed in a brand new Aron Kodesh in the Middle School Beit Medrash.
The tall and majestic Aron Kodesh has beautiful dark wooden doors that are adorned with the design of a large golden menorah. One of its most unique features is the brightly lit interior portion, which consists of an ascending ladder that holds the Sifrei Torah, and which rotates when touched. The Aron is home to Yeshivat Noam’s three Torahs, which have been generously dedicated by Yeshivat Noam grandparents, Malca and Louis Drazin, and Yeshivat Noam parents, Shira and Clive Lipshitz, and Tammi and Bennett Schachter.
The Aron Kodesh was the centerpiece of the Sanctuary at Lincoln Square Synagogue on Manhattan’s West Side for years. Construction of the Synagogue’s new building a few doors down was nearing completion at the end of 2012. At the time, the congregation tried, without success, to find an appropriate place for the Aron in the new building. Left with no other choice when the congregation moved out of the old building, the Aron was dismantled and put into storage. If a new home would not be found for the Aron, it was ultimately to be buried.
Around the same time, Yeshivat Noam had completed the renovation of its brand new Middle School. The school’s new Beit Knesset had a temporary cabinet installed to hold its Sifrei Torah. Chaim Birman, a Yeshivat Noam parent and board and building committee member, happened to be overseeing the Lincoln Square Synagogue Project in his professional capacity. He brought the status of the Aron to principal Rabbi Chaim Hagler’s attention. Rabbi Hagler, who was once a youth director at Lincoln Square Synagogue, supported bringing this information to the Yeshivat Noam executive board’s attention. The board decided to pursue discussions with Lincoln Square Synagogue on possibly salvaging the Aron by relocating it into the new Middle School’s Beit Knesset. Over the months that followed, interested parties at both institutions worked together to make this a reality, culminating in the Aron’s installation at Yeshivat Noam at the end of August.
The Yeshivat Noam Middle School students received a special visit from Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Riskin, the Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel, and the Founding Rabbi of the Lincoln Square Synagogue, on the first day of Torah reading following the students’ return to school, who told them the story of the Aron Kodesh. Specifically, Rabbi Riskin discussed the extraordinary individual who dedicated the Aron Kodesh to his shul.
The Aron Kodesh, which was designed and built by Edward Jacobs, an architect who is also Rabbi Riskin’s son-in-law, was dedicated by the late Mrs. Martha Cohn in honor of the memory of her parents, both of whom perished in the Holocaust.
Rabbi Riskin recounted how he hired Mrs. Cohn as the first full-time secretary of the Lincoln Square Synagogue when he started the shul in 1964.
At the time, Rabbi Riskin was seeking to hire a young and modern secretary as part of his effort to attract people from the neighborhood around Lincoln Center to the shul. Rabbi Riskin characterized them as “very liberal people politically and not very given to religion.”
In walked a 64-year-old woman with a heavy German accent who said that she wanted to be the secretary for the synagogue. “There was something about her that made me feel this is the person,” he said. Martha Cohn was a widow and was not blessed with children. Despite facing some challenges in her life, Rabbi Riskin noted that, “she steadfastly always remained deeply religious.”
Martha Cohn was incredibly dedicated to the shul and to her work. Mrs. Cohn knew the phone numbers of all of the congregants in Lincoln Square by heart. She understood that there was a great deal of sensitivity needed in dealing with the Orthodox and non-Orthodox members of the shul. “She knew everybody, she spoke to everybody, she knew where everyone had to sit,” said Rabbi Riskin. “Her dedication is impossible to describe. She noticed everything.”
Toward the end of her life, Mrs. Cohn told Rabbi Riskin that she wanted to make a dedication to the shul. Although she was not a wealthy woman, her life was dedicated to the Lincoln Square Synagogue and to Shaare Tzedek Hospital in Israel. “Her life was service to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and Judaism,” said Rabbi Riskin. Martha Cohn informed Rabbi Riskin that she wanted an Aron Kodesh and that it should be in a place where there were children who could kiss the Sifrei Torah inside the Aron Kodesh.
