August 24: Malicious deceit

Malicious deceit

Sir, – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is denying the existence and the Jewish heritage of the Temple in Jerusalem (“Id al-Fitr diplomacy continues as Abbas again denies Jewish connection to Jerusalem,” August 22). This brazen, malicious deceit is typical of the Palestinians and represents the biggest obstacle to achieving peace.

The words of the UN’s special coordinator on the Middle East peace process Robert Serry, delivered earlier this week at a conference in Rishon Lezion, ring true and clear: “[T]he Palestinian Authority is quickly, in my view, losing its legitimacy in the eye of the public, if it is not able to bring... the political goal forwards – the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security.”

So long as the Palestinians live on another planet, where the truth as we know it, does not exist, their quest for self-determination is headed for oblivion.

YONATAN SILVERMAN
Tel Aviv

Sir, – It is laughable that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas denies the ties of the Jewish people to Jerusalem.

In the Bible, Jerusalem is mentioned 669 times and Zion 153 times. Not once is the city mentioned in the Koran.

GEORGE FISHMAN
Sydney

Fight the Big 7

Sir, – I was astounded to read that Haifa University, the Weizmann Institute, Tel Aviv University, the Technion, Ben-Gurion University, the Hebrew University and, most disturbing, Bar-Ilan University (the so-called Big 7) have petitioned the High Court of Justice to overturn a decision granting Ariel University Center official university status (“Petition before High Court of Justice seeks to overturn Ariel University Center's newly won status,” August 22).

For shame, for shame.

What are these so-called academics thinking? If we don’t stop fighting among ourselves there won’t be anything left for Iran to bomb. It is politics at its worst.

If academia forgot the Balfour Declaration, how can it teach history? If academia doesn’t recognize the Mandate for Palestine, maybe its personnel should look for jobs elsewhere.

What more appropriate response could there be to the Big 7 but to augment our donations to Ariel University Center, which leads in physical therapy, robotics and material science, and is absorbing more non-immigrant PhDs and Ethiopian undergraduates than any other institution of higher education in Israel, the Big 7 included.

TERRI GRANOT
Miami Beach

Olmert overload

Sir, – I don’t know whether Ehud Olmert is innocent or guilty of any charges brought against him. That is for the courts to decide.

But for the state attorney to close due to “Olmert overload” a case against him that involves alleged improper appointments (“‘Overload’ cited as reason for closing additional case against Olmert,” August 22) is a bad reflection on our court system.

Would the state attorney close a case against a Jewish John Doe because of “Doe overload?” Justice must be equal for all or it is not justice at all.

MILTON H. POLIN
Jerusalem

APOLOGIES
In an opinion article by David Rubenstein (“Israel and the Jewish Left,” Comment & Features, August 22), an erroneous quote was attributed to Prof. Neve Gordon from Ben-Gurion University, for which The Jerusalem Post wishes to apologize.

In reporting on the recent firebomb attack against Palestinians that took place near Bat Ayin, The Jerusalem Post in no way has intended to implicate residents of Bat Ayin and apologizes for any confusion over the matter.