YENTEL JACOBS NetanyaHoly hockey Sir, – What a splendid combination, ice and art (“Icy front coming to Jerusalem,” February 16). It seems to me that it would be advantageous to the Jerusalem municipality and the Ariel Company to take it a step up: Add ice hockey to the venture.The players who trek up to Metulla for its hockey rink made aliya from Canada and the United States and live in Jerusalem, Ra’anana and Efrat. These young men travel there after a full-day’s work to practice and play, only to return hours later.Hours spent on the road can be spent on the ice in Jerusalem.It would also develop a younger generation of skaters.H. MESSINGER JerusalemReason to rail Sir, – Further to the comments on the new Jerusalem Light Rail system (“Not all are railing,” Letters, February 16), we had a most unpleasant experience with it during a visit earlier this month.We had been recommended to take a trip as part of our “tourist experience” but found that the ticket machine at the Davidka station was not working. As the train had just arrived we boarded, intending to pay the inspector, as is normal in England, or buy tickets at our destination and then tear them up.After a couple of stops the inspectors got on and we tried to explain the position, even showing our passports, but they were not interested and insisted on imposing a fine on the spot. In all fairness, they did give us a contact number, but when we tried to phone we could not speak to anyone able to speak English –despite using the English- language option on the automated telephone response system.As we were returning to England, we did not have time to follow the matter up. With the threat of prosecution hanging over us, we may well decide never to visit the country again and warn our friends accordingly.MARTIN D. STERN Salford, UK
Oh, them! Sir, – Michael Freund’s unabashed triumphalism (“The end of Palestine,” Fundamentally Freund, February 16) omits one significant element – what he proposes to do with the 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank.RAYMOND CANNON NetanyaSelf-destruction Sir, – In “Mitt Romney: Man of the (very rich) people” (Washington Watch, February 16), Douglas Bloomfield brings to mind how a political party can self-destruct.The candidates vying for the presidential nomination of the US Republican party have succeeded in accomplishing only their own political demise by intemperate remarks and behavior. What we have witnessed has been malicious, vicious and vindictive infighting to an extent such that President Obama will have to do very little to discredit his opponent.This is truly reminiscent of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, where there was nothing left of a prize catch by the time the old man returned to port.RICHARD JACOBS HaifaWrong priorities Sir, – Regarding “Panel approves giant tourism center in Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood” (February 14), this is all well and good. However, with the IDF in a budget crisis and services in education, health and welfare in dire need, do we really have to spend so much money on a new tourist center? Where are our priorities?HANNAH SONDHELM JerusalemWho’s behind it? Sir, – Regarding “Doctors to run campaign against heart disease” (February 14), the kind of therapy that can decrease the risk of stroke in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation is called anticoagulant therapy, popularly known as blood thinners.In the past few years alternative and much more expensive anticoagulant therapy has come on the market in addition to the old standby, Coumadin.The new drugs have the advantage that frequent monitoring by blood testing of the magnitude of the anti-coagulation is not necessary, as it is for Coumadin. According to the data that are now available, these drugs are non-inferior to Coumadin and may indeed be superior.While one can certainly argue that raising awareness about atrial fibrillation is an idealistic endeavor, it is highly likely that this consciousness-raising effort is being initiated by commercial forces, namely the companies making these new drugs. As the awareness of atrial fibrillation and its implications grows, so will the market.I think it is valuable to shine a light on how such campaigns come into existence and how stealth is employed by commercial interests to help shape markets and the public’s consciousness.JOHN EIGNER Ma’aleh Adumim The writer is a family physician Shylock revisited Sir, – With regard to “Shylock – to ban or not to ban” (Comment & Features, February 14), I lecture on the subject (“A Shake-up of Shakespeare’s Shylock – anti-Semitic or anti-Christian”) and have given this play careful study.If people were to read the text carefully, they would find it one of the most anti-Christian plays ever written.Shakespeare attacked the mores of his time using the type of play that pulled in the customers. It wore the garb of anti-Semitism but concealed within its satire the most damning indictment of the Christians of his time. Carefully woven into the fabric was his admiration of the Jews. He did it so carefully that his audiences had no idea they were laughing at themselves.As for the Al Pacino film – which your critic detested, describing Pacino’s Shylock as one of the most demonic, anti- Semitic caricatures ever created – it made an attempt to look upon Shylock, shall we say, in a less negative way, but the screenplay removed most of the anti-Christian references.People tend to forget that Shakespeare was one of the greatest minds that ever lived.He knew exactly what he was about. Until and unless the play is recognized for what it is, this debate will continue.EDMUND JONAH Rishon Lezion The writer lectures on this and other subjects for various organizations