June 2, 2017: ‘Groper-in-chief’

While enjoying some leisure reading over the Shavuot holiday, I was stunned by “Gal Gadot fights the good fight in ‘Wonder Woman’” (Arts & Entertainment, May 30).

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters (photo credit: REUTERS)
Letters
(photo credit: REUTERS)
‘Groper-in-chief’
While enjoying some leisure reading over the Shavuot holiday, I was stunned by “Gal Gadot fights the good fight in ‘Wonder Woman’” (Arts & Entertainment, May 30). While reviewer Hannah Brown proffered her psychological and political analysis of this super-power summer blockbuster, she chose to reference the president of the United States as “the groper-in-chief who now lives in the White House...”
Not only should a movie review not be a political op-ed, but referring to the president of the United States in such a way, regardless of who is in office, is tasteless and lacking of journalistic professionalism.
VICKI SCHREIBER
Ma’aleh Adumim
Hannah Brown responds: President Trump has never denied boasting about groping women. If you feel my reference to what he has said is tasteless and lacks professionalism, I apologize for offending your sensibility. My review was intended to be humorous and not to cause pain or hurt. I have the deepest respect for the United States of America, my home country, and for the office of the presidency.
Speaks loudly
The large photo accompanying “Up against the wall” (Shavuot supplement, May 30) speaks loudly.
How I wish it would still be like that. Instead, we now have a large, empty, very sterile-looking place devoid of humanity, where the overly zealous continue to lay claim and regularly fight over space.
Who wants to pray in a place like that?
MEIRAV PETERS
Jerusalem
Still not time
I absolutely do not believe that Israel should provide the Gaza Strip with electricity now that the Palestinian Authority refuses to pay the bill (“Israel reduces Gaza electricity,” May 26).
The Arabs of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (I refuse to call them “Palestinians” – there has never been a Palestinian nation) have received billions from the world. Where is all that money? Have they built infrastructure in their territories? Have they developed industry? Have they provided for the welfare of their citizens?
The answer to all these questions is no – the money either is in the pockets of their corrupt politicians or has been used to try to defeat Israel.
The Arabs have, over the past 69 years, had the same opportunities as Israel to develop themselves and become models to the world. Instead, they have turned all of their efforts to our destruction.
We have had to fight all the wars caused by Arab hatred and yet, amazingly, we have managed to build a phenomenal country. When we see our enemies take steps to help themselves, then, perhaps, we should step up to give them an extra helping hand. That time has still not come.
ANNABELLE HOROWITZ
Petah Tikva
Serial liar
With regard to Caroline B. Glick’s “The PLO’s most powerful lobbyists” (Column One, May 12), Ronald Lauder’s naive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian Palestinian conflict and his enormous confidence in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will soon wane.
Abbas’s approach to President Donald Trump is completely different from his approach to former president Barack Obama. The latter was a good and solid friend of the Palestinians; Abbas just had to put his demands in front of Obama and his secretary of state, John Kerry, and they – loyal messengers – would transfer them to the Israeli negotiating team and put the pressure on.
With President Trump, the situation is different. The president is a good friend of Israel, so the shrewd Abbas first must gain his confidence by making all kinds of promises, like stopping media incitement against Israel and Jews; putting education in the charge of Israel-loving teachers (if they exist at all); and taking streets named after terrorists and renaming them after Israel-loving personalities (if they exist at all).
If, after several months, President Trump asks Abbas why he did not implement any of his promises as an overture to peace, Abbas will reply: Mr. President, it is true that I gave you all kind of promises, but I never promised to keep them.
This will be the awakening of Mr. Lauder and President Trump as to the real Abbas: a serial liar.
SHLOMO FELDMANN
Givatayim