Letters to the Editor November 11, 2020: In passing

Readers of The Jerusalem Post have their say.

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters (photo credit: PIXABAY)
Letters
(photo credit: PIXABAY)
In passing
Regarding “Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: A giant of his time” (November 10), heartfelt outpourings of grief, fitting tributes and accolades have been paid to our beloved Rabbi Jonathan Sacks for his outstanding contributions, not only to the Jewish world but to the world at large, as a leading voice in the area of ethics and morality, a scholar of unequaled depth and breadth of academia, an orator of tremendous erudition, a giant among giants, etc.
So much more can be related of this tzadik (righteous person) and his exceptional personal midot (character traits).
As a privileged student of his at Jews’ College, London, for six years and also a family friend, the two personal qualities that stand out were the Rav’s extreme modesty and hessed. He was self-effacing, yet made everyone feel like a somebody – no matter who, encouraging and inspiring us to reach our potential. He genuinely rejoiced in everyone’s smachot and achievements, however insignificant. He treated everyone with great respect to the extent he deflected his own glory!
HaRav Jonathan knew the true meaning of hessed, continually visiting sick, comforting mourners, offering help and support where needed, phone calls, letters, etc. These qualities are more precious than anything else!
In answer to our letter offering him mazal tov on receiving his knighthood, he wrote, “Honors in themselves are not important. It is the honor we give, not the honor we receive, that matters most,” continuing that the award represents “a renewed public recognition of the extraordinary contribution Jews have made to Jewish life.” What sheer humility, attributing his award to the community!
The Rav had the qualities of a moshiach: highly respected and loved by all who knew him, unifying diverse peoples, races and faiths in the belief of our One Just God. Unfortunately, we were just not worthy. We have suffered an irreplaceable loss!
May his memory be a blessing for his beloved Rebetzin Elaine, children Joshua, Dina, Gila, brothers Alan, Brian, Elliot, his entire family, Am Yisrael and the world.
FLORA FRANK
Jerusalem
Regarding “Saeb Erekat, Palestinian negotiator, dies at 65 from COVID-19” (Jpost.com, November 10), I would like to express my condolences to the family of Saeb Erekat and share their sorrow at his loss.
The irony of calling Erekat the PA’s “chief negotiator” is that the Palestinians never actually negotiated anything. They staked out their maximalist positions – no matter how disengaged from facts, reality and the legitimate rights of the indigenous Jews in their homeland – and then stuck to them at all costs. They were masters at propaganda and leveraging the support of billions of Muslims and their international allies around the world, but never actually took the steps that would have led to achieving a just, comprehensive and final resolution.
The passing of one key figure makes room for another, possibly one willing to move on from the failed tactics of the past. I have faith that eventually peace and justice will prevail.
BETH LANDSMAN
Jerusalem
Regarding “Why ‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek is irreplaceable” (November 10), although not Jewish himself, Alex Trebek, who died last week of pancreatic cancer at the age of 80, was a strong supporter of Israel and the justice of its cause. He visited Israel twice – the second time was less than two years ago, one of his last overseas trips. His itinerary included tours of key sites here such as City of David archaeological site in Jerusalem and Masada.
Our country mourns the loss of a good friend with a good soul.
TOMER STEIN
Tel Aviv
Corbyn to the core
The action by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission reported in “UK Labour to suspend Jeremy Corbyn following antisemitism report” (October 30) is a clear indictment of Jeremy Corbyn.
What is not well known is that following the trial in 1996 at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court of those accused of bombing both the Israel Embassy and Jewish Communal Offices in London in 1994, Corbyn was the lead protagonist in the campaign to free those convicted terrorists. He led the campaign “Free Samar and Jawad” from the end of the trial, through the numerous rejected UK appeals against the verdict to the rejected appeal to the European Courts of Human Rights, besides raising the issue of their “innocence” numerous times in Parliament.
Corbyn’s involvement in this campaign was given scant coverage in the UK Jewish media, certainly ignored by the Israeli media and the international press. One wonders why. Was it there was a tacit quid pro quo agreement in the UK Parliamentary Labour Party (restricted only to MPs ) between the Jewish members, some of whom were also Jewish communal leaders and the other party members, that they would not raise Corbyn’s involvement if the others did not raise other issues concerning the Jewish members? For 25 years this matter was totally ignored by Jews who supported Labour. Why did the media kept the lid on this?
