Letters to the Editor June 22, 2021: One (not) for the books
Readers of The Jerusalem Post have their say.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: PIXABAY)
Regarding “EU commissioner calls to reconsider aid after antisemitism in PA textbooks” (June 22) – the EU finally recognizes Palestinian antisemitism and incitement? The UN does not want to release Qatari funds in fear of Hamas using them for terrorism?Might the world be finally waking up to the real situation here in Israel?SAM ROSENBLUMBeit ShemeshPraise of terrorism appears even in the science books of the Palestinians, wherein Newton’s second law is used to illustrate the physics of the slingshot used against Israelis.Newton’s second law is described as saying that force is equal to mass times acceleration. Actually, the Palestinians have it wrong (as usual). Newton’s second law states that the sum of all the forces acting on a body is equal to mass times acceleration. Its an important distinction.In addition, Newton’s third law is not mentioned at all, since it does not help the Palestinian cause. The third law states that for every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force. In the Palestinian case, for every action force there is a substantially greater reaction force by the Israelis.Newton’s third law breaks down and better not to bring it to the attention of the students who might be discouraged.Turn to more beneficial activities (and studies), rather than terrorism.YIGAL HOROWITZ, PHDBeershebaDhimmi prospectsA sentence in the editorial “Vaccine cooperation” (June 20) brought back a flood of memories: “…it is also in Israel’s interest to see the quality of life improve [for Palestinians] in the West Bank and Gaza and for there to be greater economic prosperity among the Palestinian people. This can be done by building joint industrial zones, creating employment opportunities, etc.”I remembered stopping at a Jewish bookstore in Toronto with two books on display in the window. One was A Place among the Nations by Binyamin Netanyahu, priced down to $4.00 CDN, and next to it, Shimon Peres’s The New Middle East selling for $2.99 CDN. I went in and asked for the Peres book since I already had the Netanyahu one. The storekeeper told me, “If you’re going to New York, the Peres book is selling there for just 99 cents.” Peres was going to make peace building joint industrial zones, etc. The public was quite emphatic about the value of the book and its contents. I asked the proprietor, “Please don’t drop the price of the Netanyahu book.”The ideas expressed in the editorial have appeared in other articles in the past few weeks. It didn’t work in the past and won’t work now. Some years ago I read a few of Dr. Bernard Lewis’s books. He was the preeminent scholar of Islam and he makes it exceedingly clear that Muslims can never cede land that they once lived on. They can therefore never recognize Israel’s right to even an inch of what they consider Palestinian lands – ever. Abba Eban was mistaken when he said, “The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity” because if the opportunity means ceding even an inch of land to dhimmis and infidels, it’s not an opportunity but a grave sin.I once asked Dr. Lewis, since it’s so clear that they can’t ever make peace, why all the feverish activity about the “fictional peace process?”He replied, “They have eyes but they see not, they have ears but they hear not.”SHOLOM GOLDJerusalemHit the brake, JakeWhile one can fully understand Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s warning to the world that the “Executioner’s regime must not get bomb” (June 21), I was disappointed upon reading the comments of US security adviser Jake Sullivan that while the United States agrees with Bennett, “diplomacy is the best way to achieve” these goals.As I read Sullivan’s comments, I could not avoid seeing the vision of a smiling British prime minister Neville Chamberlain waving a useless piece of paper as he claimed that he had “secured peace in our time” with Adolf Hitler.When will the leaders of the naïve democracies learn their lesson as to the true intent of mass murderers, especially when it comes to the Jews?History has taught us, if not Mr. Sullivan, that when someone declares his intent to wipe out Jews or Israel, he should be believed and that diplomacy, unfortunately, will not accomplish much.ARTHUR MILLERBeit ShemeshTo aim with flame – who’s to blame?Regarding “To put out the fires of hate, Israel must get tough on pyromaniacs” (June 21), Israelis hold a parade every year to celebrate the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem after nearly two decades of illegal Jordanian occupation of much of the city.In 1948, after Britain ended its Mandate for Palestine, the UN suggested dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, although under international law all of Palestine is the reconstituted Jewish homeland. Israel agreed to split its country into two states. Regional and local Arab armies