October 7: Eitam Hill

If the government builds the wall to cut Eitam Hill off from Efrat Efrat residents will be vulnerable to attack.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
letters 88 NICE (photo credit: )
letters 88 NICE
(photo credit: )
Eitam Hill Sir, - In your coverage of last week's march to Eitam Hill, you neglected to mention two important facts ("Mass of settlers create outposts on five hillltops," October 1). First, the hill is virtually in Efrat's backyard, overlooking all of the Zayit neighborhood. Secondly, the hill was zoned 20 years ago to be part of Efrat. If the government builds the wall to cut Eitam Hill off from Efrat, allowing Arabs to take the hill, Efrat residents will be vulnerable to attack. You imply that Efrat is a settlement, but it is a large town with beautiful homes, schools and synagogues. The residents of Efrat have a right to protest this threat to their safety and should be allowed to build homes on Eitam Hill. LEAH URSO Tekoa Worthless body Sir, - Re "UN warns of severe hardships in Gaza if Israel carries out threatened sanctions" (October 1): You reported that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned of severe hardship in Gaza if Israel carries out its threat to cut the electricity supply in response to further Kassam rocket attacks on the Sderot area. Yet for the last seven years the same UN office has been utterly oblivious to the suffering of Sderot citizens under an incessant barrage of terrorist rocket fire. Again, the UN has shown how worthless a body world governments (excluding the US, Canada and Australia) have allowed it to become. PETER SIMPSON Jerusalem Sir, - In the US, we say "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." The Gazans have bitten your hand. When are you going to stop sending them electricity? ALAN LEVITT Brooklyn Sir, - It is electricity that enables the Gazans to make the rockets they fire at Sderot. STEPHANIE TAYLOR Ginot Shomron Barnard's failure Sir, - As a member of the Barnard College class of '95, I phoned its Office of Public Affairs to find out if my Alma Mater had had the courage and decency to stand up to Columbia and condemn its invitation to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I was told that "Barnard does not interfere with Columbia events." Barnard College is a feminist institution that boasts of the activism of its students - but when it had the chance to put its principles to the test, it failed dismally. I would hope that all Barnard graduates let the college know that its silence in the face of a terrorist, oppressor of women and Holocaust denier has not gone unnoticed ("Whose victory was it? Ahmadinejad's, methinks," Letters, October 1). YAFFA ARANOFF Jerusalem Sir, - Calm down. I don't like the person that spoke at Columbia University either, or the university. I am very impressed with that sandy desert you persons made into a country. My best to you. MAURICE K. SCHLABERG Snohomish, Washington Defamation of character? Sir, - Your article regarding one of our advertisers, namely Burger Deli, in the October 2 issue of The Jerusalem Post ("In poor taste? Burger joint owner proudly hires 'Jewish workers only'") mentioned the Shiur Times, qualifying our magazine as haredi. We would like to stress the fact that we are a modern religious publication reaching more than a fair slice of the English-speaking population in Israel and abroad. We have received several inquiries from our readers, as well as advertisers, asking questions about our image and character, thereby causing us problems we could gladly do without. We would like you to correct your erroneous qualification and state the proper nature of our magazine. LIONEL HERZSBERG Jerusalem Words for a mime Sir, - Re "Legendary mime Marcel Marceau dies" (September 24): He was born Marcel Mangel in Strasbourg, France, on March 22, 1923. I remember my mother, Rebbetzen Antoinette Feuerwerker, who had lived in Strasbourg, mentioning many times that she knew him as a youngster, and his father, who was a kosher butcher. During WWII he took refuge in Dordogne, and became active in the French Resistance; his father didn't return from Auschwitz. He saved the lives of many Jewish children. His upbringing and the Shoah shaped his view of life. He chose to express his views in silence. But he made himself understood wherever he went. If he became part of the universal patrimony, he never forgot his origins. He touched hearts and minds. No wonder his loss is felt around the world. But a Kaddish cannot be silent. ELIE FEUERWERKER Highland Park, New Jersey Do you know Joe Wallace? Sir, - In 1970, while in I was in Israel on official American business, a young Israeli officer was assigned as my driver/escort. His name was Lt. Joe Wallace and I feel he went above and beyond the call of duty in making me feel welcome in your country. I believe he was stationed at a base near Tel Aviv. I would very much like to contact him if anyone knows this person. I can be reached at: 412 Char Lane, Midwest City, OK, 73110, USA; or by e-mail at carl5@cox.net. CARL McBRAYER Midwest City, Oklahoma Drive with love Sir, - Every year I spend two weeks in Israel visiting my children, and this year the driving has been unbelievable. I have never seen such madness - calling it road rage would be too kind. Are we our own enemies, doing what the terrorists cannot finish? Wake up, drivers of Israel! Start educating yourselves, first by driving as one would in a civilized country, and second by going back to the basics that started the state: love of the country, and concern for its people. KENNY COHEN Ra'anana/Cleveland