We are surrounded by a maelstrom of barbarism. This is not the time to score political advantages.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORUpdated: JANUARY 31, 2016 00:19Letters(photo credit: REUTERS)Calling for unityIsi Leibler (“The requiem for the Oslo Accords warrants a unity government,” Candidly Speaking, January 28) suggests that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid and Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman get off their high horses and work together in the national interest.This is an outstanding entreaty for common sense among our elected officials.We are surrounded by a maelstrom of barbarism. This is not the time to score political advantages.The continuous hostilities between our parties can only strengthen our enemies.ISSY RIEBACK Kfar YonaReady and willingIn addition to discussing nursing availability in Israel, your article “Number of nurses per 1,000 residents: 4.9” (January 28) emphasizes the current collateral physician shortage, saying it will be worse in the future. In particular, specialists are in high demand, with significant delays due to the backlog of patients.In light of the shortage, specialists trained in acceptable medical schools and programs abroad should be able to find licensing in Israel more expedient than it is now.Several highly qualified specialists I know personally have relocated to Israel in their senior years, and wish to continue practicing part-time. The mandatory retirement age here makes this impossible in the public sphere.The utilization of such talent comes to Israel without cost for medical school, residency training or extensive experience in practice.GARY STEINMAN JerusalemThe writer is an obstetrician and gynecologist.He can look it up With regard to “PM blasts Ban: ‘Your remarks fuel Palestinian terrorism’” (January 27), prior to the Six Day War, the West Bank was occupied territory. The Jordanians had built fences and claimed the land. Where was the UN? Where were the Palestinians? Why did they not claim the land from the Jordanians? Just before the Six Day War, the combined Arab nations amassed their forces, with the most advanced weapons, for the destruction of our tiny nation.The Straits of Tiran were closed to Israeli shipping. The great UN “peacekeeping” forces ran for their lives.Israel had no quarrel with Jordan.Despite having been warned not to attack, the Hashemite Kingdom joined in. It lost the territories it had occupied by force. Hence, it had to bear the consequences.One major question to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: Did Israel wake up one fine morning and start occupying territories? He can check it out in the history books.N.E. SAMUEL YavneUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who should know better, tells us we are building “illegally” on land that is ours under international law.I am no politician, but I know the UN, which, on accepting the Palestine Mandate from the League of Nations, gave us title to all the land, not only from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, but to what is now Jordan. The British gave away about 70 percent of that land, and now the UN is doing everything in its power to sabotage Jewish interests.Isn’t it enough that our government is willing to part with some of this land so the Arabs there can govern themselves? Have not the Arabs been shouting from the rooftops that they want all of Israel, which they claim is theirs by right? Has not our prime minister stated that he is willing to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas anytime, anywhere to restart peace talks? Does not the fact that Abbas has refused mean he is not interested? Should we not understand from this that the Palestinians do not really want a two-state solution and will not accept Israel as a Jewish state? Why does no one accuse Abbas of intransigence? Why do Ban and the UN see fit to blame Israel for the failure of progress? Perhaps it’s time that we ourselves picked up stones, knives and guns. The secretary-general could then say he’s not surprised by our frustration due to the paralysis of the peace process.If terror from frustration is good for the goose, then guess what!EDMUND JONAHRishon LezionUnforgivableRegarding “Double Standards” (Reality Check, January 25), thank God Jeff Barak is only a former editor-in chief of The Jerusalem Post.The Post is read by many non-Jews, many anti-Semites and many Israeli left-wingers who are not sure why they’re in this Jewish land. To write an article with so much venom against our prime minister is unforgivable.Barak states that double standards “are the norm in today’s Israel, fueled by a paranoid [Benjamin] Netanyahu who sees anybody who disagrees with him as a deadly enemy.”These statements are outright lies. Even if Barak thinks they’re true, why should he add to the hatred that many in the world are already displaying against us?JENNY WEIL JerusalemSpirited defense Thanks to Eli Kavon for his spirited defense of atheism (“The tenth plague and the God of history,” Comment & Features, January 26).Kavon notes that Baruch Spinoza denied the existence of miracles.Kavon himself admits that the God of Israel “did not intervene with the mass slaughter of Jews by the Nazis....” The logical conclusion, then, is that there is no such thing as God, and human beings should turn to the morality of secular humanism for spiritual guidance.Imagine, too, how a Middle East freed of all religious fanaticism would look. Perhaps Israel might be a safer place to live.DAVID ZOHAR JerusalemThat’s why not In recent columns, Caroline B. Glick and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach have laid lavish praise on US Sen. Ted Cruz for his stance on Israel, and wondered why more American Jews had not come to support him in his run for president.Part of the reason might be that Sen. Cruz is one of the most reviled figures in the Senate; he is so disliked for his brash, take-no-prisoners style and lonewolf attitude that no senator has supported his stances, and none will co-sign his bills. Such an approach among his own party makes one doubt his ability to be an effective president.Furthermore, most Americans (and American Jews) are not one-issue voters, and despite Cruz’s support for Israel, they will take into account his stance on abortion rights (against), gun control (against) and Planned Parenthood (against). They will consider these issues in the mix and find him less than desirable in the broader spectrum of ideas.MASHEY BERNSTEIN Santa Barbara, CaliforniaStood by in silenceI was honored to attend the UK Holocaust Day Memorial event in East Renfrewshire, Scotland. The theme was “Don’t stand by.”Provost Alastair Carmichael reminded the audience that the Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local populations allowed insidious persecution to take root. While some actively supported or facilitated state policies of persecution, the vast majority stood by silently – at best, afraid to speak out, at worst, indifferent.Yet recently, at a meeting of a Scottish parliament cross-party group, an educationalist, promoting the introduction of anti-Jewish rhetoric into the school curriculum, reportedly said: “We need a narrative to balance the Holocaust one. It is difficult to get it into schools because of the anti-Semitism agenda.”No one present objected.Everyone just stood by!STANLEY GROSSMAN GlasgowThe writer is honorary secretary of the Scottish Friends of Israel.
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