Readers respond to the latest Jerusalem Post articles.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITOREnvelope(photo credit: ING IMAGE/ASAP)Man of convictionI may have been diametrically opposed to Yossi Sarid on many fundamental issues, but at least I had the feeling that I was dealing with a man sincere in his beliefs (“Ex-Meretz leader Yossi Sarid dies at 75,” December 6).Not a day goes by where politicians aren’t called out on their conflicts of interest and less than proper conduct. Not so Sarid. May he continue to fight for the State of Israel before the heavenly throne, where even God will have to deal with his acerbic wit and the force of his convictions.STUART PILICHOWSKI Mevaseret ZionAntithetical attackIn a shockingly self-defeating vote, the American Anthropology Association has taken strong first steps in favor of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, calling on American universities to halt institutional relationships with all Israeli universities (“US anthropological group votes to boycott Israeli universities,” November 22).This attack is antithetical to the basic academic values of openness, free speech and intellectual exchange – and smacks of bigotry. In taking this action, the AAA has both embarrassed itself and its profession.Ironically, the AAA vote for the boycott comes at the very moment students across the nation are advocating for greater diversity and against discrimination on campuses and in society.The AAA vote runs counter to hundreds of years of free exchange among international institutions, and at the same time manages to fly in the face of contemporary demands to treat all people with respect.SUSAN HERBST,Storrs, ConnecticutMICHAEL S. ROTH, Middletown, ConnecticutThe writers are presidents of the University of Connecticut and Wesleyan University, respectively.Using childrenI am writing to you on behalf of the executive committee of Jews For Justice For Palestinians, UK, regarding the Facebook correspondence between Dr. Marsha Levine and the Israeli child Shachar Rabinovich (“Ex-Cambridge academic boycotts question by 13-year-old Israeli,” December 2).Levine’s engagement with Shamir does not represent JFJFP or our policy. We believe strongly that children – Jewish and Palestinian – should be treated as children. Certainly, no child is responsible for the actions of the state in which they live. JFJFP does not endorse the way Levine responded to Shamir, nor the way she used our name without our authority.One of our major concerns is the way Palestinian children are treated by the Israeli state – for example, the way they are arrested, held in detention for long periods without a parent being present (or even knowing where they are), sometimes seriously mistreated, and are then put into prison – as if they were adults. We do not have two standards, one for Israeli children and one for Palestinian children. All children should be treated with care and respect.Levine’s treatment of this child was deplorable.GLYN SECKERLondonThe writer is director of Jews for Justice For Palestinians.More English TV newsWe are fortunate to have the English news presented on television, albeit once a week, by Arieh O’Sullivan, who has – in spite of unnecessary and ridiculous objections – done a very superior and capable job. No one can question the importance to Israelis, tourists, foreign dignitaries and others in having a true and honest presentation of the news, especially since most foreign English news media usually slant the news against Israel’s interest.I hope The Jerusalem Post will do more in seeing to it that the English-speaking public is better informed that the news in English is presented each and every Thursday at 4 p.m. on Channel 33.LEONARD KAHNZichron Ya’acovAt a time when anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda and lies come at us daily from many corners of the world, what is desperately needed is that such propaganda be countered by as many media sources as possible.And yet, via somebody’s “brilliant” decision, a nice television station which did exactly this was taken off the air. IBA World Service was intelligently produced, concentrated mainly on Israel-related issues, and presented its content in a fair and engaging way. The question is: are there any plans to reinstate this station?ARKADY MAMAYSKYNew YorkAnti-Jewish ‘Post’Does The Jerusalem Post have an anti-Jewish agenda? If not, what could induce any self-respecting journalists to feature such a headline – “Attorney: Lift gag order on ‘breakthrough’ in suspected Jewish terror case” – on the front page of your December 2 edition? In the same edition, on the Arts and Entertainment page, you have another headline – “Jewish porn star Jeremy Deen accused of raping ex-girlfriend.” Is this the only way you can sell newspapers, or is it simply a matter of stupid editing? Our enemies will thank you for providing them with yet another morsel of anti-Jewish propaganda. Shame on you!ELLEN SUCOVJerusalemCritical questionsThe theme of Gershon Baskin’s column last week (“Israel – My sad home,” December 3) and his solution for making it a happier place are replete with tired clichés and patently absurd conclusions. The absurdity is compounded when one realizes that Baskin for the last several years has been repeating the same banalities over and over again, without any attempt to critically question the validity of his arguments and with his propensity for blaming only Israel for the breakdown in negotiations.Baskin claims that he has been engaged for many years in developing educational programs between Jewish and Arab schools. I believe that it is fair to ask if he has ever examined the hate-filled anti-Israel textbooks and curricula in the Palestinian Authority educational networks? As Baskin walks fearlessly through Arab towns and cities, has he ever noticed the street signs or the stadiums that proudly bear the names of unrepentant rabid Jew-killers? As he absorbs himself in the Arabic language and culture, has he been able to discern the fanatical anti-Israel sermons being delivered in mosques or the mendacity of the fabricated libel that Israel is threatening the al-Aksa Mosque, which thereby provide poisonous reasons for their minions to go out and slaughter Jews?ZEV CHAMUDOTPetah TikvaIsrael-bashingKudos to Yisrael Medad and Eli Pollak for their depressing overview of Israel-bashing journalism (“Enemy-supporting journalism,” December 3). I often wonder why they (and so many others) use the term “post-Zionism”? Wouldn’t “anti-Israel” be simpler and more to the point? An issue they didn’t mention is the unbalanced Israel reporting posted on Google News.How is it that so many biased articles from Haaretz are cited, with fewer reports from centrist sources that offer a more balanced perspective on the challenging problems confronting Israel? RON SPIROJerusalem
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