Your July 31 front-page story “Cabinet to vote on portfolio reshuffle today” caught my attention – and expectation that we were to be treated to a much-needed revitalization.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Change of underwearYour July 31 front-page story “Cabinet to vote on portfolio reshuffle today” caught my attention – and expectation that we were to be treated to a much-needed revitalization.However, on reading the details, I was reminded of a wartime joke.The Red Cross insisted that prisoners of war be allowed to change underwear. The commandant of the prison camp agreed and bellowed to the prisoners: “Barracks 1 will change underwear with Barracks 2.”ALAN (SHLOMO) KOORPetah TikvaFaulty comparisonWhile most of “Cracking down on the hilltop youth” (Comment, July 31) is acceptable, one line made me really angry. While discussing the philosophy of some of the hilltop youth, Yossi Melman states: “In a way, they are a Jewish version of ISIS.”What in the world was Melman thinking? Do these kids go around beheading “infidels”? They might want Israel to be all Jewish, but they do not say “kill all others” or “let’s expand to the whole world!” Islamic State wants a caliphate, where everyone follows its particular brand of Islam or is labeled a non-believer and is liable to be put to death. It wants to take over Europe and the US, and is slowly making inroads.The hilltop youth might want to eradicate avoda zara (foreign, or non-Jewish labor) from the land – and unfortunately some have acted – but how does this compare to the widespread destruction of ancient archeological and tourist sites by ISIS? Also, ISIS does not treat women well, in an understatement. Not so these Jewish boys.These teens unfortunately can be violent, reaching an extreme level at Duma, but are in absolutely no way to be mentioned in the same breath as ISIS.BATYA BERLINGERJerusalemI sit shocked while reading and rereading Yossi Melman’s “Cracking down on the hilltop youth.” He makes a statement that is despicable: “In a way they are a Jewish version of ISIS.”Mr. Melman, please show evidence of rapings, beheadings, mass murder, throwing gay men off rooftops, women executed for not being dressed modestly and of any time the hilltop youth wrapped the necks of Arabs in explosives and detonated them. Until then, please cease and desist from this vile, twisted and disgusting descriptive.Shame on you, and shame on The Jerusalem Post for allowing such acidic bile to be printed in the paper.ZE’EV M. SHANDALOVMa’aleh AdumimSpider in the webWhether you realize it or not, “Carmi: Silent boycotts a worrisome phenomenon” (July 31) was a cynical and calculated attempt to obscure the fact that Ben-Gurion University of the Negev president Rivka Carmi is a spider in the web of anti-Zionism and BDS, which constitutes virtually the entire Faculty of Social Sciences at the university.For years, Carmi has stated that the problem didn’t exist or it was only one or two faculty members, whereas now, even she has to admit that it is 50-60. The truth is that during her period in office, these people have been recruited, promoted, financed, given tenure and sent abroad to spread their poisonous, self-hating anti-Zionism throughout the world.It is laughable to suggest that Carmi wants to encourage people to come and see Israel for what it is when she knows perfectly well that in the classrooms they will hear that Israel is an illegitimate state that has colonized other people’s lands and practices apartheid.When an independent, international committee of the Council of Higher Education condemned the BGU faculty in terms of quality, curriculum and academic integrity, Carmi promised to make changes – none of which were honored.It is time to put someone in charge of the university that bears the name of David Ben-Gurion who honors, rather than undermines, his legacy and reintroduces a credible system of corporate governance at BGU and other institutes of higher learning in Israel.MICHAEL GROSS Herzliya PituahThe writer is a member of the Board of Governors of BGU.Confusing terminologyRegarding “The long war on terror” (“Comment & Features, July 31), David Rieff writes: “Even assuming that the Islamic State can be defeated... the group’s efforts to inspire people... to carry out attacks on their own are likely to continue to resonate.”Islamic State can inspire people to carry out attacks on “infidels” because such people have already been indoctrinated in Islamic schools and mosques to be violent. If we fail to address this problem, Rieff is right that we will have to endure continuing attacks.Yet I am confused by his terminology.He refers to a “political elite” that denies any rational fear of Islamism, and to political demagogues who promote parties of fear. Perhaps they are not demagogues, but prophets, and the parties are of sanity, not fear? PHILIP BRIEFF Jerusalem Core curriculum Reading about haredi parents who have finally found the courage to fight the insane haredi establishment’s stand on secular studies (“Haredi parents initiate petition demanding core curriculum,” July 29) was a breath of fresh air. Finally, we hear the voice of religious Jews who have never belittled knowledge and education declaring openly that core curriculum studies should be included in all Jewish school systems.I can only say these words: Thank you and best wishes!MOSHE ROSENBAUMJerusalemRio OlympicsKudos to The Jerusalem Post for the excellent Rio Olympics supplement (July 29).It is great to see that a large Israeli contingent will participate in spite of all the bad press regarding conditions, security, crime and, of course, the Zika virus. Israel is also providing a great deal of the hi-tech needed for the smooth running of the Games.We wish the competitors the best of luck and success. Let the Games begin! SALLY SHAW Kfar Saba Reading The Jerusalem Post about the concerns regarding the Rio Olympics, I’m becoming more optimistic about the conditions.On July 28, we read “The four most pressing concerns with the Olympics in Brazil” (Sports). On July 31, we read, also in the Sports section, “The three biggest threats to Rio Olympics.”The good news is that you eliminated the Zika virus as a major concern. I’m sure that, as per the data in your May 29 supplement, the athletes will be protecting themselves from mosquito bites.I hope that by Friday night, when the Games open, the security, transportation/traffic and water concerns will have been overcome, or at least greatly reduced, and that after the Olympics are over, the games will not be remembered alongside the 1972 Munich Olympics or the 1997 Maccabiah, where the bridge over the polluted Yarkon River collapsed.God should protect all the visitors and participants at this year’s Olympics. May they enjoy a carnival in a city considered by many to be one of the most beautiful world, even with its problems.ELHANAN DIESENDRUCKNetanyaSpurious allegationsAnti-Semitism is alive and well, and living in Germany. I refer to your article about a university in Germany attacking Israel’s right to exist (“German university course claims Israel harvesting Palestinian organs,” July 25).It would be useful for the university to subject its faculty to a refresher course in ethics and morality, with a focus on verification of facts prior to dissemination of such spurious allegations.Once again, Jew-hatred is veiled in anti-Israel propaganda.DENISE DUVAL Jerusalem
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