December 13: Talking about Trump

At the risk of seeming to be a supporter of Donald Trump, which I am not, I object most strongly to Douglas Bloomfield’s article suggesting that Trump is a Nazi.

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters (photo credit: REUTERS)
Letters
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Talking about Trump
At the risk of seeming to be a supporter of Donald Trump, which I am not, I object most strongly to Douglas Bloomfield’s article (“GOP reaps what it sows,” December 10) suggesting that Trump is a Nazi.
Statements like “It’s only a matter of time before his supporters begin showing up at rallies wearing brown shirts” are simply deplorable.
At his worst, Trump has called for not allowing Muslims into the US. He has not called for any actions to be taken against Muslims in the country. Facile and slipshod use of the Nazi analogy trivializes the evil actually done by true Nazis and is insulting to the memory of those who suffered so greatly under Nazi rule. Both Bloomfield and the Post should be ashamed of themselves.
EDWARD S. BOYLAN
Englewood, New Jersey
Donald Trump announces that Muslims should not be allowed in to the United States. The Israeli Left cries “Gevalt” and demands that Netanyahu refuse to meet with Trump. Abu Mazen announces that Jews must not be allowed into “Palestine.” The Israeli Left demands that Netanyahu meet with Abu Mazen.
Jews are forbidden by law from being citizens of Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the world remains silent. What would these same good folks say if Abu Mazen or King Abdullah were to announce that blacks and Christians cannot be citizens in their lands?
STEVE BERGER
Ramat Gan
With relation to your report on the statement of Donald Trump regarding Muslims, and the British reaction thereto (“150,000 Britons petition to ban Trump from UK,” December 10), one can imagine the brief interchange between the parties in an imaginary standoff.
British: Mr. Trump, are you inferring that all Muslims are terrorists? Trump: No, only that all terrorists are Muslims
LAURENCE BECKER
Jerusalem
Adult crime
On Wednesday in Florida, police charged a 15 year old “boy” for shooting and murdering Rabbi Joseph Raskin a year ago while walking to synagogue.
They are charging the youth with first degree murder, and trying him as an adult. We, in Israel, need to follow this example. A child, who does an adult crime, needs to be charged as an adult. No question.
Do the crime, do the time.
REBECCA RAAB
Ma’aleh Adumim
Gas profits
As I read your story on the natural gas outline (“Netanyahu: Gas outline is critical to energy security,” December 9), the age-old battle between the capitalist forces of Israel’s business sector (Start-Up Nation) on the one hand, and the socialist forces of the political camp (the government is responsible for the economic well-being of every citizen) on the other, were quite pronounced.
Those opposed to the Netanyahu plan give new meaning to risk-reward: you take the risk, the state will take the reward.
The Noble Energy group invested/risked in the order of $1 billion in exploration. Question: how much did the state invest? Answer: zero.
But to the political Left, this fact has no bearing on the need for the state to be entitled to an outsized portion of the profits.
Marx and Lenin are smiling in their graves.
MICHAEL D. HIRSCH
Kochav Yair
Alienating Jews
The criticism by Chief Rabbi Lau of Naftali Bennett is totally unacceptable (“Lau criticized Bennett for visit in Conservative school in US,” December 10). The minister’s duties are to be close to and to advise all sections of Jews: Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Bennett was totally correct in what he did.
Lau’s criticism is another example of the lack of understanding by the Chief Rabbinate of what is needed in our communities. A large portion of today’s Jews feel that the Chief Rabbinate is not fulfilling a needed function. Lau’s comment that Orthodoxy was the future of Judaism is an example of his negative attitude and only succeeds in alienation by non-Orthodox Jews.
MAX WEIL
Jerusalem
Saudis and Hashemites
In her letter (“European penchant,” Dec 9), Naomi Sandler states “The European Powers lopped off most of Palestine and turned it over to a Saudi aristocrat, creating the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”
In fact, the Saudis and the Hashemites were enemies. The Saudis came from the western desert region of Arabia, the Nejd, and conquered Mecca from the Hashemite ruler Sharif Hussein and established Saudi Arabia in 1932.
The British honored their commitments to Hussein after World War I by giving Transjordan and Iraq to his two sons.
King Faisal II of Iraq was overthrown in 1958, leaving Jordan as the only remaining Hashemite kingdom.
There is certainly some dispute over whether or not the Arabs were promised any rights in Palestine. According to the McMahon letters which were exchanged between Sir Henry McMahon, the British high commissioner to Egypt, and Sharif Hussein, in 1918, Palestine was never explicitly mentioned, and would have contradicted the prior British commitment to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine according to the Balfour Declaration of 1917.
JACK S. COHEN
Netanya
Not alone
What a lovely letter from Cheryl Azair (“Thank you to the people of Israel from the mother of a lone soldier,” December 9) thanking everyone for helping her lone soldier daughter.
We are all delighted to help because we all know how important it is for our own children in the army when they have friends and family to support them.
The only way you need to repay us is by coming on aliya yourself and bringing all your family with you.
SHELLEY BLOOM
Elazar
Thank you Cheryl Azair for your wonderful article. You brought tears of gratefulness to my eyes knowing that making aliya to this wonderful country 46 years ago was the best decision I made in my life.
BARBARA SHAMIR
Jerusalem
Reading the story by Cheryl Azaire whose daughter, a lone soldier from the US who became a sharpshooter, I am reminded of Herby Hordes from Detroit who came to Palestine after serving in World War II. He enrolled in the Technion and when the Arab armies attacked the yishuv, Herby joined Israel’s young army.
When his mother in Detroit was asked what her son was doing in Israel, she would reply Herby is a “shneider” in the army. Thinking in Yiddish and converting to English, instead of “sniper” Herby became a tailor.
MURRAY S. GREENFIELD
Tel Aviv