Sir, – Douglas Bloomfield’s “The ‘aginners’ and the politics of hate” (September 24) rightly praised his Likud father’s sadness at haters who “accuse Obama of being a Jew-hating, closet Muslim out to destroy Israel”- a country which especially appreciates the distinction between legitimate criticism and blind hateful rhetoric.

But when Caroline Glick says that “the weaker Obama becomes, the less capable he will be of carrying through on his bullying threats against Israel and against fellow democracies around the world” (”An enfeebled Obama,” September 25), she uses the same blind hateful rhetoric as anti-Israel extremists do.

While most democracies are relieved at Obama’s presidency, criticism of Obama can be legitimate – Herb Keinon, Barry Rubin, David Horovitz and Saul Singer do it. But in Glick’s writing, one senses hatred.

Obama defended the Gaza operation, demanded Arabs cease violence and recognize Jewish Israel, refused to meet Ahmadinejad and condemned the Goldstone report. For this we praise everyone but Obama, a victim of exactly what Israel opposes: double standards.

The Second Lebanon War, Hamastan and Ahmadinejad’s nuclear advances occurred during George Bush’s – undemonized – presidency. Obama inherited Bush’s – and 50 years of – failures.

He is not all-powerful. No more than “the Jews” of anti-Semitic fantasies can he do, or undo, everything. If Alan Dershowitz rightly calls Israel “the Jew among nations,” this black named Hussein is singled out as “the Jew among presidents.”

We know that civility and decency safeguards Western civilization. Why don’t we practice it?

JAMES ADLER
Cambridge, Massachusetts