PHILIP GILBERT Jerusalem Switched offSir, – I’m with reader J.J. Gross (“Vain expectations,” Letters, January 23). There is a reason the great composers were great: They wrote music.The number of times I’ve switched off The Voice of Music in disgust at the garbage being broadcast is the reason I think appointing a new manager without classical music experience or education might be just what the station needs – someone who might broadcast what the public wants as opposed to what some broadcasters think it should have.MERVYN DOOBOV JerusalemSir, – Accustomed as I was to the popular UK classical music station Classic FM, I, too, have been greatly disappointed by the output of the Voice of Music since making aliya last July.Classic FM, with its remarkable six million listeners, has thoroughly trounced the BBC’s classical music station, Radio 3, which achieves a listenership of a modest two million. I would strongly advise The Voice of Music to examine in depth just how Classic FM has achieved this degree of audience appreciation, and to change its approach to scheduling and start engaging directly with its audience.If Israel Radio won’t budge, why not a commercial radio station specializing in classical music? The Classic FM formula has been successfully transplanted to The Netherlands. Why not to Israel?NEVILLE TELLER Beit ShemeshFooting the bill Sir, – Regarding “Photos of Arab MKs with arrested Hamas official spark outrage” (January 22) and other recent Post articles, can someone please tell me why MKs Haneen Zoabi and Ahmed Tibi are allowed to continue to be in the Israeli parliament when they are so obviously against Israel and the Jews? Tibi’s latest pearl of wisdom is to call for Jerusalem to be the capital of the Palestinians, and Zoabi has just written a foreword to a book by a British anti-Semite.Why should the Israeli taxpayer continue to pay their salaries?
SONYA FEDERMAN JerusalemNagging voicesSir, – On January 22, one of your letter-writers wrote: “Can you tell me exactly where in the Torah there is a commandment against hearing women sing?” (“Unpopular tune”).Can the letter-writer tell me where in the Torah there is a commandment to light Shabbat candles or fast on Yom Kippur? Neither is explicitly specified.They are part of the Oral Law, which is no less important than the Written Law. Nowhere in the Torah is there a commandment explicitly forbidding nudity on the beach, yet most citizens of this country would be disgusted if someone tried it on the beaches of Tel Aviv.Most important of all, nowhere in the IDF’s regulations is there a law requiring female soldiers to sing in front of male soldiers. It does not advance military skills one iota. On the other hand, it is known to offend very religious soldiers.Put aside the question whether the religious are right or wrong – why was this confrontation sought by the powers that be in the first place?
LESLIE PORTNOY NetanyaSir, – As a relatively new immigrant to Israel I am totally puzzled.I have been learning about the desire of our country to be more inclusive in the IDF, and the big push to recruit haredim.It seems to me that if the army puts soldiers in conflict with their religious beliefs and customs, that policy will prevent our haredi citizens from serving.I understand that the prohibition of a man hearing a woman sing is not universally accepted as absolute Halacha, but why should the IDF alienate a group it wishes to have serve?TZILIA SACHAROW JerusalemWomen’s empowerment Sir, – It’s interesting how Tova Ben-Dov, the new president of WIZO, develops her argument for women’s lib (“Women should be driving the bus!,” Comment & Features, January 22).She seems to view staying at home with small children as a punishment. Funny, that. I have always regarded it as a privilege.More worryingly, this is yet another in a stream of recent Jerusalem Post articles stating that the root of a woman’s self-esteem lies in her ability to earn cold, hard cash. Apparently we are no longer the gentler sex.A few months ago, we were informed that Arab women in the North need us to teach them how to become secretaries so they can be part of the emancipation. Then there was the support for the summer demonstrations, telling us that everything from formula to childcare needs should be cheaper to free up time for women to do more meaningful things. Now we have a suggestion that domestic violence is a result of women not earning their own salaries.I would argue that the core of domestic violence has little to do with how a women spends the hours of 7 to 5. Quite simply, the issue lies with the man.Rather than spewing out the old “equal rights for all” claptrap, how about helping women achieve the wonders of motherhood without making it compete with the workplace? Instead of cheaper childcare, how about better maternity pay, longer maternity leave, free breastfeeding support, health visitors such that they have in the UK, and some flex-time? As geographical descendants of the archetypal “Four Mothers,” why can’t Israel spearhead the path for the true empowerment of women? Why do we need to become part of the “male system?” As a great English literature teacher back in the UK once informed me, “Women who aspire to be like men lack ambition.”
DUGGI GLICK Karmiel The writer is the mother of two small boys One-eyed bandits Sir, – In the US, I lived in Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC. It’s the place where speed cameras were first used in the state. I studied the entire operation and what I learned should be a strong warning to drivers in Israel (“Despite higher fine, drivers laud roadside speed cameras,” January 18).The foremost reason given for the need for roadside cameras is to promote safe driving and reduce fatalities. That message is empty. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is the major cause of driving fatalities.Roadside cameras cannot deter drunk driving! The only reason for the cameras is that they are a very large source of revenue. The Finance Ministry has been quoted as saying that they will generate hundreds of millions of shekels each year.The citizens of Israel will begin receiving bills for speeding violations in their mailbox along with their telephone, electric, water and tax bills. The claim that roadside cameras will have a significant effect upon driving fatalities will be lost to the sound of millions of shekels flowing into the treasury.
NACHUM JACOBSNetanya