Rabbi Riskin lovingly showed the Yeshivat Noam students the inside of the Aron Kodesh, which swivels, and described how he used to spin the part of the Aron that held the Torahs. “She used to say the Rabbi makes the Torah dance and that’s what I would like – I would like the Torah to be dancing,” said Rabbi Riskin. “So, all the years that I was the Rabbi of the synagogue, I would make sure the Torah was dancing when the ark was opened.”
Rabbi Riskin explained to the Yeshivat Noam Middle School students that Lincoln Square Synagogue moved to a new building and Martha Cohn’s Aron Kodesh did not fit in the new sanctuary due to the height of the ceiling. The shul was planning to chop up the Aron Kodesh and bury the pieces. “When I heard that, I burst out in tears,” said Rabbi Riskin. “The Torah and children and the future of Torah were the most important things to her.”
Instead, the Aron Kodesh found a new home at Yeshivat Noam. “When I heard the Aron was coming here, you have no idea how happy it made me feel,” said Rabbi Riskin. “It’s an Aron Kodesh that was dedicated by a very, very, very special woman,” he said. “May it be really a very fitting blessing and memorial to a very special woman, Martha Cohn.”
The results are magnificent. Not only do the Aron and the Yeshivat Noam Beit Knesset complement each other beautifully within the space, but it is also a message to future generations of students about the respect we all should have for Klei Kodesh. Furthermore, the Aron Kodesh that Mrs. Cohn dedicated specifically for children to enjoy has now found its permanent home in Yeshivat Noam, surrounded by hundreds of children who daven in its presence daily.
“Not only were we fortunate to be the beneficiaries of an aesthetically pleasing Aron Kodesh, but our Sifrei Torah also received a new home that is infused with Kedusha because of the unique and beautiful story behind its creation,” said Rabbi Chaim Hagler, Principal of Yeshivat Noam. “We are extraordinarily grateful to have this special Aron Kodesh at Yeshivat Noam and are extremely thankful to Rabbi Riskin for visiting with us and sharing with our students the rich history behind this wonderful addition to our school.”
Thursday, September 4, 2014
The Man Without A Plan
The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of
Bergen County, in which I question the United States’ lack of a clear strategy
to combat one of the leading global terrorist organizations in the world
today:
THE MAN WITHOUT A PLAN
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
It was not that long ago that many considered Al Qaeda to be the most reviled terrorist organization on the face of the Earth. Osama Bin Laden was the world’s most wanted man and the fear of a global terrorist act emanating from Al Qaeda was very real.
It now looks that the Al Qaeda threat has been supplanted by an entity that poses as great of a peril as Osama’s gang did, if not more so. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS as it is commonly known, has been wreaking havoc and gaining a degree of notoriety that has captured the attention of the world.
Comprised of Sunni militants who proudly wear their Islamist extremism on their sleeves, ISIS is directly responsible for massacring thousands of innocent civilians across Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Their methodical drive to overtake cities and towns across Iraq, such as Mosul and Tikrit, have proven that they will stop at nothing to achieve their quest of seizing territories and establishing an Islamic state.
In what may have been the final straw for the United States, ISIS recently posted a video on YouTube, which showed the gruesome beheading of James Foley, an American journalist who had been missing in Syria since 2012. If anyone was still questioning the terrorist tendencies of ISIS and unaware of the sheer evil that epitomizes this group of extremists, the brutal decapitation of James Foley proved without a shadow of a doubt what ISIS is capable of.
Knowing all this makes President Obama’s recent comments about ISIS all the more perplexing. When asked by NBC’s Chuck Todd at a press briefing about ISIS, the President stated, “I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. We don’t have a strategy yet.”
The President’s admission that the United States does not yet have a strategy to address what is perhaps the greatest global terrorist threat today sent shockwaves through Washington. It seemed inconceivable that our Commander-in-Chief did not have a plan on how to curb the violent tendencies of ISIS.
The White House damage control operation commenced almost immediately, as they desperately attempted to offer some clarity to the President’s comments. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that President Obama had not detailed “a specific plan for military action in Syria” because “the Pentagon is still developing that plan and he is still reviewing it.”
