By JERUSALEM POST STAFFSad conclusion
Sir, - I may not be alone in agreeing with Michael Freund's characterization of the government's behavior as an "ongoing failure" for not implementing its own decision to double the rate of Falash Mura aliya ("Let My People In," November 2). The Supreme Court may also agree, having granted a request for an emergency hearing on the issue scheduled for December 19th.
Despite multiple requests, no government assistance has been obtained in restoring the NACOEJ aid program - cut off by the Ethiopian government a year ago - which helped alleviate some of the suffering of thousands of Jewish children in Addis Ababa. This indifference will ultimately cost the government through added education and health costs, when these children do make aliya.
The government is writing a shameful concluding chapter to the history of Ethiopian Jewish aliya.
JOSEPH FEIT
Past president, North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry
New York
Sir, - Does the author of the latest stage production about Rachel Corrie plan a musical about Abigail Litle ("Corrie inspires another play," November 1)? Abigail Litle was a 13-year-old Christian volunteer who participated in a summer camp promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. While Rachel Corrie was killed by an IDF bulldozer in what Israelis allege was an accident, given that bulldozer's driver could see her, Abigail was killed in the bombing of an Egged bus in Haifa. The attacker saw his victims quite clearly, killing some 17 people, nearly half under the age of 18.
ALEXANDER SHILO
Washington, DC
China syndrome
Sir, - Being on friendly terms with the government of a billion people makes good sense but becoming economically subservient to it does not. Oded Tyrah exposed our shortsightedness in "Watch out for China" (November 2).
I realized what was happening a few years ago when my new Polgat overcoat turned out to have a concealed "Made in China" label. Buy almost anything here today, from clothing and kitchenware to luggage and electrical goods, and you will find that the Western brand name is often masking the product's provenance: it was produced in a Chinese factory.
Importing all these items from one country, where labor is cheap, instead of diversifying our sources of supply, is bound to prove ruinous sooner or later.
GABRIEL A. SIVAN
Jerusalem
Smoke screen
Sir, - Shinui MK Avraham Poraz believes there is no need to ban cigarette ads from the print media and the Internet because they do not encourage smoking ("Poraz: Cigarette ads do not encourage smoking," November 3).
If Poraz is right, then unless cigarette companies are addicted to financing ads depicting a cowboy smoking simply to encourage us all to wear cowboy hats and ride horses, these companies should have no objection to the banning of ads that do not promote their product.
YONATAN SILVER
Jerusalem