January 4: Battling for all

Battling for all

Sir, – Moshe Feiglin (“Police weighing possible indictment against Feiglin,” January 2) deserves thanks for challenging the incredible laws prohibiting his praying on the Temple Mount.

These unfortunate statutes are unique in civilized society. If he is prosecuted, all rational people will come to his defense.

He is battling for everyone.

EDWARD WEINSTEIN
Kfar Adumim

Sir, – Haven’t the police got anything better to do with their time (e.g., pursuing habitual traffic offenders, rapists or murderers) than charging Moshe Feiglin only for practicing his religion? What a chutzpah!

SUSAN TARAGIN
Jerusalem

Beautiful article

Sir, – Your “3,000 trees to be planted in Israel to memorialize Newtown victims” (January 2) was a beautiful article.

Lately there has been so much negative propaganda against Israel. This article was an outstanding example of the country’s morality.

Veronique Pozner, mother of Noah Pozner, the youngest and sole Jewish victim, lives outside Israel, and Israel, without hesitation, responded to her request. She wished to plant trees in honor of all 26 victims.

We mourn the loss of Noah and the other 25 innocent lives. Trees represent life, growth and knowledge. May they serve as an example of standing up for what is right.

I pray that Veronique Pozner and her family have the strength to get back up and live a long and healthy life.

SHELY ESSES
Jerusalem

Far to the Left

Sir, – Your editorial of January 1 (“Peres’s duty”) defending the president’s right (and even obligation) to voice his opinion, tilts so far to the Left that it should have appeared in the paper as an op-ed, bearing the writer’s name.

Appearing as an editorial gives the impression that the views expressed are collective ones supported by the paper as a whole. I find it strange that the paper should give us an editorial so at odds with public opinion.

RHONA YEMINI
Givatayim

Sir, – Really, what disease of political correctness has hit you? You are now equating Shimon Peres’s very debatable and potentially damaging statement about Mahmoud Abbas being a dependable peace partner, with Ezer Weizman’s wisecrack about homosexuals – something that was strictly personal.

DAVID MAISEL
Jerusalem

Astonishing views

Sir, – I am surprised and astonished at the views expressed by David Newman (“2013 – Saving Israel’s democratic values,” Borderline Views, January 1).

Most surprising is his determination that NGO Monitor’s “paranoia” research “could severely damage future funding of research and civil society activities” in Israel. Abundant evidence exists on substantial funding by European bodies, as well as the EU itself, of left-wing Israeli NGOs, which at best is quasi-legal and violates both the spirit and the letter of NGOs, which by definition should be apolitical.

According to Newman a “right-wing” NGO is antidemocratic, while a “left wing” NGO is the quintessence of democratic values.

I would expect better research from a person holding a responsible academic position.

Finally, in his opening remarks Newman reflects on the “spiritual stock-taking” on the occasion of the Jewish New Year. With the recent Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur prayers still fresh in my mind, I would point out that while spiritual, the stock-taking also deals with a long list of very prevalent transgressions for which we should atone.

JERRY AVIRAM
Tel Aviv