Not having heard from some chief rabbi (national or municipal) or any group of rabbis that the current spate of terrorist violence...I am forced to conclude that these are not to be blamed.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Rabbinic corruptionNot having heard, to this point, from some chief rabbi (national or municipal) or any group of rabbis that the current spate of terrorist violence is due to our tolerance of the LGBT community, movie theaters operating on Shabbat, etc., I am forced to conclude that these are not to be blamed.Might I humbly suggest that perhaps the reason has to do with rabbinic corruption, with “Amar blocks Stern proposal to reduce kashrut corruption in Jerusalem” (October 8) being only the latest example.EPHRAIM I. ZIMANDJerusalemThe right thingAs an American newly arrived in Israel, I read with dismay Chuck Freilich’s “AIPAC had no choice” (Comment & Features, October 8). AIPAC had no choice to oppose the Iran nuclear deal, not because, as the author asserts, it was the policy of the Israeli government, but because it was the right thing to do.Freilich absurdly asserts that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “misuses AIPAC” and “undermines Israel’s national security.” The fate of Israel depends on Iran not getting a nuclear bomb, and it was a proud moment for us “American Jews” when Mr. Netanyahu spoke directly to Congress to urge it not to vote for the deal.The real problem is Jewish Americans like Mr. Freilich who overwhelmingly support President Barack Obama and his anti-Israel policies.CHANA SHALFIAshkelonPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s moment of silence before the UN General Assembly spoke volumes about the lack of morality and lack of knowledge of history among today’s world leaders.Netanyahu compared the silence of the 1930s to today’s silence in the face of Iranian- sponsored terrorism, the merciless killing of all who oppose radical Islam, and threats to destroy Israel and the US. I doubt he changed any country’s plans, but perhaps he made a few leaders think more deeply and feel a little guilty.JEROME S. REICH MiamiIn his recent UN address, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu properly and eloquently castigated the world body’s members for their biases. But the highest public official of the Jewish people went on to assure his audience that Israel could always rely on its most important partner, who has always been and will always be – wait for it – the United States of America.Really? The most important partner is not God? This is the message of the Jewish people? We know that people of all ages suffer daily and that we will never be able to trace God’s reasons, but tracing His delivery choice for fate might be easier.Let’s see the US help with the latest rash of terrorism, which popped-up just as Bibi was crafting his myopic words.SHLOMO SCHWARTZTorontoBlood moneyCan the nations of the world possibly atone for giving so much money to the “wretched” Palestinians? We know for certain that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gives large sums of money to security prisoners in Israeli jails, or their families, and that they are mainly affiliated with Hamas. What an unbelievable throwaway of money that is supposedly for the Palestinians to make a better life for themselves.The money that Europe and NGOs gives goes to destroy human beings. Aren’t Jews human? Don’t we bleed when we are wounded? It is high time for a major change in the thinking of UN-member nations, and for ordinary citizens to say they won’t fund murder.TOBY WILLIG JerusalemOur responseFor every attack on a Jew, provide building permits for a minimum of 1,000 units on “disputed lands in the West Bank.”Throw the BBC out of Israel for false reporting and its anti-Semitic, anti-Israel agenda. Demand to know if its reporters receive funds from Arab sources.Investigate foreign-funded Israeli NGOs to determine if their money comes from anti-Semites and, if so, what these funders demand of their patsies.Tax Arabs who claim citizenship in other countries for their vacation homes and mansions. They build in Israel because it is the only safe and democratic place in the Middle East.Do not give any tax money collected by Israel to the hateful Palestinians until all their electric and water bills are paid up. After the bills are paid, determine whether the funds are used to support terrorism.Notify the US of these moves in advance and make sure to supply all the necessary information to all US presidential candidates, news media and social media. Israel needs to be proactive, aggressive and loud instead of mealymouthed and mourning. The Start-up Nation should know how to use its technology to defeat the haters and liars who want us dead.Finally, demand to know why the US supports the United Nations, which propagates hatred against gays and anyone who is not Muslim.The list could go on, but we need to act, and not just make speeches and write editorials.SONIA GOLDSMITHNetanyaFresh approachSupporters of Israel often employ the terminology that the Jews “returned” to their homeland in modern times. It would appear that such terminology is harmful to the Jewish position.Supporters of Israel should never employ the “return” imagery.This is because if the Jews “returned,” it must mean that for a long time they had been away.Many people will not approve of the Jews “returning” and taking over what appears to be Palestinian land. Such people will often support the Palestinians in virtually every act of violence against the Jewish people in Israel, as it seems they are “defending” their land.In his speech to the UN in 2012, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the Jews had in fact resided in their homeland “throughout the ages.”Supporters of Israel should learn to employ the imagery that stems from this condition – namely, that for the past 2,000 years, the Jews in their homeland were subjected to a continual occupation by various foreign invaders, and if their numbers became at times somewhat small, it was because of the conditions created by the invaders.The UN has determined that a people subjected to foreign occupation in its homeland does not lose its rights so long as it maintains its continuity and the continuity of its culture there.This is certainly the case for the Jewish people.Whatever might be the final resolution of the conflict between the Jewish people and the Palestinians, supporters of Israel should cease talking of the “return” of the Jewish people, and instead mention the rights the Jewish people has in its homeland, according to the rules that the UN has determined for occupied peoples.One might hope that the world will recognize that Jewish rights in the Jewish homeland are not inferior to Palestinian rights, as the Jewish presence preceded the Palestinian presence and was never interrupted or broken.LARRY FELDMAN TorontoGood enough to eatReading Sam Borden’s “So what is th@ thing, anyway?” (Comment & Features, October 8) reminded me of the time an 80-year-old Jerusalem resident who had been a type-setter at The London Times (when they actually had to set type) informed me that the @ sign was called a “business-a” in those far off days.Of course, the French, who delight in being different, call it l’auriculaire – describing the appearance of the outer ear – while we Israelis, ever mindful of the next mouthful of food, call it a “strudel.”STANLEY COHENJerusalem
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