By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Haniyeh models bikiniRegarding “Haniyeh in a bikini, on a billboard in Tel Aviv” (July 23), a picture/billboard is worth 1,000 words, and this one is definitely worth that and 10 times more. I agree with it in its entirety. It catches the eye so people will stop and read it and see who printed it, so anyone who is interested would check out this NGO, which I did.The article quotes Middle East Forum president Daniel Pipes as saying, “Victory means imposing one’s will on the enemy; history teaches that conflicts end when one side gives up.” I have cited that same quote previously. Examples include the American Civil War, World War II and Vietnam. Not ending: the Korean War and the Israeli Palestinian conflict.The military price will always be heavy, but by not going all-out, the political opponents to victory will gnaw at the people’s resolve so that in the end a disastrous solution will be pushed on the government. The conflict will flare up again and again, with breaks, until the above quote will eventually, sadly, come true.MURRAY JOSEPHKiryat Motzkin.Iran: All about the BenjaminsIn his letter (“Ship of fools,” July 22), Peter Simpson is correct in criticizing the UK for ignoring the Iranian threat and for its dogged stance in wishing to cling to the JCPOA agreement.However, he fails to point out that it’s “all about the Benjamins, baby.” The UK, alongside countries like France, Germany, China and India, to name but a few, is still pursuing and beholden to lucrative contracts with the rogue state. Until America widens the net on sanctions to the point that trade by these nations with Iran is curtailed and finally shut down, Iran will remain emboldened to carry out all sorts of clandestine acts and continue to be not only a major threat to Israel and Middle East peace, but, as their recent piracy incident shows, also a critical danger to the rest of the worldSTEPHEN VISHNICKTel AvivOmar: There are none so blind...Regarding the editorial “Don’t bar Omar” (July 21), normally I would say to bar those with severe hatred of Israel, but in the case of Representative Ilhan Omar, I agree – let her come.She says she wants to learn – let’s see how that works. In her short time in “public service,” she has demonstrated little need of any new knowledge. She appears to know all that she needs to know.Polls show overwhelming support by Israelis for US President Donald Trump, so perhaps her trip here will add toward his reelection. The recent press conference of the “Squad” revealed her as the true leader of that motley and hateful group. We wish them luck as they trundle down into their blind alley.DAVID SMITHRa’anana Regarding “Dermer: Israel would not deny entry for Omar, Tlaib” (July 21), it is an outrage that our ambassador feels because of our great alliance with the USA, Israel should permit entry to the two US congresswomen who have spewed forth venomous poison against Israel on an almost constant basis. These two women know the truth but refuse to acknowledge it. They are well aware how Israel is the only democratic, tolerant, state in the entire region – so tolerant that it would even allow entry and royal treatment to those who detest it.So I wonder how exactly the alliance would be damaged when even US President Donald Trump sees these congresswomen for who they are and is relentless in his stance to “send these hateful women back to where they come from.” Trump realizes that they are unworthy to be in the US Congress. Why is that our own leaders lack the clarity and backbone to stand strong for Israel and not allow people like this into our country. Don’t we have enough pollution to deal with?PHYLLIS HECHTHashmonaimThe meduzot challengeI challenge our clever techie friends here in Israel to solve the meduzot problem. Every summer the beautiful beaches and refreshing waters of the Mediterranean have to be abandoned because of the threat of the influx of thousands of dangerous meduzot (giant jellyfish) in the sea.Isn’t there some sonar or other system that could be used to keep them from entering our swimming areas that won’t cause us a problem, too? Perhaps the Environment Ministry could promote this and offer a substantial prize for the winner? Wouldn’t it be great to enjoy being in the a Mediterranean Sea?We all await the solution. I’m sure someone in Israel will solve it. The sooner the better. Good luck.MARSHA ROTHJerusalemLeading camels to water“Trump’s peace team is heading back to Israel next week” (July 21) is all about another well-intended plan that will probably go nowhere because it misses the crux of the problem, which involves differences in attitudes, in visions of an ideal society, not economics.On one side is the Western democratic model based on political pluralism, free speech and other universal rights. An ideal statement of this view can be found in the US Bill of Rights, which is grounded in Judeo-Christian ethics. On the other side is a view of society informed by the Islamic holy texts and law. This view, defined in detail, is firmly backed by centuries of religiously sanctioned imperial rule. It is far more intolerant than the Western vision and has been far less successful.When one examines such PA positions as the seemingly absurd denial of any historical connection between Jews and Israel, the glorification of terrorists or the consistent rejection of any Jewish sovereignty, it is evident that their goal is the annihilation and replacement of Israel. It is impossible to bribe one’s way around that. No gifts of money or land, however generous, can change this deeply held worldview.Instead of bribes, the US should offer an alternate vision based on Western values. This could take the form of a concise manifesto that paints a compelling, idealized vision of a happy, united and free region. At the same time, we must make it perfectly clear Israel is here to stay. Beyond that, we should butt out. Ultimately, we can lead the camel to water, but we can’t make it drink. DAVID KATCOFFCharleston, South CarolinaPaying Hamas protection moneyRegarding “Why Leah Goldin left the room and why you should care” (July 23), of course we should care, but I am waiting for the Goldins to call