rejected the peace plan and launched a war of genocide against Israel.When a fighting ended in 1949, the areas under Egyptian and Transjordanian control were ethnically cleansed of all Jews. The Arabs in Israeli areas became citizens of Israel.During the Jordanian occupation, recognized only by Britain and Pakistan, no Jews were allowed access to their homes, businesses and holy sites on the wrong side of the armistice line. The UN was shamefully silent.Today, all ethnicities control their special and holy places and Jerusalem is open to visitors and pilgrims from all over the world. Is it any wonder Israelis celebrate Jerusalem Day?LEN BENNETTOttawa, OnI was incensed by the content of “To put out the fires of hatred, Israel must get tough on pyromaniacs.”If Sir Mick Davis wants to publicly castigate Israel’s new government and its new PM, Naftali Bennett, I would advise him to make aliyah as soon as possible. Only then will he be in a position to criticize to his heart’s content, as many Israeli citizens do.If he wants to indulge in criticism whilst living in the UK, he could start by using his position as former CEO of the Conservative Party to publicly castigate the British PM and his party for their total failure to “call out and face down the extremist, antisemitic hatred that so often comes wrapped in a Palestinian flag” that is at the present time so violently infecting public discourse in England.ROCHELLE VEEDERNetanyaSir Mick Davis obviously didn’t take part in the march, which was relatively quiet apart from a very few catcalls venting frustration. On the whole it was a quiet and orderly march.Stones were thrown – but not by the flag marching people.I fully reserve my right in my country to walk or march or decorate my balcony with my flag and no amount of saber-rattling or threats will stop me from doing so.FREYA BINENFELDPetah TikvaYes, Israel must get tough on the pyromaniacs – but who are they? They’re the ones sending incendiary/arson balloons from Gaza to ignite fires in forests, fields and homes across southern Israel.How dare Mick Davis pervert truth by instead using that inflammatory word to describe peaceful participants in a traditional annual march!AMIT FUERSTRishon LezionMick Davis’s remarks are not well taken. He tepidly notes that the Flag March’s origins of celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, and the restoration of Jewish rights to live and pray in our eternal capital are “worthy causes.”I use the word “tepidly” because these “worthy causes” are not enough for Davis to justify the continuation of the Flag March. In what can only be described as a post-Zionist diatribe, he asserts that “in a contemporary setting” the sole purpose of these marches appears to be to “antagonize, provoke and humiliate the city’s Palestinian residents.”To Davis, the passionately nationalistic young people my wife and I joined in the March this past Tuesday are nothing more than “pyromaniacs,” “racist hooligans” and “extremists.”At a time when waving and displaying the Israeli flag, wearing a uniform bearing an Israeli flag, and singing the Israeli national anthem are all under assault, these young Zionists are an inspiration and give me hope for the future.GEORGE ROOKSAshdodGoons launching balloonsI agree 100% with “Proportionality: Doing what it takes to win” (June 22) by Ophir Falk.The picture accompanying the article shows terrorists in open territory in the process of launching incendiary balloons. If the air force had armed UAVs or helicopters flying overhead then they could and shoot missiles to eliminate terrorists in the midst of their hostile activities regardless of the blowback from Western governments and local and foreign anti-Israel NGOs.The people of Israel – including those living in the periphery of Gaza – deserve to live in peace and quiet.MURRAY JOSEPHKiryat MotzkinRegarding “Israel successfully downs targets using an airborne laser system” (June 22), now that Israel has invented an operational high-powered “world’s-first” laser system that can shoot down enemy missiles and drones at different ranges and altitudes, might we be able to develop a highly advanced system of popping explosives-laden colored party balloons from Gaza?MICHAEL MOHNBLATTTel MondThe future beckons, we reckonMK Eli Avidar announced,”Whoever thinks I will hurt the (unity) government because of a position is a fool” (MK Avidar remains committed to a new government,” June 21).Kol ha kavod to him. He is following the illustrious footsteps of David Ben-Gurion and Chaim Weizmann, the first prime minister and the first president of the State of Israel.These two great leaders had many profound disagreements in the tortuous run-up to the establishment of the state, but when it came to the crunch when justice minister Dr Felix Rosenbluth proposed Weizmann be elected president of Israel, Ben-Gurion immediately seconded the proposal. He did not conceal the many differences of opinion which had divided the two of them; instead he went on