Letters to the Editor June 20, 2021: New government, flowery speech
Readers of The Jerusalem Post have their say.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: PIXABAY)
I have three hibiscus bushes in my garden, one with a white flower surrounded on either side with red flowering bushes. The white bush was planted slightly after the others and has not been as fruitful as the red ones. This year, the white one has outgrown and completely dominated the other two, to the extent that there are very few red flowers and many white ones.When I look at the struggle the white flowers have endured, and the result, it brings to my mind Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. Their determination and persistence have paid off. Whether the result will be a success, only time will tell.MINA STERNRamat Bet ShemeshShould Amotz Asa-El’s remarks (“Beyond the photo op,” June 18) regarding the new government be regarded as elation or optimism? Although he did express a feeling of hope for the future, he stressed the positive, social characteristics of the eight cobbled-together parties rather than the political advantages of this government over the previous ones. The former (elation), therefore would be my guess and quite understandably.Soon we’ll be able to measure just how effective this “rainbow coalition” proves to be. There are more than enough challenges – both domestic and international – that will, within a short period of time, test the ability of the divergent philosophies and priorities of our representatives to work together for the common good. The picture presented by Asa-El may be one of cohesive anticipation and social progress, but those qualities do not automatically translate into efficient administration… or provide protection against the former prime minister’s promise to sabotage the new government’s proposals and vision. The fragility and uncertainty of a caretaker government that was in charge up to now may have been replaced by what seems to be a more solid and complete composite of the Israeli population, but it would be foolhardy to think that it will operate free of any turbulence or difficulties. And a photograph of 61 forced smiles does not inspire too much confidence.I’m sure, by the way, that others will point out that Karin Elharrar is not the only member of the coalition with a physical disability. Shirley Pinto of Yamina has the distinction of being the first deaf member of the Israeli parliament, and it’s more than a little gratifying that the Israeli public sees no problem entrusting their well-being into the hands of legislators such as Elharrar and Pinto; their examples will provide significant motivation to improve the conditions of those with physical and mental challenges. A far cry, indeed, from the boorish insensitivity of the former Likud MK Oren Hazan who, from the Knesset podium, referred to wheelchair-bound MK Ilan Gilon of Meretz as “half a human.”So, yes, there is reason to be upbeat and satisfied with the current make-up of the coalition. Whether that feeling can be complemented with optimism remains to be seen. Frankly, I have my doubts.BARRY NEWMANGinot ShomronNetanyahu told his Likud faction (“Netanyahu determined to shame new government,” June 18) that the party’s policy will be to repeatedly vote against its own ideology in an effort to bring down the new government.Even before the desperately needed electoral reform, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that if there were a fixed term for the government, say four years, the opposition might be more inclined to help make our country stronger and better rather than focusing solely on bringing down the government.RIVKA ZAHAVYJerusalemVaccine scene: PA vents spleenThe COVID-hit Palestinian Authority backs out of a deal to accept extra vaccines from Israel as their constituents attack them over “normalization” (“Palestinians renege on deal with Israel to receive 1.4 m. COVID vaccines,” June 20). Meanwhile, Binyamin Netanyahu and the shambling corpse of the Likud explicitly vow to vote against the government even on legislation they nominally support in order to embarrass and topple them (“Netanyahu, Gantz clash over Palestinian, Arab family reunification,” June 17).I don’t know which of the two parties would win in a cut-off-your-nose-to-spite-your-face contest, but I know who loses: sane and rational people who read about this stuff happening and then want to barf in their breakfast cereal.MENACHEM G. JERENBERGRamat Beit ShemeshIsrael’s agreement to exchange COVID-19 vaccines it has on hand with the Palestinian Authority, which agreed to resupply Israel with other vaccines to be obtained later, has now degenerated into a fiasco. The culprit, as always, is Palestinian Arab malfeasance.Recall that originally Annex 3, Appendix 1, Article 17 of the 1995 Oslo 2 Accords required the PA to take responsibility for vaccinating its own population. The Palestinian Authority itself insisted on this provision. Recall