Letters to the Editor: Olympic snub

Need another indication of the kind of neighbors we have? Why, the Lebanese won’t even share a goddamn bus with our athletes! World, where are you?

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Updated: AUGUST 9, 2016 12:17
Letters (photo credit: REUTERS)
Letters
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Olympic snub
The Olympic Truce was one of the most distinctive features of the ancient Games. Such spirit inspired their modern revival. Yet for Israel, there is never any truce, nor any respite, from defamation, delegitimization or double standards. All these were on open display in Rio (“Lebanese Olympians refuse to allow Israeli athletes to board bus,” August 7).
Such evidence of blind hatred must not be suppressed, whether by International Olympic Committee (IOC) or by Israeli Olympic officials.
The IOC has had a very checkered history with Israel. The 1972 Munich Olympics paused but briefly after the kidnapping and murder of 11 Israeli athletes. Only now, 44 years later, was a low-key pre-Games memorial ceremony held in their memory.
The IOC can now further enhance its reputation and demonstrate actual adherence to its founding ethos by severely censuring the Lebanese Olympians for such a blatant violation of the Olympic spirit.
RICHARD D. WILKINS
Syracuse, New York
Need another indication of the kind of neighbors we have? Why, the Lebanese won’t even share a goddamn bus with our athletes! World, where are you?
SUSIE WEISS
Ra’anana
Judging Katsav
The refusal to release former president Moshe Katsav (“Rapist Katsav denied parole,” August 5) absolutely reeks of corruption.
Is there a law somewhere that says a prisoner must grovel and beg for what lesser offenders are given? Do they think they will change the facts by forcing him to admit to what he knows to be false? Katsav maintains he did not rape “Alef.” Nothing short of brain surgery will get him to say he did when he knows he did not.
Several gleeful officials with too much power and political axes to grind keep themselves busy and persist in coming up with justifications for his continued imprisonment.
The new decision, that he “needs treatment,” is a last-minute stumbling block cooked up by those who, for whatever reason, are looking for ways to satisfy their own personal agenda.
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yacimovich says “there is true equality before the law, no matter who the prisoner is.” She knows very well that if the prisoner were not a highly- placed person, he would be judged differently – and even-handedly.
MARCELLA WACHTEL
Jerusalem
The slogan “Never underestimate the power of a woman” is certainly in evidence with the case of former president Moshe Katsav.
Why does the hatred of women and their powerful organizations have so much influence on the parole commission? I plead for former president Katsav to be allowed to go home in peace to his family.
TOBY WILLIG
Jerusalem
What a front-page headline! “Former president Katsav denied parole” would have been more appropriate.
What a shame you needed to cheapen your newspaper with one word when the reason for the denial of his parole was explained only later.
OLGA P. WIND
Holon
Never enough
My views on the insanity of this government are once again made obvious in the statement by Transportation Minister Israel Katz that his proposal of a Gazan island port might avoid war with Hamas (“Gaza’s game-changer?” Frontlines, August 5).
We don’t have enough enemies here? What we are saying to our enemies is that we are afraid to confront and destroy them, even though we have a strong IDF.
Therefore we are prepared to be humiliated and pretend they don’t really want to annihilate us.
To those of you in the government, when will you accept that the situation has nothing to do with economics or even land? No matter what and how much we surrender to the Arabs, it will never be enough.
EDITH OGNALL
Netanya
Libeling Clinton
As much as I have appreciated Yaakov Kirschen’s cartoons over the years, I believe he went over the line with his August 5 opus.
Like some unnamed public figure, Mr. Kirschen seems a tad remiss in his knowledge of the US Constitution. Whereas his description of Donald Trump as a “clown” can be based on that man’s public behavior, what he said about Hillary Clinton cannot.
As an American, he is well aware that all accused persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and to publicly condemn Mrs. Clinton as a “criminal” in the pages of The Jerusalem Post is an egregious libel on his part, and a grave error on the Post’s part for having allowed its publication.
TREVOR DAVIS
Aseret
Who’s out?
In reference to “Summary of budget proposals for 2017-2018” (Your Taxes, Business & Finance, August 5), I would like to ask Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon: Who among us should be thrown out of their apartment? Should my wife and I move from the apartment we bought in Haifa 30 years ago as new olim? Or should we throw our son, attending Hebrew University of Jerusalem, out of the apartment we bought there years ago so that my mother (of blessed memory) would not be homeless during her last years? Or should we throw my disabled brother out of the apartment he is living in? The finance minister wants to make it impossible for us to continue housing all of our family and force us to pay rent to someone else.
NAME WITHHELD BY REQUEST
Haifa
Distorted view
We are outraged by the remarks of reader Michael Gross (“Spider in the web,” Letters, August 2), in which he once again presents his own distorted view of facts and attacks the integrity and leadership of the president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. Rivka Carmi. As chairmen of the two main bodies of governance at BGU, we can attest to the excellent leadership and sensible management of the university with Rivka Carmi at the helm.
The role of academia is to freely and widely research and study past and current trends, and on the basis of that research to promote a critical discourse that asks questions and deepens our knowledge about historical, cultural and scientific issues.
Such has ever been and remains the role of academia and is the foundation of a democratic society.
Mr. Gross simply does not or will not get it. Considering his ongoing malicious and false accusations, we are unclear as to why he wishes to retain a post on the board, a position he can resign from at any time.
ALEXANDER M. GOREN
New York
ASHER HELED
Tel Aviv
The writers are chairmen of BGU’s Board of Governors and Executive Committee, respectively.
Not easy
Regarding “Health Council endorses Litzman’s reform plan for geriatric nursing” (August 1), everyone supported the health minister’s plan – “except for young Treasury bureaucrats who were not at the meeting in the Health Ministry to explain their views.” Why should they come when “the Finance Ministry opposed the initiative, saying it would excessively raise public health spending”? Naturally, private health spending is cheaper for the government.
Too bad about lower-income people.
Also, “in other countries, geriatric nursing professionals have to be well-trained and licensed, which is absent here.” Why spend money on training unemployed Israelis when we can import thousands of half-trained foreign workers, with their attendant problems? I write as one of a group of eight women who have been struggling to maintain their husbands in various ways, as best they can – but it’s not easy at the age of 80.
HELEN LEVENSTON
Jerusalem