to say, “I doubt whether the presidency is necessary to Dr Weizmann, but the presidency of Dr Weizmann is a moral necessity for the State of Israel.”We are at a similar moment of urgency: Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the architect who created our new government, has inspired many of us and also our new MKs and ministers to do what is morally imperative for the State of Israel after the frightening moral collapse of the Likud and especially of former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We are all reeling with shame at the raucous lèse majesté we witnessed during Netanyahu’s final speech and his refusal to shake the hand of friendship proffered by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.This country is supposed to be a light unto the nations. The ability to compromise and forge friendships across party lines is a sign of political maturity and that is how our great leaders set the tone right from the start.Let us turn a deaf ear to the petty leader of the opposition and his rabid followers. We are greater than they are. Our future without them beckons.SUSAN TUCKERNetanyaPrice is steep for years of sheepI almost laughed on reading “Topple Hamas in Gaza, give it to PA” (June 22).Former intelligence minister Eli Cohen said, “We will need to topple Hamas, which opposes Israel’s existence, so that Gaza will serve its two million Palestinians who have been taken captive.” Israel should then hand Gaza over to the PA, which “would be good for Israel.”Is he serious? Handing Gaza over from one terrorist organization to another? To the PA that has always denied Israel’s legitimacy to any part of the land and regularly calls for our destruction?Here’s a better idea. How about toppling Hamas and Fatah and returning the land to its rightful owners – the Jews, forcibly expelled. The only thing he said that makes sense is that allowing funds to Hamas from Qatari was wrong.Unfortunately surrendering to our enemies was always the way of Netanyahu and no one spoke out forcibly.We have paid and are paying a heavy price for those years of the sheep following a straw man.YENTEL JACOBSNetanyaOff the WallRegarding “Bar Lev promises to protect Women of the Wall” (June 21), it’s shocking to me that haredi men should even be aware of anything occurring in the women’s section at the Kotel. Not that it would be alright for haredi women to be attacking women just because those women are wearing tallitot and praying in a minyan.It seems to me that the best solution will be to follow through on the 2016 deal that the haredim disavowed in 2017. The egalitarian prayer section should be updated, as was agreed more than five years ago, allowing Haredim to pray as they wish at one part of the Kotel and allowing those seeking to pray in egalitarian groups to do so in another section of the Kotel.However, we need to be realistic. I recall that, back in 2016, some Women of the Wall said they did not want to be shunted off to some remote location. Should some women continue trying to conduct group prayer where they have been trying to pray for years, or if haredim should try to disrupt prayers by egalitarian groups in the designated site, police should be prepared to step in.Destroying siddurim containing HaShem’s name and/or physically assaulting someone because you don’t approve of his or her prayer style is a major hillul HaShem and should not be tolerated anywhere in Israel (especially at the holiest site where Jews are currently allowed to pray).TOBY F. BLOCKAtlanta, GACombat climate change: A Tal orderKol hakavod to David Krantz, president of Aytzim: Ecological Judaism, for his article, “Netanyahu’s loss could be climate win” (June 22), in which he points out that having Alon Tal, Israel’s leading environmentalist, as an MK “may be the best opportunity in decades for Israelis to take action for environmental sustainability.”Tal has great credentials to make a major difference re: Israel’s environment, as he helped found the Israeli Union For Environmental Defense and the Arava Institute For Environmental Studies, wrote the most comprehensive book on Israel’s environment, Pollution in the Promised Land, and other books and articles on Israel’s environment, and has been a leader for Israel’s Green Party.Combating climate change is especially important for Israel, as a rising Mediterranean Sea could inundate the coastal plain where most of Israel’s population and infrastructure are located, and the hotter and drier Middle East that climate experts predict will make terrorism and war more likely, according to military experts.At a time when climate experts are issuing increasingly dire warnings about climate threats, and there has been a major increase in the frequency and severity of climate events, it is urgent that everything possible be done to avert a climate catastrophe and to help shift our precious, but imperiled, planet onto a sustainable path.RICHARD H. SCHWARTZ, PH.D.Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