that in December 2020 the PA Health Minister stated publicly that vaccines would not be sought from Israel.Despite this, the PA then attempted to blame its incompetence in obtaining vaccines on Israel. This despite the hundreds of millions of dollars it wasted on “pay for slay” payments to terrorists and their relatives for murdering Jews, money which could have been used instead to purchase vaccines.When Israel finally succeeded in vaccinating its own population, it offered to speed up the process of vaccinating PA Arabs by working out this arrangement with the PA. This would have enabled them to start vaccinating their own population months ahead of schedule, potentially saving many lives.But as always, the PA is more interested in trying to damage Israel than it is interested in improving or saving the lives of its own people. And that is why it is now trying to stir up spurious complaints about expiration dates on the vaccines it was given (all of them had weeks or more to go before expiration), and has now canceled the arrangement with Israel.How many PA Arabs are going to die of COVID-19 because their hate-filled rulers don’t want to be seen as “normalizing” relations with Israel? How will the Western media react to the PA allowing its own people to die in order to try to damage Israel’s reputation? Precedent would indicate the PA Arab death toll will be high, and the accuracy of Western media reports about this will be low, as is all too frequently the case.How unfortunate that the PA hates Israel more than it cares for its own people.DANIEL H. TRIGOBOFF, PH.D.Williamsville, New YorkWhile the suggestions in the editorial “Vaccine cooperation” (June 20) are good, the outcome is the same – a lack of.This episode where the Palestinians have now canceled the deal to immediately get potentially life-saving vaccines, demonstrates that far too many Palestinians would rather die than cooperate with Israel (i.e., the Jews). Or, since their leadership has already been vaccinated, ordinary people are simply pawns in the political game it plays toward the goal of our destruction.Until this changes, cooperation – let alone “peace” – remains a far off pipe dream.BARRY LYNNEfratCruise control“Cruise ship’s maiden voyage delayed after 8 crew test positive” (June 17) misses a key item of interest to Jerusalem Post readers: that the ship identified in the piece, the Odyssey of the Seas, was supposed to have had its inaugural season out of Haifa (and not Fort Lauderdale as stated) starting on June 2.Royal Caribbean made the plan only for residents of Israel who had the Green Passport or who had recovered from the virus, but with the proviso that all crew members were fully inoculated. The company’s plan, identified later, was that the State of Israel would take care of this, but the Health Ministry declined for some reason.The cruise ship sailed out of Haifa on May 7 with no vaccinated crew, with the company canceling the entire season in Israel a week later. They disingenuously blamed the cancellations on “the conflict” (rockets from Hamas), forgetting the fact that the ship left Israel before the conflict started, and with no possibility of having the crew vaccinated in time for the ship’s first departure.Can Israelis be forgiven for having a slight sense of schadenfreude (gloating over the misfortunes of others)?NAME WITHHELD PENDING A CASH REFUNDRa’ananaWhat you Khan and Khan not sayI must protest at the terminology used by Mahmood Khan, who in “A way to get out of the mire in the Holy Land” (June 18) has the temerity to say that Gaza is like a “concentration camp.”How dare he!The Jews were forcibly removed from their homes and when they weren’t being gassed and shot or whipped and beaten to death, they were being starved and used as slave labor.This isn’t even remotely like what is happening in Gaza and any misery over there is being caused by Hamas.How can The Jerusalem Post in Israel agree to print something that trivializes the horror of the concentration camps?Comparing the murder of innocent Jews to what is going on in Gaza is unforgivable!FREYA BINENFELDPetah TikvaI am somewhat confused as to why Mahmood Khan’s op-ed was accepted for publication.Is it supposed to enlighten us of a brand-new option facing Israel in dealing with the Arabs living in Judea and Samaria and Gaza? The piece does nothing but provide lies. Gaza is a concentration camp and Israel demolishes buildings and kills innocent people?The writer author should realize that most Israelis don’t believe in (and have good reason not to trust) the so-called Palestinians. The article serves only to add more fuel to fire – not solve anything.I realize that the Post likes to offer opinions from all sides of the political spectrum, but publishing lies and hatred to toward Israel cannot be worthy of the time your readers spend reading their morning paper.JONATHAN SURASKYRa’ananaIt is unfortunate that our own Jerusalem Post seems to have adopted the narrative