By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Shabbat massacreTo use the horrific massacre that took place in the synagogue in Pittsburgh as a vehicle to blame US President Donald Trump is a measure of psychosis that stretches Trump hatred to its limit. In “It’s an awful day in Mr. Rogers’s neighborhood” (October 28), the writer blames Trump for “milking the growing divide in the country” and says that he “continues to act in a way that widens the gulf.” Why doesn’t he mention that not a single voice arose from the Democratic Party in condemnation of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan recently calling the Jews termites?The liberal media in America have called Trump a Nazi, racist, antisemite, mentally unfit, and journalists and other Trump haters blame Trump for causing a divide in the nation!A few weeks ago, members of the Trump family, including the President and cabinet, received mail with powder that appeared to be the deadly poison ricin. I don’t remember seeing or hearing any condemnation from the Left.The terrible tragedy in Pittsburgh is not a Trump issue but a manifestation of 2,000 years of Jew hating and Jew bating that saturates the New Testament and the Koran.May the Almighty bring consolation to the families of Tree of Life Synagogue and to the entire Jewish Nation.MOSHE STERNRamat Beit ShemeshRegarding “Haredi press uses ‘Jewish Center’ when describing Tree of Life Synagogue” (October 29), I find it offensive that your reporter should see fit to attack the haredi press in Israel for calling the scene of the Shabbat massacre in Pittsburgh a “Jewish Center” rather than a “Conservative synagogue.”As Rav Saadia Gaon wrote more than 1,000 years ago, “The Jewish nation is a nation only by virtue of the Torah.” The Conservative movement understands the Torah quite differently from classical Judaism as formulated, inter alia, by Maimonides in his 13 principles, so a “Conservative synagogue” sounds to Orthodox Jews like a contradiction in terms.This is a logically valid position, even if it does not appeal to the advocates of “religious pluralism in the Jewish community,” so the reporter’s comments only betray his own prejudices against haredi Jewry.It is quite clear that Robert Bowers targeted the Tree of Life because of his hatred of Jews, but his perception that it was a synagogue does not automatically make it into one. It would have been equally antisemitic even if none of those killed had been Jews at all – we cannot allow ourselves to be defined by those who hate us rather than by our own traditional norms.MARTIN D. STERNSalford, EnglandBDSDK movementKudos to Nati Rom (“The case of Lara Alqasem: The State of Israel shoots itself in the foot,” October 26) for explaining how Israel has damaged itself by allowing Alqasem to enter Israel and to study at the Hebrew University. Alqasem is a former (or so she says) member of the BDS movement.To add to Nati’s explanation:In essence, the High Court of Justice has unilaterally, without explanation or discussion (except among themselves), declared that there is a one -year statute of limitations on BDS activity. All the BDS activist has to do is to declare his cessation of activity with the BDS (no proof or signed statements are required).The BDS activists cunningly hide their true intent and it is a wonder that the media accept their duplicity. I suggest that the BDS movement be referred to as the “boycott, divest, sanction, and eventually destroy and kill” or BDSDK movement. That might wake up our High Court.YIGAL HOROWITZBeershebaJerusalem is our capitalI agree with Isi Leibler (“A call to GA participants,” October 23) about our assimilated, bratty, contentious and morally weakened Jewish American Diaspora brethren who divorced their priorities as if they were youngsters on a Birthright jaunt, enjoying the sun, sea and sin of Tel Aviv’s bright lights.Is this being done to spite US President Donald Trump, who courageously defended Israel with realism by transferring the Unites States Embassy to Jerusalem where other weak presidents have turned the other cheek for decades? He has also used punitive financial sanctions where relevant against our Arab terrorist neighbors.Where is the appreciation and plaudits for their democratically elected President and his administration for his achievements? Are they jealous and envious that he has fulfilled many of his election promises which is unique for a politician?JACK DAVISJerusalemJaundiced perspectiveRegarding “Jordanian perspective” (Letters, October 24) written by a Jordanian about the Hashemite kingdom’s decision to abrogate the land-lease understanding, I don’t know whether to condemn you for running such a blatantly biased letter laced with half-truths and falsehoods or to praise you for giving us an opportunity to observe the warped thinking, loaded language and intellectual dishonesty of our “peace partners.”I would like to remind the Jordanian writer who says he is filled with pride, that his country, which he claims cherishes the sacredness of holy shrines, systematically destroyed every synagogue (more than 50 of them!) in the Old City while they illegally occupied it for 19 years until Israel reunited it, caused widespread wanton destruction in the Mount of Olives cemetery and committed other war crimes.Had they not attacked Israel in 1967, the map of the Middle East would be very different today.HARRY BROWNBeit ShemeshIncitement insightRegarding your editorial “Incitement’s lessons” (October 26), the fact that prime minister Yitzhak Rabin had been led against his will and behind his back by foreign minister Peres and negotiator Yossi Beilin to agree to the Oslo Accords has been glossed over. Once again there is incitement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as having blood on his hands but apparently some people can call him a murderer and be protected by free speech.The writer says a vicious campaign of incitement was waged, but if my memory serves me correctly, it was the bus bombings and the dread that we might not get home alive from work that the public could not bear. It was a tragedy that Rabin’s life was cut short by that vile assassins bullet, but it was not the bullet that ended the dreams of peace but rather Yasser Arafat and his cohorts. Has prime minister Ehud Barak forgotten that the Second Intifada happened on his watch, not on Netanyahu’s watch and that foreign minister Tzipi Livni came back from all her peace negotiations with nothing but more violence from Abbas?However Netanyahu is still the villain.It isn’t Trump who is doing the inciting, but the Democrats who are refusing to accept his leadership and celebrities and other people can openly abuse him with no repercussions. Only the Democratic views are legitimate – but that is not democracy and the demeaning way the media present Trump makes me ashamed.So when organizations like Breaking the Silence tell lies, they are not inciting against us, but if we retort, we are doing the inciting? Crazy world where bad is good and good is incitement.FREYA BINENFELDPetah TikvaThe SupremesRegarding “Hayut: Political criticism of judges ‘borders on incitement’” (October 24) and “Lau lambastes Lapid” (October 25), the protestations from the Supreme Court that they are above criticism, shows exactly how they view their role in Israeli society – i.e. supreme.They have the chutzpah to accuse politicians of damaging Israeli democracy – and this after they have repeatedly disregarded and overridden the will of the people as represented by the ballot box.Why should we respect the Supreme Court? After all, they are only lawyers who have risen to the top, like bubbles rising in a soft drink, and lawyers are, by definition, amoral, representing the interests of their clients, right or wrong.Considering that judges have political opinions and that there are so many MK lawyers, this sounds rather like an internecine squabble, a bit like the kettle calling the pot black. Sad.BOB KNIGHTModi’in
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