Readers respond to the latest Jerusalem Post articles.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITOREnvelope(photo credit: ING IMAGE/ASAP)A real foxLeave it to Arye Deri to figure out a way to improve his ministerial positions (“Gas deal sets to go through as Deri quits Economy Ministry,” November 2). He blocks the gas deal, then offers to resign (as an act of conscience yet!) to allow it to pass in exchange for upgrades in his ministries and an additional well-funded ministry. This guy is a real fox who knows how to manipulate our crazy government organization to his own benefit.ROSALIE BROSILOW RehovotArye Deri “sacrificed” his position as economy minister ostensibly because he wasn’t able to violate an ethical principle of using his authority to override the objections of the antitrust commissioner against the controversial natural gas outline. Now his true motivations have been revealed to one and all: to receive more power, more influence and more money by either taking over and/or customizing more prestigious and influential ministries as “fair compensation” for his sacrifice! This is pure unadulterated corruption and bribery by any other name – for the sole purpose of keeping greedy and unsatiable coalition partners quiet and happy at the public’s expense. But what is most depressing is that this is the Israeli political norm, the public interest and coffers be damned.GERSHON HARRISHatzor HaglilitFree advice I must admit that I wryly smiled when I noticed an article on the front page of The Jerusalem Post” titled “Gov’t to fund new vehicle safety systems” (November 2). I am quite happy to advice them at no cost. Why not introduce the highway code?1. Motorbikes would not sneak ahead of the queue at lights – often blocking peoples’ exit.2. Try using indicators to tell people where you are actually going and give at least five seconds notice.3. Bikes and especially electric bikes should not be ridden on the sidewalk and wearing a helmet might actually protect the rider.4. Have some patience and allow drivers into your lane instead of blocking everyone.5. Ever heard of stopping at pedestrian crossings? We are mown down constantly because we dare to be in the way on the crossing.Please send 10% of the proposed expenditure for these vehicles to me and I will happily advise free of charge with other ideas.HARVEY GREENNetanyaOld idea Meir Margalit’s solution for Jerusalem is to create autonomous banlieues, just like in Paris and pretend one still has a United City (“Margalit: Dividing capital into Arab and Jewish municipalities is the only way to end bloodshed, November 2). Far from a new idea – it is an old idea which does not work in Paris of 2015 and will not work here either.PETER SIMPSONJerusalemEveryone with open eyes and an open mind sees what the facts are: There is a Jewish part of Jerusalem and an Arab part and this cannot be changed by political decisions or by demonstrations. There will be no solution to this conflict without the Jewish part being ruled by the Jews and the Arab part ruled by the Arabs. If this would be acknowledged openly and clearly by our government, the next day a real peace process will begin. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not prepared to admit this fact, he listens only to the same group of right-wing advisers. Why doesn’t he instead ask me and the rest of the population, who have other ideas. There is such a thing as a referendum and it is urgent – because I am 95 years old and want my voice to heard.ANDREAS MEYERKfar VradimDouble standardI read three articles in my morning newspaper on November 2. “Ukrainian Jewish politician arrested on organized crime allegations,” which not only reports charges against the politician but reminds us that he is linked to a Jewish “tycoon”; “Marco Rubio’s Jewish backer and 7 other things to know about him” and “Billionaire throws support to Rubio,” which reminds us that a Rubio supporter “is on the Board of the Republican Jewish Coalition and a major donor to the Israel Project. He is known for buying the debt of sovereign countries and then seeking full payment.”All three articles appeared in The Jerusalem Post, not a European paper. Granted that sometimes the Jewish identity of the person is relevant, I don’t see why we need to know the ethnic identity of contributors, especially only when Jews are singled out. Is “tycoon” the only way to describe a wealthy person – or just Jews? Most egregious is the sentence quoted above which conjures up a picture of a blood-sucking Jewish money lender. Then we find, in the same newspaper, “Austrian MP: Zionist money Jews are the global problem.” This was considered anti-Semitic.BEVERLY LEWIN Ramat HasharonRemembering RabinI find it upsetting that you have chosen a time when Jews are being terrorized daily to write an editorial in which you wring your hands over Jewish settlers, rabbis and “fanatics” (“Rabin’s Legacy,” November 1). The current terror attacks are being promoted by Hamas, who is instigating lies about the Temple Mount and attempting to creating chaos in order to weaken the Palestinian Authority. It has nothing to do with settlements or Jewish extremism.Along with your glowing tribute to Yitzhak Rabin who, in your words, was a hero who wanted to “trade land for peace,” you label criticism of Rabin’s policies as “rhetoric of intolerance.”Rabin’s unfortunate legacy is the Oslo Accords, a contract that created and armed the Palestinian Authority and divided the West Bank into sections, parts of which Jews now cannot enter, or drive by, without risking their lives. The agreement also called for giving away Jericho and Gaza. How’s that working out? Do we now have peace? As referred to twice in your paper recently, Rabin himself had second thoughts about signing this agreement. The rabbis who warned that the giving away of land would endanger lives have been proven correct. The timing in writing an editorial that singles out Jews for the current situation is appalling and could possibly incite further violence.LEAH URSOModi’inIt is the 20th anniversary of the death of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and there is speculation in the media about a lost opportunity for peace. Unfortunately, his attempt to make peace with the “Oslo Accords” made the situation worse and peace less likely. The Oslo Accords gave the Palestinians control of their education system, which now bars girls and teaches children to be terrorists. It gave the Palestinians security control of their population centers which resulted in using their “security forces” for terrorism. Land for peace was a disaster – think Gaza. There can only be peace when the Palestinian leaders recognize Israel as a Jewish state and reject terrorism.JEROME S. REICHMiami, FloridaHonoring the memory of Yitzhak Rabin is one thing, but claiming that his death brought an end to the peace process is another – very different – thing. If the PLO, our putative peace partner, was serious about peace, it would have honored his memory by continuing to negotiate in an effort to reach some kind of peaceful coexistence. The fact that the two decades since the Oslo Agreement have been marked by terrorism and the refusal to recognize the right of the Jews to have their own state is further proof that the assassination, as tragic as it was, made no difference whatsoever in the Arabs’ continuing struggle to destroy Israel.JAY SHAPIROJerusalem
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