In another attempt to fan the flames of the “we don’t have a strategy yet” controversy, Earnest conceded that while the President has “no plans right now” for ISIS in Syria, he does have a “comprehensive plan” for ISIS in Iraq.
Although it was a valiant attempt by the President’s Press Secretary to offer some context to his stunning remarks, it failed to reconcile President Obama’s comment with that of one of his most trusted aides in the foreign policy arena.
Deputy National Security Advisor Benjamin Rhodes recently intimated that the U.S. in fact does has a strategy to deal with ISIS, when he discussed “[t]he strategy we are already undertaking” and “our strategy.” In what was perceived as a clear message to ISIS, Rhodes said, “We’ve made very clear time and again that if you come after Americans, we’re going to come after you wherever you are.”
We somehow went from having a plan of action, as described by the Deputy National Security Advisor, to having not a clue on how to proceed, as indicated by the President.
Critics of President Obama quickly jumped into the fray. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the President “needs to develop a regional strategy” to defeat ISIS. Noting that he believed that Congress would support a strategic plan to combat the threat posed by ISIS, McConnell said that, “it is time for President Obama to exercise some leadership in launching a response.”
Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham took to the op-ed page of The New York Times to call for a “greater sense of urgency” from the Obama Administration in dealing with ISIS. Acknowledging that the President “wants to move deliberately and consult with allies and Congress as he considers what to do about ISIS,” Senators McCain and Graham said that, “the threat ISIS poses only grows over time.” “It cannot be contained,” wrote the Senators. “It must be confronted.”
Even some of the President’s Democratic allies in Congress noted how critical it is that the United States has a plan to quell the ISIS terrorist threat. “I think we’ve learned on thing about this president, and that is he’s very cautious,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein. “Maybe in this instance, too cautious.” Noting the grave danger posed by ISIS, Feinstein said, “[t]his is a vicious, vicious movement, and it has to be confronted.”
I understand that the President may not want to tip his hand at this juncture as to how he plans to put ISIS out of business. Perhaps he really does not have a detailed strategy at this point as to how to best contain ISIS. However, for the President to get up in front of the cameras and tell the world that he has no plan is shocking.
The President could have said something like, “the global danger posed by ISIS is very real and must be dealt with swiftly and strongly. We are currently assessing all of our options and are preparing to eliminate the ISIS terrorist threat once and for all so that we can make the world a safer place for everyone.”
Truthfully, anything would have better than “we don’t have a strategy yet.” That admission inevitably emboldens the terrorists and empowers them to continue their pursuit of terror and turmoil throughout the world.
In a recent op-ed in The New York Times, Secretary of State John Kerry noted that ISIS “presents a unifying threat to a broad array of countries” and poses a threat well beyond the (Middle East) region.”
“With a united response led by the United States and the broadest possible coalition of nations, the cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread to other countries,” said the Secretary of State. “The world can confront this scourge, and ultimately defeat it.”
That may be true, but unless I am mistaken, the United States needs a strategy in place before that can possibly happen. The bottom line is that the President needs to have a plan.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
THE MAN WITHOUT A PLAN
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
It was not that long ago that many considered Al Qaeda to be the most reviled terrorist organization on the face of the Earth. Osama Bin Laden was the world’s most wanted man and the fear of a global terrorist act emanating from Al Qaeda was very real.
It now looks that the Al Qaeda threat has been supplanted by an entity that poses as great of a peril as Osama’s gang did, if not more so. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS as it is commonly known, has been wreaking havoc and gaining a degree of notoriety that has captured the attention of the world.
Comprised of Sunni militants who proudly wear their Islamist extremism on their sleeves, ISIS is directly responsible for massacring thousands of innocent civilians across Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Their methodical drive to overtake cities and towns across Iraq, such as Mosul and Tikrit, have proven that they will stop at nothing to achieve their quest of seizing territories and establishing an Islamic state.
