By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)No surpriseSir, – Regarding “Lapid: We must overcome the crisis with the US,” October 26), it should come as no surprise to Finance Minister Yair Lapid that after a year and a half as a senior cabinet minister he shares the blame for the current mess, which could have been foreseen.To overcome the crisis requires a fundamental change in the policy of the current government. As for Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s chutzpadik comments on Secretary of State John Kerry’s “messianism,” he need only look around the cabinet table to see who is messianic.It’s about time for Lapid to understand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not take any action that could jeopardize his position as prime minister, and that he is already prepared to make commitments to the haredim in case of elections. As for Ya’alon, he should have known that after his insults he would not be welcome in certain places in Washington.Grow up. Live with the consequences of the current policies (or non-policies) of our government.Stop complaining and assume responsibility for its acts, especially as concerns settlements. And don’t act surprised by events in Sweden or the UK (and surely other countries to come).The only solution is a change in both policy and leadership.HENRY WEILJerusalemAmerican views...Sir, – With regard to “IDF kills firebomb-throwing American-Palestinian teen” (October 26), when an American-Palestinian teen is killed while committing a terrorist act against civilians in Jerusalem, the US State Department is quick to offer condolences to the family of “a US citizen minor who was killed by the IDF...” and say how US officials would be “closely engaged with the local [Israeli] authorities....”When another “US citizen minor,” only 3.5 months old and Jewish, is murdered by a vicious terrorist attack against civilians in Jerusalem, at best the US condemns the attack and asks that both sides “show restraint,” with absolutely no mention of being “closely engaged” with the Palestinian leadership.This is worse than insensitivity or even contemptible discrimination.It is a clear indication where US government sympathies truly lie in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not to mention a blatant sign of the true crisis between Israel and the US.GERSHON HARRISHatzor HaglilitSir, – If the firebomb thrown by Orwah Hammad had killed Israelis, would the United States send us its condolences? I don’t think so.ROSE BARRShoreshSir, – Will the White House express its deepest condolences to the Muslim family whose son joined Islamic State and was killed by US planes? Will it demand an investigation, as it is now doing in the case of the American-Palestinian youth who was throwing firebombs at Israeli vehicles?ISSY HASSRa’ananaSir, – The United States unsurprisingly expressed deep condolences to the family of the teen killed by the IDF during clashes in Silwad. But before it goes too far beyond political correctness, it should consider what US security personnel would do about the fire-bombing of citizens traveling the highways of America.Also, since the so-called occupation is used as an excuse for such Arab violence, the Americans would do well to give the world a definition of “occupied territories.”At least the older generation there probably sees no comparison between the “disputed territories” here and what they witnessed with the Nazi occupation of Europe.SIMCHA RUDMANJerusalem...and misnomers Sir, – The words we use to describe an event strongly affect the way we relate to it. Terminology does change perception. So when an official at the US consulate in Jerusalem issues a memo calling what happened last week at a Jerusalem light rail station a “traffic incident,” as was reported by Ynet, it seriously changes how that incident is viewed.But it is a mistake to get bogged down in arguments over semantics.The example of Eugene Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros, where the actors argue about whether it was a one-horned or two-horned animal, shows that they, and we, are less concerned about how to avoid being trampled or gored.Should 9/11 be called an air traffic incident?ARYEH WETHERHORNElazarSir, – I propose the following after last week’s attack in Jerusalem: • Concrete pillars strategically spaced at train platforms and other critical spots where large groups of pedestrians gather • Background checks on all Israelis before they are granted the privilege of a driving license. (It’s not easy for a person to obtain a license to carry a gun; why should there be a difference?) • The revocation of a driving license for those convicted of nationalistic crimes – including stone-throwing • Consideration of raising the age requirement for Arabs to obtain a driving license, just as security concerns dictate the periodic barring of Arab worshipers under a certain age from entrance to the Temple Mount.• Prohibition of Arab operators of heavy construction vehicles in urban centers. How many attacks must take place with tractors, heaven forbid, before we learn this lesson? If there’s a shortage of operators, the government should offer incentives.Our security and safety concerns should outweigh any consideration of what might not be “politically correct.”S. FISHHAUTBeit ShemeshSong and danceSir, – With regard to “Women smuggle Torah to Western Wall for bat mitzva” (October 26), why do the Women of the Wall wish to read from the Torah at the Kotel? The reading for Rosh Hodesh was just 13 sentences, every one of which dealt with animal sacrifices.Given that most of the participants were members of or are sympathizers with the Reform movement, how can they reconcile reading about the commandments to offer these sacrifices, which I am sure they do not wish to see take place? The Reform movement has abandoned many of the positive core commandments of the Torah, such as Shabbat and kashrut, so why read from the Torah? A person becomes bar and bat mitzva by the passage of time, when the “yoke” of the commandments automatically falls upon them. As the Reform movement has abrogated many of these commandments, the Women of the Wall advertising celebrating a bat mitzva at the Wall seems to be more in line with their desire to “be seen and heard.”If the desire is to really celebrate Rosh Hodesh at the Wall, why make a song and dance about it? CYRIL ATKINS Beit Shemesh Missing facts Sir, – The article “Rivlin defies efforts to prevent Kafr Kasim visit” (October 26) is missing some pertinent facts.On the first day of the Suez Crisis in 1956 some 49 men, women and children were killed, and more wounded, when they were outside their homes, thereby disobeying a curfew. In April of 1948 a similar “massacre” took place at Deir Yasin. Israel’s opponents emphasize those killings but the fact that those unfortunate persons were disobeying the curfew in times of war is forgotten.A nation fighting for survival must be aware that in war, not only fighters but also men, women and children are killed.MURRAY S. GREENFIELDTel AvivFaithful readersSir, – As usual, Sarah Honig excels in “The 14th century in Washington” (Another Tack, October 24), telling it as it is.Next time this irreplaceable writer will be missing from the pages of the Post, please prepare her many faithful readers so we won’t have to scan the paper every Friday, eagerly awaiting her return.TAMAR GINATYehud
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