June 28: Gas for Peace

Rather than threatening to use force, why not use the gas as a reward for peace?

By JERUSALEM POST READERS
letters 88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
letters 88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Gas for peace
Sir, – MK Uzi Landau’s threat (“Landau: Israel would defend off-shore gas find with force,” June 27) to ensure that that offshore gas fields remain Israeli and not Lebanese is never going to put us on the road to peace with Beirut.
Rather than threatening to use force, why not use the gas as a reward for peace? Why not say to the Lebanese that we will share the gas in exchange for a full and genuine peace? MARLIN LEVIN Jerusalem
Gimme shelter
Sir, – Liat Collins’s inherent prejudice against haredim appears in the second paragraph of her column (“A black day for education,” My word, June 27) when she says they “chose instead to riot....”
What a sheltered life Collins leads if she is unable to differentiate between a peaceful demonstration and a riot. One wonders if she is aware that her revered, democratic Supreme Court has only one Sephardi among its 14 members, and that this token representative of Israel’s majority Sephardi population was chosen to present the decision as a device to deflect attention from our racist and undemocratic elites?
MORRIS ORSZEWCHOFSKI
Nitzan Liat
Collins notes: My choice of the word “riot” was unfortunate.
I requested that it be changed to “rally” in the on-line edition as soon as it was pointed out to me that it was not accurate. However, I believe that one should take care with words, and therefore prefer not to respond to either the second point or the tone of the writer’s letter.
Polls say it all
Sir, – What a disingenuous article (“Getting ready to bury the hatchet,” June 25)! There is only one reason US President Barack Obama would attempt to bury any hatchet at this time – his poor ratings in the polls. With November elections looming, Obama has to recoup the Jewish votes he has lost with his dismissive attitude toward Israel and its problems.
SONYA FEDERMAN
Jerusalem
Tzipi, take note
Sir, – I read with interest the report in your issue of June 25 by Herb Keinon and Gil Hoffman (“Foreign minister’s ‘redraw the borders’ op-ed in ‘Post’ draws fire from Labor, Kadima).
The report was, as usual, excellent. The subject matter was challenging, not only for the proposal made by Lieberman, but because if the European Community wishes to help resolve – or at least ameliorate – the Gaza situation, its foreign ministers should regard the proposal positively.
That’s all the more reason we should look with skepticism upon the reaction from Tzipi Livni. We are effectively at war with those who govern Gaza. I well remember that when I was a boy in Britain during the Second World War, the country was governed successfully by an allparty coalition, loyal to the national interest.
Perhaps there is in that example a lesson for Livni.
MICHAEL BRUNERT
Modi’in
Wrong destination
Sir, – The entire country has suffered along with the Schalit family the horror and illegality of Gilad Schalit’s captivity. All who are marching feel the pain (“Noam Schalit pleads for ‘one small humane step’ – the release of his son Gilad,” June 25).
However, I do not sympathize with making Jerusalem and the prime minister’s residence the end-point of the march. The end-point should be at the Gaza border, with the marchers carrying signs and posters intended for Gaza’s leaders, as well as for the UN and International Red Cross, which must demand, with outrage, humane treatment for Schalit according to international law.
NORMA MARX
Jerusalem
Sir, – So Hamas has told Gilad Schalit’s grandfather to go to hell (“Hamas warns Israel against Schalit rescue operation,” June 24), and in the same paper, Larry Derfner presents a new PR tactic (“Let the flotillas through,” June 24).
Great idea!
CHANA PINTO
Ra’anana
Should’ve known
Sir, – I am a fool. I have sorely misunderstood Larry Derfner’s columns all these years. The most recent one proves it.
I thought he was on the far Left, but now I know he’s a brilliant satirist who belongs to one of the far-right-wing parties. He seeks to show the absurdities and lack of connection to reality on the Left in order to reduce the number of people who’ll vote for it.
He has done a masterful job.
Any study of the decline in the Left shows his impact. His presentations give me further confidence in our centrist political culture.
Larry, keep it up!
STEPHEN J. KOHN
Ra’anana
Pre-nup ed
Sir, – The concern of Sherrie B. Miller (“Complementary workshops,” Letters, June 24) that pre-marriage couple’s education be a prerequisite to marriage is whole-heartily endorsed by our experience.
Over 20 years of attempts to apply this philosophy have met with legislative resistance. However, Shalshelet did run engaged couples groups, and research into them has indicated threefold benefits.
First is the benefit of discussing problems known to lead to arguments and family breakdowns, such as allocation of money. Second is the benefit of couples professionally learning from one another alternative modes of problem solving. Third is the benefit of long-term friendships, which lead to support at times of child-bearing and -rearing, and avoid loneliness when husbands are called to army service.
These benefits are among those seen to withstand the inevitable stress of married life and prevent its breakdown by enhancing communication and practical skills.
How much longer must we witness broken homes, broken children and a disturbed society without battering on the doors and hearts of legislators to implement pre-marriage couple’s education?
DR. PESSY KRAUSZ
Director, Shalshelet Enhancing Relationships Center Jerusalem
Outcomes of importance
Sir, – In his column of June 18 (“Equal opportunity means equal outcomes,” Ethics@work), Asher Meir makes the case for differential wages between men and women. He seems to assume that a furniture mover (male) should receive “higher-paid work” than a day-care worker or secretary.
Since we entrust our dearest possessions – our children – to day-care workers while our furniture is of much lesser value, shouldn’t a day-care worker receive a much higher salary than a furniture mover? Why should a secretary, who has been trained in various computer applications, be considered of lower status than a construction worker or furniture mover? Teachers and nurses, according to Meir, should also expect to be paid less than construction workers, according to this view. Yet teachers and nurses train for more years than do construction workers or furniture movers, and are responsible for the health and well-being of our children and sick.
This wage differential is a matter of custom, and not intrinsic to gender.
IDA SELAVAN SCHWARCZ
Ganei Omer
Rx for Jerusalem
Sir, – Notwithstanding the terrible realities of Gaza and the West Bank, the central issue between the Israelis and Palestinians is philosophical and based in Jerusalem.
Like most cities, Jerusalem is divided by competing political and religious philosophies. Unfortunately, the competition associated with these well-meaning philosophies often creates unintended conflict.
I propose that Jerusalem, and other cities, counteract such conflict by developing a new, nonpolitical, non-religious and noncompetitive philosophy based on our common humanity. Such a philosophy would emphasize that all people, regardless of politics, religion or any other divisive factor, share common origins, needs and rights.
HUGH MANN, MD
Eagle Rock, Missouri