Instead of asking why these people came to Israel despite having to risk murder, rape, attacks and robbery while on the way, some of our leaders want to send them home.
By JERUSALEM POST READERSLetters 370(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout )The migrants Sir, – I read your lead headline from January 9 (“More than 10,000 African migrants bring ongoing protest to Knesset”) and was never more disgusted by the actions of those responsible for leading our country.Instead of asking why these people came to Israel despite having to risk murder, rape, attacks and robbery while on the way, some of our leaders want to send them home. The migrants do not think they will be better off with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority or Jordan or Egypt, so use this fact. Fight our enemies with everything available.MICHAEL H. DAVIS Rishon LezionSir, – The catalyst for the recent protests by African refugees was the vote in the Knesset that refugees without a visa could be detained for up to one year in an open prison.It is quite staggering that on such a significant piece of legislation, which gives the government a draconian power, only 45 out of 120 MKs voted (30 in favor and 15 against), which means less than 38 percent of all lawmakers. Five were attending the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa, but where were the others? Even more problematic was the decision by Speaker Yuli Edelstein to ban representatives of the asylum-seeking community from meeting with MKs inside the Knesset. This was something that would not happen in any other parliamentary democracy and quite frankly was an attack on the parliamentary rights of our legislators.Edelstein behaved more like the speaker in a Soviet parliament under Communism than a speaker of the only true democracy in the Middle East. He should consider resigning his post.ZE’EV PORTNER Tel AvivSir, – I strongly object to leaving the word “illegal” out when describing migrants. These people snuck across the border from Egypt. Why didn’t Egypt stop them? Who is funding their protests? They are here illegally. An illegal person is always in danger of deportation! Why don’t the illegal migrants send a representative and ask the UN to find them countries that will take them in as refugees? BATYA KOENIGSBERG Jerusalem Sir, – Upon starting to read “Save Darfur and Israel: A personal plea from an American Jew in Israel” (Comment & Features, January 9), I said to myself, “Oh no, another useful idiot.” I am glad to admit , however, that after completing the reading I realized that this man was talking honestly from the depth of his heart, the heart of a beautiful Jewish person, and I felt proud to belong to the same people.But he was, of course, wrong in light of the nature of the problem we are facing. Flying on the wings of our humane Jewish values, Elliot Vaisrub Glassenberg failed to address some basic points that we cannot afford to overlook: • The needy of your town come first.• A substantial proportion of the infiltrators are Muslim.• You can safely assume that some jihadi sleeper cells managed to “infiltrate” the infiltrators.• We already have enough such cells.• The survival of Israel is paramount.M. KOLINKiryat MotzkinHere’s the solution Sir, – In light of Basel Bataineh’s “Ignorance about Jordan” (Comment & Features, January 9), which sheds light on the unstable position of King Abdullah II, it seems that Jordan might very well be the solution to Israel’s two-state option after all.It is clear that Abdullah has consistently rejected the idea of incorporating Palestine into the kingdom because it would threaten his regime. But Jordanian Palestinians as well as Jordanian nationals share equally the injustices perpetrated upon them by this farce of a royal family, which was anointed and has been perpetuated in the hope of keeping peace in what otherwise would be a warring mess of tribes.It could very well be that the kingdom has worn out its purpose and is the answer to everyone’s problem by becoming a true democracy incorporating Jordanians, Palestinians and, while we’re at it, maybe their Muslim brethren from Sudan and Eritrea, who have suffered so greatly at the hands of cruel leaders and now find themselves homeless and unwanted here in the Jewish state.MEIRA OVED JerusalemOpen letterSir, – I am sure I am not the only one to be more than annoyed reading Isi Leibler’s “An open letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry” (Candidly Speaking, January 9). He whines away to Kerry about our nonpeace partner, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and has the gall to end by praying that somehow the secretary of state will be able to realize the prophecy of Isaiah.Come on, Isi. You know perfectly well that even if the PA were prepared to recognize Israel as the Jewish state there could be no secure and defensible borders for Israel with a Palestinian state in the West Bank, wherever one puts its boundaries.Kerry knows everything that Leibler put in his wasted words.It is for us, Israel, to promulgate how we see a long-term solution that meets the criteria of secure and defensible borders, and not for Kerry to seek interim solutions.The state of mind that Leibler presents can only result in a disaster for Israel that is totally avoidable.PETER SIMPSON JerusalemSir, – US Secretary of State John Kerry is fast becoming a pain every week he is here. It seems Israeli-Palestinian peace is his big obsession – at the expense of Israel.We have to have faith that God is on our side. We don’t need American friendship, as it is.Now, with a high rise in anti-Semitism in the US, it will encourage more aliya, which I believe is meant to be.ROSINA FISHER JerusalemSir, – Right on, Isi Leibler! From his mouth to God’s ear and then to John Kerry’s. His closing words brought me to tears.TAMAR H. KAGAN JerusalemHardly respectedSir, – In “ADL protests Chief Rabbinate’s rejection of the credentials of US Orthodox rabbis” (January 8), your reporter categorically states that Avi Weiss is a “respected Orthodox rabbi....” I emphatically wish to differ.Following Weiss’s ludicrous shenanigans with respect to ordinations of women and their yeshivot, he crossed not just an Orthodox red line but an entire four-lane religious highway. No respectable Orthodox individual, to say nothing of a respected Orthodox rabbi, would categorize Weiss with regard to his religiosity as either “respected” or “Orthodox.”The fact is that in his extreme digressions from accepted Orthodox rabbinical behavior, I am sure Weiss never consulted with or received the approbation of any accepted Orthodox authorities.I say: Go on Avi, march at the head of the parade. But when you look back you will not see any respected Orthodox followers.MARCHAL KAPLAN JerusalemSir, – I commend and agree with Shlomo Riskin’s letter to the Post about the Chief Rabbinate’s attitude toward the credentials of American Orthodox rabbis (“Taken aback,” January 7). I wrote to the office of Chief Rabbi David Lau last week expressing identical ideas.Let us hope the country’s new chief rabbis will objectively review faulted policies and bring us some change and moderation, and begin to take into account the needs and outlooks of the various citizens of Israel. It is the call of the hour as far as the Israeli rabbinate is concerned.LIONEL BURNLEY Jerusalem
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