In what may have been the final straw for the United States, ISIS recently posted a video on YouTube, which showed the gruesome beheading of James Foley, an American journalist who had been missing in Syria since 2012. If anyone was still questioning the terrorist tendencies of ISIS and unaware of the sheer evil that epitomizes this group of extremists, the brutal decapitation of James Foley proved without a shadow of a doubt what ISIS is capable of.
Knowing all this makes President Obama’s recent comments about ISIS all the more perplexing. When asked by NBC’s Chuck Todd at a press briefing about ISIS, the President stated, “I don’t want to put the cart before the horse. We don’t have a strategy yet.”
The President’s admission that the United States does not yet have a strategy to address what is perhaps the greatest global terrorist threat today sent shockwaves through Washington. It seemed inconceivable that our Commander-in-Chief did not have a plan on how to curb the violent tendencies of ISIS.
The White House damage control operation commenced almost immediately, as they desperately attempted to offer some clarity to the President’s comments. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that President Obama had not detailed “a specific plan for military action in Syria” because “the Pentagon is still developing that plan and he is still reviewing it.”
In another attempt to fan the flames of the “we don’t have a strategy yet” controversy, Earnest conceded that while the President has “no plans right now” for ISIS in Syria, he does have a “comprehensive plan” for ISIS in Iraq.
Although it was a valiant attempt by the President’s Press Secretary to offer some context to his stunning remarks, it failed to reconcile President Obama’s comment with that of one of his most trusted aides in the foreign policy arena.
Deputy National Security Advisor Benjamin Rhodes recently intimated that the U.S. in fact does has a strategy to deal with ISIS, when he discussed “[t]he strategy we are already undertaking” and “our strategy.” In what was perceived as a clear message to ISIS, Rhodes said, “We’ve made very clear time and again that if you come after Americans, we’re going to come after you wherever you are.”
We somehow went from having a plan of action, as described by the Deputy National Security Advisor, to having not a clue on how to proceed, as indicated by the President.
Critics of President Obama quickly jumped into the fray. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the President “needs to develop a regional strategy” to defeat ISIS. Noting that he believed that Congress would support a strategic plan to combat the threat posed by ISIS, McConnell said that, “it is time for President Obama to exercise some leadership in launching a response.”
Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham took to the op-ed page of The New York Times to call for a “greater sense of urgency” from the Obama Administration in dealing with ISIS. Acknowledging that the President “wants to move deliberately and consult with allies and Congress as he considers what to do about ISIS,” Senators McCain and Graham said that, “the threat ISIS poses only grows over time.” “It cannot be contained,” wrote the Senators. “It must be confronted.”
Even some of the President’s Democratic allies in Congress noted how critical it is that the United States has a plan to quell the ISIS terrorist threat. “I think we’ve learned on thing about this president, and that is he’s very cautious,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein. “Maybe in this instance, too cautious.” Noting the grave danger posed by ISIS, Feinstein said, “[t]his is a vicious, vicious movement, and it has to be confronted.”
I understand that the President may not want to tip his hand at this juncture as to how he plans to put ISIS out of business. Perhaps he really does not have a detailed strategy at this point as to how to best contain ISIS. However, for the President to get up in front of the cameras and tell the world that he has no plan is shocking.
The President could have said something like, “the global danger posed by ISIS is very real and must be dealt with swiftly and strongly. We are currently assessing all of our options and are preparing to eliminate the ISIS terrorist threat once and for all so that we can make the world a safer place for everyone.”
Truthfully, anything would have better than “we don’t have a strategy yet.” That admission inevitably emboldens the terrorists and empowers them to continue their pursuit of terror and turmoil throughout the world.
In a recent op-ed in The New York Times, Secretary of State John Kerry noted that ISIS “presents a unifying threat to a broad array of countries” and poses a threat well beyond the (Middle East) region.”
“With a united response led by the United States and the broadest possible coalition of nations, the cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread to other countries,” said the Secretary of State. “The world can confront this scourge, and ultimately defeat it.”
That may be true, but unless I am mistaken, the United States needs a strategy in place before that can possibly happen. The bottom line is that the President needs to have a plan.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
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