Preventive health
Sir, – On Page 6 of the February 3 Jerusalem Post you printed
an opinion piece about the lack of preventive care regarding the flu (“Roll up
your sleeve,” Health, February 3). I would posit that the entire health system
is primitive in this regard, and not just with anti-flu injections.
If
the Health Ministry invested a small amount of money in an advertising campaign
and changed its attitude, the hospitals would be at less than full-capacity come
next winter. So many illnesses are now avoidable if treated from a prevention
prospective. But it’s evident from the figures in the Post and electronic media
that the ministry is not doing its job.
Furthermore, the level of
cleanliness in over-crowded hospitals breeds more illness. Last year my husband
was hospitalized for diabetes and there were beds in every place imaginable.
There was hardly room for doctors and nurses to move, and little or no privacy
for patients.
This can all be avoided by treating illness from the
prevention aspect, not treating a clinically active disease.
A. WEINBERG
Rehovot
Sir, – Kudos to Judy Siegel- Itzkovich for her brilliant idea to
encourage flu shots by a “healthoriented gift” to every family whose members get
flu shots.
Her ability to think outside the box is extremely refreshing
and much needed.
Do you suppose we can convince her to run for Knesset?
RIVKA ZAHAVY
Jerusalem
Sir, – I take issue with Judy Siegel-Itzkovich’s
statement that the Health Ministry has done little to persuade people to get the
flu vaccination.
On the contrary, representatives at the sick funds with
which my husband, a family practitioner, has an agreement have been phoning and
nagging people for months. Even I was given a list of telephone numbers back in
November to call and exert persuasion, gentle or otherwise, on those patients
who hadn’t yet come in to get vaccinated.
There is only so much the
authorities can do. Responsibility ultimately falls on the shoulders of the
patients themselves. The “health-oriented gift” that is really worth receiving
is not getting the flu!
LINDA STERN
Safed
Irish outpouring
Sir, – Recently,
columnist Sarah Honig made certain claims in your newspaper (“That unwitting
indecency,” Another Tack, January 25). She gave full prominence to the opinions
of three “boisterous” 15- and 16-year-old students, and claimed that Ireland had
a history of anti-Semitism.
These students were on a humanitarian
fund-raising mission sponsored by Trocaire on behalf of Palestinians. Any anti-
Semitic comments – which have been denied – must be condemned.
But the
column lacked balance and showed poor research.
Honig’s claim that
Ireland has a history of anti-Semitism is based on one pogrom – one too many –
in the city of Limerick in 1904, but she fails to say that it was widely
condemned by many prominent people.
Daniel O’Connell, the “Liberator,”
was responsible for the Catholic emancipation in 1829, but Honig failed to
mention that he rejected anti-Semitism and in 1846, in the House of Commons,
helped repeal the law, De Judaismo, which discriminated against Jews. O’Connell
stated: “Ireland has claims on your ancient race, it is the only country that I
know of unsullied by any one act of persecution against the Jews.”
Our
church is called the Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church, and buried on the grounds
is Msgr. Hugh O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty was given the title Righteous Among
the Nations by the Israeli government for the work he did in saving many Jews in
Rome during the war.
Many other Irish historical figures, including
Michael Davitt and John Redmond, rejected anti-Semitism. Redmond stated: “Race
hatred is at best an unreasoning passion.”
Both Dublin and Cork have had
Jewish lord mayors, and all political parties, including the present government,
have Jews in senior positions.
Of course, you will find anti- Semitism in
Ireland, but you will also find anti-Irish sentiment if you look for it in other
countries.
But the claim that Ireland has a history of anti-Semitism is
based on one disgraceful episode and therefore is factually incorrect.
I
suggest that Honig visit the subject again and this time focus on the
positive.
LEONARD HURLEY
Cahirciveen, Ireland
The writer is a retired
history teacher
Sir, – As an Irishman I must take great issue with letter writer
Naftali Bertram’s brash, unfounded assertion that most Irish people harbor
anti-Semitic feelings (“Irish oys,” January 28). This is simply untrue.
I
am presuming that he is drawing his conclusions mainly from the fact that there
have been a number of very noisy anti-Israel activities and protests, and calls
for economic and cultural boycotts. Nevertheless, Jews here are well integrated,
respected and admired by the majority of the population. And that goes also for
the State of Israel and its achievements, as well as its successes in surviving
militarily against its surrounding enemies over the years.
There is, on
the other hand, undoubtedly an undercurrent of anti-Israeli feeling among the
noisy Left, and the media coverage given to its activities tends to give the
impression that its members have some great influence over government policy
toward Israel. But the fact is they do not.
Most Irish people are more
concerned with surviving the economic collapse of the Celtic Tiger rather than
deciding to wake up in the morning and suddenly for no particular reason become
either anti-Semitic or anti-Israel.
Ireland and Israel have more in
common with each other – an interest in upholding democratic and cultural
values, freedom of speech and the media, the rule of law, etc. – than separating
them, and that bodes well for their mutually beneficial future
relationship.
IVOR SHORTS
Dublin
Sir, – Having seen Sarah Honig’s photos
and read her article, as an Israeli who has owned a summer home in Ireland for
over 23 years I’m appalled and dismayed by this disgraceful behavior.
But
I would like to say that in my experience in County Wexford and my travels
throughout the republic – wearing a kippa in Wexford’s county colors, with Loch
Garman (Wexford in Irish) embroidered on it, I’ve never experienced anything
like that.
As for reader Naftali Bertram, he is free to say what he likes
about Irish-Americans, but he apparently knows nothing about the
Irish.
When Israel was facing Scud missile attacks in early 1991, regular
Irish people sent me over 2,000 Irish punts (pounds) in donations for Israel.
They were in amounts of 5-10 punts each, and from all over the
island.
(They sent them to me because they’d read I was an Israeli Jew
and had a home in County Wexford.) I duly forwarded the funds to then-chief
rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, who sent them on to Israel. And except for one sweet girl
from County Galway, who decried the “Spud” missiles Saddam Hussein was firing at
Israel, they were all quite informed about the situation.
Is there
anti-Israel feeling among some people? Yes. Is there anti-Semitic feeling among
some people? Yes. But compared to most countries in Europe, in my humble
opinion, no.
JOEY SILVER
Jerusalem
Sir, – I want to assure your readers
that I am Irish but don’t hate Israel. I hope Sarah Honig will return to Ireland
because I think the vast majority of Irish people don’t hate Israel or the
Jewish faith.
I want to see peace in the Middle East. I am against any
violent militant action toward Israel by any terrorist or nation.
I have
never been to Israel.
Hopefully, I will travel there in the near
future.
Thank you.
PADDY NESTOR
Cork, Ireland
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