Dear Bibi,
I apologize for not calling you immediately after the election returns showed that you and the Likkud Party came in first place. Israel is, as I’ve often said, an important and long-time ally, so I should not have listened to Valerie and I should have called you earlier.
Mazel Tov! The people of Israel have spoken and, of course, we must and will support in the strongest way possible their decision.
You and I have not had the best relationship these past six years. I’m sure that you will agree that we both share the blame for this. So, let’s take this opportunity to make the next two years a time of friendship and joint efforts to fix the broken Middle-East.
We both know what the agenda should be. My suggestion: Let’s organize a retreat for the two of us, with only one other leader from our respective countries, and the heads and second representatives from Germany, Canada and Great Britain, and meet in a quiet area where we can’t be disturbed. Let’s commit to meet and discuss and not conclude until we come out with a joint agreement on how we deal with these major challenges.
I understand that the world is in a crisis, and it seems to me that unless we take some drastic action soon, we may not be able to prevent a total collapse of our Free World.
Bibi, let’s push the reset button, work together, and get the job done. We have no other choice.
Sincerely,
Barack
Paul JeserPaul Jeser born in the Bronx in 1945 has been a member of the Jewish Communal Service and Jewish fundraising professional since 1972. Although not an ordained Rabbi, he served as a Jewish Chaplain in the United States Army in Augsburg, Germany (1969-71), and as an officer with a drug rehabilitation center in Vietnam (1971-72) during which time he was awarded a Bronze Star. Mr. Jeser currently is a senior staff member of the American Committee for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, and has led Jewish Federations in Lewiston, Maine, and in Orlando, Florida. He was the Executive Director of CLAL, founded by Elie Weisel and Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg. Jeser served as national campaign director and director of regional operations for the Jewish National Fund and Vice President for Regional Development for the American Friends of the Hebrew University. In May, 2006, the Hebrew Union College, Institute of Jewish Religion, presented Mr. Jeser the Sherut L’Am award in recognition of his decades of service to the Jewish People.
