Despicable act
Sir, – The desecration at Yad Vashem (“Police say haredim behind
graffiti attack at Yad Vashem,” June 12) is absolutely terrible.
The
perpetrators are not yet known, but many people involved with Yad Vashem and the
police are saying that the perpetrators are super-religious.
They
certainly are anti-religious in the sense of being Jewish.
If these
people, whoever they are, are caught and brought to justice, they must be given
sentences that are meaningful. We should all pray that they are apprehended very
quickly and that these terrible incidents of desecration of holy places,
national memorials and other venerable institutions are treated with the
seriousness they deserve.
THELMA SUSSWEIN
Jerusalem
Sir, – The
desecration of Yad Vashem is vandalism of the worst kind, especially if caused
by fellow Jews.
If the culprits are found, I suggest a prison term with
hard labor and the withdrawal of all financial benefits they receive from the
state.
JULIUS COLLINS
Nordia
Sir, – Words fail me! The impact of the
utterly despicable act of vandalism perpetrated at Yad Vashem has left me with
feelings of total shame and disgust.
I have a suggestion. Currently there
is much talk about deportation.
Consider that those responsible for this
abhorrent act do not deserve to live in our fantastic and beautiful country, and
deserve to be exiled far away from us.
RONALD BEAR
Ra’anana
Sir, – As one
who lost many family members in the Holocaust, I am at a loss for
words.
ZELDA ENDLIN
Petah Tikva
Please explain
Sir, – Re: “Israel has
shown us no mercy” (June 12), Interior Minister Eli Yishai has declared his
intention to expel most if not all of the tens of thousands of illegal
immigrants from South Sudan presently living in Israel in poor
conditions.
I find it odd that Yishai is apparently unconcerned about the
specific biblical edicts that commit the Jewish people to befriend and care for
strangers in its midst. Here are just two: “If a newcomer lives in your land and
abides among you, do not reproach him, but let him be among you like one native
born.
And you shall love him as yourselves.
For you were also
newcomers in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:33,
34).
“He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
stranger, giving him food and clothing. Love the stranger, therefore, for you
were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:18).
I cannot but
wonder how come Israel’s religious politicos ignore God’s clear injunctions not
to harass, hurt or be cruel to the strangers in our midst. I would certainly
appreciate an explanation.
JOCK L. FALKSON
Ra’anana
Sir, – These
infiltrators do not come here from Sudan or Eritrea.
They come here from
Egypt! So what about Egypt’s international obligations – or is Israel the only
country with such obligations? Do we know how many of these infiltrators,
especially the Muslims, come here to be “sleepers” to be activated when the time
comes? Maybe the spate of attacks and rapes we are now hearing about is because
the “sleepers” have been activated in order to spread fear and fuel an
anti-infiltrator mood in order to harm Israel’s international image? I would
suggest a very simple solution: Send all present and future infiltrators to the
PA. After all, the Palestinians are “experts” on the subject of refugees. If the
migrants are lucky, maybe UNRWA will add them to its register.
EMANUEL
FISCHER
Jerusalem
Reader was wrong
Sir, – Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz has found a
subject over which to flex his muscles (“Mofaz: Kiryat Arba building plan being
reconsidered,” June 12).
The sole reason Kadima was founded was to expel
Jews from Gaza. It has continued since then as a left-of-center party that has
also tried to give away parts of Judea and Samaria, as well as Jerusalem, and to
establish a two-state system no matter what it costs and no matter what the
danger to Israel and its inhabitants.
I thought that if an an ex-IDF
chief of staff were to take over leadership of that party, more sensible ideas
would prevail and the pros and cons of such actions would be considered in
depth. It seems I was wrong, and true to the aims of his party Mofaz objected to
building more homes in Kiryat Arba, which the Bible tells us is
Hebron.
For 1,300 years Jews were denied access to the original piece of
ground used as a cemetery for their patriarchs and matriarchs. It was bought
with money, 400 shekels, by the founder of Judaism, Abraham.
After the
1967 Six Day War, Jews were once again able to enter and visit the burial place
of the founder and his sons, and their wives.
Does Mofaz think Jews will
willingly abandon Hebron, which is Kiryat Arba, and the Cave of the Patriarchs
therein, and deny themselves willingly and voluntarily the opportunity of
visiting this most ancient Jewish holy site, which predated the Temple in
Jerusalem? CYRIL ATKINS Beit Shemesh Sad that it’s news Sir, – Regarding “Family
of deceased 46-year-old donates seven organs to save others” (June 12), my
heartfelt sympathy goes out to the Karo family for its sudden loss of a
wonderful member. My congratulations and admiration also go to them for the most
humanitarian decision to donate Gil Karo’s organs in order to help five others
in dire need of a transplant.
What is dismaying, however, is that this
very generous action resulted in such an avalanche of newspaper articles, TV
news items and internet activity. It must be an indication of the insufficient
response of the public to this urgent program.
The donation of organs
ought to be so common that it is no longer news.
CHARLES TICHO
Rishon
Lezion
No truce on typos
Sir, – Typos are inevitable. But the quote attributed
to our prime minister in “PM injured in soccer match” (June 12), that he
“intended to advance tourism in Israel to present the truce face of the State of
Israel,” is in fact an unintended declaration of our reality among the nations
today.
Sadly, while praising the Lord, we must pass the ammunition and
hope the current truce will become true acceptance in our turbulent
neighborhood.
ESTER ZEITLIN
Jerusalem
The Editor responds: As much as we
try to prevent them, typos are indeed inevitable. The word should have been
“true.” The Post will never declare a truce on typos.
Dismal science
Sir,
– Regarding Herb Keinon’s “Bill will end low prices for new Hebrew books” (June
11), it is sad that the Knesset is attempting to “repeal” the law of supply and
demand.
Economics is often called the “dismal science” because it dashes
the hopes of politicians and central planners everywhere who do not wish to be
told that there are limits to their powers. It is simply contrary to all
economic science to declare by fiat that authors must be paid a percentage of
the final profits. This is not how economics works.
Authors are to be
remunerated according to their marginal productivity, according to the value of
their specific contribution to the final utility of the consumer good, alongside
all the various other factors of production (e.g., paper, ink, land, workers,
etc.).
Only the market can determine these rates.
MICHAEL MAKOVI
Jerusalem
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