November 17: Thanks to Churchill

Larry Derfner may regard him as a warmonger, but because of Churchill, tens of thousands of Britain's Jews are alive today.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Thanks to Churchill Sir, - Larry Derfner sees fit to describe Winston Churchill as "a lifelong imperialist warmonger who... finally monged for the right war" ("Dead-enders," November 16). He may regard himself as an expert on warmongering, but did he have any experience of Mosleyite fascism, rank appeasement or World War II Nazi air raids? Thanks to Churchill, tens of thousands of Britain's Jews are alive today. Some, like the present writer, are here in Israel with their children and grandchildren. GABRIEL A. SIVAN Jerusalem Sir, - Larry Derfner calls the recent Democrat Congressional victory in the US elections a dagger in the heart of the muscular neocon approach to the war on terror. Apparently, this is a lesson Israel should learn well and "do less shooting and more talking." Cute. Just one problem: More talking to who? And, while we're on the subject, talking about what? The only subject open for discussion on the other side seems to be how fast the Jews might disappear, hardly a conversation starter. REUEL E. TOPAS Lakewood, New Jersey Might, might not Sir, - Agreed that we worship the Creator of heaven and earth and not, as the ID advocates would have it, He who explains the allegedly unexplainable bacterial flagellum. And agreed that this Creator is in some way responsible for the fundamental "laws" of nature. The problem is that, as Natan Slifkin says in "The problem with Intelligent Design" (November 16), the table of elements may well be "fortuitously arranged," along with other fundamental physical constants. Now "fortuitous' is synonymous with "random" and does not mean that there was anyone "pulling the strings." The fact that we're here means no more than that everything had to be just right for us to be here. Period. I don't see how this proves anything about a Designer who intended for us to be here from the git-go. Had these constants not been what they are, the world as we know it would not be here. So what? We wouldn't be here to worry about design. That's all. Some other world might or might not be here instead of us. JOEL RUTMAN Zichron Yakov Coexistence Sir, - Greer Fay Cashman's "Bedside coexistence in a Jerusalem hospital" (November 15) was indeed a warm and touching article. It was long overdue! I'm a great admirer of women mainly for the beauty and strength we bring to the world. As women, not only do we nourish the seed of man, giving it life, we also have the lofty privilege of instilling in every child the virtues needed to preserve humanity. (We are also very capable of infecting evil in children, as seen in suicide bombers.) I believe coexistence is very possible, provided Israeli women are given more political voice in the Knesset. Stand tall, Israel, knowing that the land is yours. Yet extend your hand to all who come sincerely with earnest, visible efforts. YOLANDA RODRIGUEZ Arlington, Texas.