of The New York Times. When rockets poured down on our children, the Times pictured children on the front page, claiming we were killing Palestinian children without provocation.Now the front page of the June 18, Jerusalem Post has picture of a Palestinian struggling with policemen with the caption claiming he is fighting for justice! He may be fighting for his justice, but the policemen are saving my life.Worse, the picture’s caption brings up a story from May 2020 about a policeman who killed a resident, with the only connection being of course that we as citizens and policemen are violently killing innocent “protesters.”We cannot control the lies and antisemitism of the outside world. It would be nice, however, for our own paper to 1) be clear that Israel has been voted by the world to be the state for the Jewish people and 2) not promote this false narrative that we don’t have the right to be here and the other side is “fighting for justice” on the front page.RABBI YEHUDA LAVEJerusalemCan you kippah a secret?Current news regales us with the latest word on issues such as how this government of eight disparate factions will get it together in producing a fiscal budget, deal with the Gaza situation, pressure America to tread carefully in their re-negotiations with Iran, plus numerous other matters that await a new government.However, we learn that there is nothing presently more serious than how Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will manage to prevent his kippah from falling off of his less-than-hirsute head (“How does Bennett’s kippah stay on?” June 18)Let’s hope this advertorial brings in no-doubt-much-needed post-pandemic business for the person who supplies the magic tape that secures the kippah in question.The surname of the author of this article being Sales should have given us an indication of the piece’s intended purpose.STEPHEN VISHNICKTel AvivEarth 1, humans 0Yanir Aharaonson (“No, the pandemic wasn’t good for the environment,” June 20) discusses the impact of the COVID lockdowns on the environment. While carbon emissions dropped by perhaps 17%, the use of plastic containers increased exponentially contributing to pollution, climate change and loss of natural habitat.Nobody knows how to control the crisis. Carbon tote bags might be actually worse for the environment than plastic but Starbucks has changed the lids on its cold drinks to eliminate the use of straws. One thing is for sure – planet Earth is sending a clear and powerful feedback signal to humanity with the almost four million deaths due to the corona pandemic most probably arising from overcrowding, over-population, under-sanitation, pollution, animal infiltration – and political whitewash.Planet Earth is girding up for a long battle with greedy humanity and is determined to survive. The next pandemic may be worse.YIGAL HOROWITZ, PHDBeershebaAfghan and againIt is surprising that Hannah Wallace’s excellent article on the women of Afghanistan (“Afghan Women – how they became an afterthought,” June 17) makes no mention of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. This independent political/social organization of Afghan women, dedicated to fighting for human rights and social justice in Afghanistan, was established as far back as 1977.After the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, RAWA became directly involved in the war of resistance, not in alliance with the fundamentalists but advocating democracy and secularism. Since the Russian withdrawal, RAWA has opposed the fundamentalist Taliban’s atrocities against the people of Afghanistan in general, and their ultra-male and anti-woman policies in particular. So RAWA must view the forthcoming US retreat from Afghanistan and the almost inevitable return of the Taliban as a disaster.RAWA, currently based in Pakistan, is working to establish an independent, free, democratic and secular Afghanistan, and deserves support.NEVILLE TELLERRamat Beit ShemeshThe ABCs of aiding refugeesRegarding “Politics of refugees: New museum in Germany documents refugees” (Jpost.com, June 19), the Documentation Center for Displacement, Expulsion and Reconciliation in Berlin is a splendid idea to retell the story of refugees and the treacherous terrains they often navigate to flee genocide and mass atrocities in search of safe sanctuaries and a semblance of decent lives.Seth Frantzman cogently asks, “Why is some ethnic cleansing and genocide highlighted, while the genocide of others considered controversial?” It is true that the Holocaust is one of the most atrocious atrocities in modern times. However, now we should open our eyes to other innocents who endure conflicts, calamities, human rights violations, insecurity, destitution, etc.The international community needs to rectify economic, social, political, cultural and environmental crises and express solidarity with the most vulnerable – irrespective of religion, creed, color and ethnicity.DR. MUNJED FARID AL QUTOBLondon, UK
