Does reporter Gil Hoffman really think it’s funny to compare the beheadings by ISIS to the Likud keeping its head “attached,” having had only four leaders in its history?
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Oren’s claims With regard to “Jerusalem: Why fuss over Oren’s critique of Obama?” (June 19), the more US Ambassador Dan Shapiro complains about Kulanu MK Michael Oren’s account of his four years as Israel’s ambassador in Washington, the more we know it must be nearer the truth than is comfortable for the Obama administration.But why, oh why, does Finance Minister and Kulanu party leader Moshe Kahlon feel he needs to add his halfpenny’s worth and disassociate himself from Oren (“Kahlon apologizes to Shapiro after Oren criticizes Obama’s policy on Israel in op-ed,” June 18)? What Oren says has absolutely nothing to do with him or any knowledge he could have on the subject.It is high time for this country’s politicians to grow up when it comes to dealings with US President Barack Obama.I suspect that Oren’s book will be a revelation to the public in both Israel and the US. In due time, Shapiro will be able to write his own to correct the record as he sees it.PETER SCHWEITZERTel AvivAs is the case with the Left, whether in the US or Israel, the guarantee of freedom speech goes out the window when one of its own is criticized. And with US President Barack Obama, it only seems to be a crisis when an Israeli is the critic.In one year and seven months, former president Obama will depart the eastern side of the US Capitol with his wife, depart Washington on Marine One and fade into history. It is my guess that he will become a worse critic of Israel than during his term in office, and even worse than former president Jimmy Carter.AVRAHAM FRIEDMANModi’in IllitBetter spent elsewhere Concerning Amotz Asa-El’s “The politics of Israeli culture” (Middle Israel, June 19), if the people of Israel want to enjoy all aspects of the arts performed by the various institutions here, they should pay for them. It should be a self-supporting sector. If people want to see what is on offer and like it, they will pay. If they don’t, they won’t.Failure should be dealt with like anywhere else. If you don’t perform (no pun intended) and you are not giving the public what it wants, you find a proper job that is not subsidized by the taxpayer.I could not but help contrast this column with another in the same section, on the far needier and tragic situation of Rachel, the 85-year-old Holocaust survivor who is alone, in poor health and can barely afford to live (“Caring for Holocaust survivors,” Yael’s Corner).There is no doubt in the minds of sensible and caring people that a vast portion of the culture budget would be far better spent in helping such people.I. KEMPNahariyaHe’s lost the plot Regarding “Israel-Hamas ceasefire would be surrendering to terrorism, Liberman says” (June 18), for heaven’s sake! We surrendered to terrorism each time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brokered a peace deal with Hamas during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge! We surrender to terrorism with each concession made to our enemies, whether they be called “Palestinians” or otherwise. We surrender to terrorism each time terrorists are released from prison.Netanyahu continues with this madness in which a sovereign state negotiates with terrorists who aim to eventually destroy us, and even rewards them with benefits if they agree to a deal. What does he think Hamas will be doing during any period of “peace” – during which, of course, there will be the odd rocket ignored by Israel? The prime minister has completely lost the plot and reduced us to a pathetic country with no pride or dignity.EDITH OGNALLNetanyaSecurity first With regard to “Netanyahu, Steinitz: Natural gas market must remain attractive to investors” (June 18), the public, sadly, is not party to the details of the negotiations.But one requirement has to be that we do not defer the laying of a second pipeline. With the Middle East in absolute turmoil, that would be absolute madness! There are allegations that the government is about to agree to such a deferment. It is hoped that Netanyahu will not abandon his long-term promise about security in order to achieve an agreement.Sabotage of the existing pipeline would certainly leave all the gas under the sea for a very long time, and drive away all prospective investors.DAVID GOSHENKiryat OnoGets it right I am glad to see that David Serero has performed a version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, with Shylock as a Sephardi Jew (“The Merchant of New York,” Arts & Entertainment, June 18).A Jew in medieval Venice would have been Sephardi. He would have spoken fluent Spanish, as well as Italian. He would certainly not have been a cringing, hooknosed, eastern-European, Yiddish- speaking, stereotypical Jew, as is usually the way Shylock is portrayed on the generally anti-Semitic British stage.JACK S. COHENNetanyaLies and nonsense Despite the presence of Arabs in the Knesset and on the Supreme Court, Kwara Kekana, a spokeswoman for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, says Israel meets the definition of an apartheid state (“Our mandate is to isolate Israel, BDS leader tells ‘Post,’” June 17).She further states that the South African Jewish Board of Deputies supported the country’s Apartheid regime, much as it currently supports an Israel “that is killing innocent Palestinians.”Enough is enough! That such outrageous lies and nonsense can be leveled against Israel and the Jewish community of South Africa is beyond belief! None of the restrictions imposed on the black population during the Apartheid years in South Africa ever took place in Israel. The analogy of Israel as “apartheid state” was initiated by South African archbishop Desmond Tutu, along with former US president Jimmy Carter and others in their “Elders’ Group.”Archbishop Tutu knows very well that what transpired in South Africa has no parallel in Israel.Calling it such is deceitful and scandalous.ISSY RIEBACKKfar YonaNot funny At first glance, “Likud: The anti- ISIS party” (Analysis, June 16) seems to make a statement about the Likud’s stance against Islamic State. But as we start reading, we begin to realize that this could be an attempt to compare the Likud to ISIS in some sort of comical way.Does reporter Gil Hoffman really think it’s funny to compare the beheadings by ISIS to the Likud keeping its head “attached,” having had only four leaders in its history? Does anyone at The Jerusalem Post review these articles, or are journalists given free rein to write whatever nonsense they choose? I realize your paper is shifting more and more to the left of center, but allowing your reporters to use such comparisons against left-wing parties or even the Joint List would not be tolerated.JONATHAN SURASKYRa’ananaNot alone I couldn’t agree more with Gabriel A. Sivan (“Retirement in Israel,” Comment & Features, June 16) regarding the practice of denying jobs to highly-qualified people due to their age. I’m sure his humiliating experience has been shared by many others.RACHEL P. COHENJerusalemCORRECTION In “Health Ministry will pay half of the cost of new MRIs in hospitals lacking scanners” (June 19), Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman’s nominee for director- general of the Hadassah Medical Organization is Prof. Zeev Rotstein, current head of the Sheba Medical Center, and not as stated.
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