out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the one responsible for the disaster that overtook their son and the others. It was Netanyahu who sent the IDF into a war he had no intention of winning, having already told Hamas he would not destroy it. It was Netanyahu who agreed to all ceasefires – and the final one without demanding the release of the bodies of our three soldiers killed and abducted by Hamas.Our enemies have no regard for International Law and expecting them to abide by a law speaking of moral imperative and basic human decency is a sick joke. Hadar Goldin was murdered and abducted after a UN-mandated ceasefire, brokered by the US and supported by the EU. Apart from the US, which at least pretends to be our friend, the UN and EU make no such pretense.Paying Hamas protection money doesn’t stop them attacking and killing us and burning our Land. Totally destroying the enemy before the next war should be paramount, as it will define our future, which is presently very much in doubt.YENTEL JACOBSNetanyaMagnifying a non-issue“Israelis are ‘ignorant’ of world Jewry and its concerns” (July 23) describes a survey in which only 25% of Israelis are familiar with the decision to form an egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall. There is no proof presented that the question is important to world Jewry. The issue of an egalitarian prayer section has been fanned by the leadership of the non-Orthodox religious movements in America; it is a non-issue for European Jewry. The intermarried and non-affiliated Jews in America may have difficulty even locating the Western Wall.DR. SAMUEL DERSHOWITZJerusalemWanted: Respectful debateIn the nearly 37 years I have been in Israel and eligible to vote, I have always voted. At times, I could not make up my mind for whom to vote until I got to the voting booth, but now I’m in a real quandary. It seems from your recent coverage that politics is becoming dirtier – less about the welfare of the state and its people and more about the acquisition of powerIn The President is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, part of a speech made by the fictional US president to Congress, struck me as being particularly – and sadly – appropriate to us:“Our democracy cannot survive its current downward drift into tribalism, extremism and seething resentment. Today it’s ‘us versus them…’ Politics is little more than blood sport. As a result, our willingness to believe the worst about everyone outside our own bubble is growing, and our ability to solve problems and seize opportunities is shrinking. We have to do better. We have honest differences. We need vigorous debates. Healthy skepticism is good. It saves us from being too naïve or too cynical. But it is impossible to preserve democracy when the well of trust runs completely dry.”Shlomo Pioterkovsky wrote recently that one of the difficult problems of the Israeli debate is that there are lies on both sides. He advocates dealing with the issues on which we are divided by means of genuine and respectful debate rather that lies and division.Who can argue with that?IAN BANKSBet Shemesh Our children’s welfare“Infant dies after trapped in car in Modi’in Illit” (July 23) reports yet another needless tragedy – a child left in the car while mother does the family shopping.We lead very busy, pressured lives and so must, therefore, employ safeguards to ensure that we conduct them to the benefit of all concerned. The obvious need is an alarm system that notifies that a living being – a child, a dog – has been left unattended in the closed car. There are many such devices, from the very cheap and simple to the very expensive and elaborate, ones that operate an alarm; ones that notify a cell phone; ones that break the car windows.Such a device should be mandatory in any car carrying a child, as is an appropriate seat, and the fine for not installing and operating one should be more than the price of the most expensive model – not a mere NIS 100 or NIS 200.May we know no more sorrow.FANNY MYERSBeit Zayit Regarding “It was really a nightmare” (July 22), the demand for licensing and governmental supervision of daycare centers for babies and toddlers is undeniably valid and necessary to prevent the abuse of children in these facilities.However, here as in all situations, governmental presence does not obviate the ultimate responsibility of the parents to investigate and continue to monitor the care that their children are receiving whether it be in a facility or by a babysitter in the home. Long before now, the baby cam became the ultimate monitor, parents were cautious in supervising care for children who could not yet describe for themselves what they were experiencing. Parents and neighbors should be alert to signs of anything amiss such as incessant crying and screaming in such centers.We advocate governmental supervision but also must bear in mind that the ultimate responsibility for childrens’ welfare lies with each and every one of us.MARION REISSBeit Shemesh Democrats and IsraelIt is not clear to this reader why the JP enabled its op-ed page to be used for what was essentially a Democratic Party internal memorandum (“Democrats should have backed Israel but didn’t,” July 23).Further, as the holder of several degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, this reader was mystified by the author’s description of himself in his bio as “a rising senior” at that institution. There are apparently new academic titles that did not exist back in the Dark Ages when I attended college.JAY SHAPIROJerusalemGrounds for despair and hopeRegarding “Saudi blogger attacked in Old City for ‘normalizing’ ties with Israel” (July 23), young local Arabs disgustingly cursed, spat at, jeered, shouted epithets and threw things at him. This leads one to fear that we never be able to engage the Palestinians in peace.On the other hand, the fact that the Saudi law student came leads one to hope.One Saudi delegation visitor said, “This visit to Israel is like touring a dreamland. If only we could bring hundreds of people from our countries so that when they go back they could tell what they saw and felt.”All I can say in response to that is, “Amen.”BRAD LEVINSONJerusalem
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