DR COLIN L LECI
Jerusalem
Joe Biden and the Muddle East
Regarding “Bonding with Biden” (November 9), Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu gave praise in Sunday’s cabinet meeting to US President Donald Trump for all he has done for Israel. Netanyahu mentioned the issues such as Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Iran and a move toward normalization with Gulf States.
But more than that, Trump was responsible for resetting the Israel Palestinian narrative. He moved away from the decades-long approach of earlier US leaders in demanding from Israel more concessions. Far from making the Arabs more amenable in dealing, it only emboldened them in the maximalist positions of the PA and Hamas.
 Hopefully this will put Israel in a more favorable light to the rest of the world – away from the “Right of Return,” lionization of “martyrs,” the concept of land for peace, Oslo and “peace premiums” (aka dead Jews). Concepts like those belong in the garbage can of history.
DAVID SMITH
Ra’anana
In “Biden faces challenge of schism” (November 9), Susan Hattis Rolef bends over backward for soon-to-be US President Joe Biden. She makes no mention of four years of relentless bogus attacks against President Donald Trump by the Democrats: the Russian collusion hoax, the Mueller investigation hoax, the impeachment hoax, etc.
Rolef is comfortable with the fact that Biden was accused by several women of sexual improprieties and that his family is involved up to its neck in influence peddling from several countries, including Communist China. There’s a strong suspicion that Biden himself received kickbacks.
None of the Biden clan campaigned while the entire Trump family participated in this campaign. That should indicate something about this dubious family. Rolef doesn’t mention any of this, just as the media avoided it. They wanted Biden to win regardless.
What a sad state of affairs we have when journalists don’t do their job properly.
MATTIAS ROTENBERG
Petah Tikva
Regarding “Abbas to ask Biden to move US embassy to Tel Aviv – report” (November 9), we recall that President-elect Joe Biden not only voted as a senator to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, but this year as a presidential candidate he committed himself unequivocally to keeping the embassy there.
After four years of Donald “promises made – promises kept” Trump, does the corrupt PA leader have reason to think so little of Biden’s integrity that he would expect the president-elect to be willing renege on a solemn campaign vow made to the American people and reverse himself on such a key issue?
HANNAH ROSENSTEIN
Zichron Yaakov
I have two comments:
1)  Regarding “Biden’s not Trump, but he won’t let Israel’s security be compromised” (November 8), the article title is dead wrong.
Biden’s rejoining of the Iran deal whose sunset clause paves the way for Iran to get the bomb soon would be a disaster. Let’s not forget what Bernard Lewis said:
“In this context, the deterrent that worked so well during the Cold War, namely M.A.D. (Mutual Assured Destruction) , would have no meaning. At the End of Time, there will be general destruction anyway. What will matter is the final destination of the dead – hell for the infidels, and the delights of heaven for the believers. For people with this mindset, M.A.D. is not a constraint; it is an inducement.”
2) “Jerusalem needs to move fast with Democrats” (November 10) got it reversed. It is not Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is to blame for ruining relations with the Democratic Party; it is the Democratic Party who is to blame for ruining relations with Israel. That party could not even pass a resolution in the House condemning Representative Ilhan Omar for her antisemitism.
 As Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote, “Islamists have understood well how to couple Muslim antisemitism with the American Left’s vague notion of ‘social justice.’ They have succeeded in couching their agenda in the progressive framework of the oppressed versus the oppressor. Identity politics and victimhood culture also provide Islamists with the vocabulary to deflect their critics with accusations of ‘Islamophobia,’ ‘white privilege’ and ‘insensitivity.’ A perfect illustration was the way Ms. Omar and her allies were able to turn a House resolution condemning her antisemitism into a garbled “intersectional” rant in which Muslims emerged as the most vulnerable minority in the league table of victimhood.”
MLADEN ANDRIJASEVIC
Beersheba
US President Donald Trump should know that when you rearrange the letters of the two words “ELECTION RESULTS” it becomes “LIES – LET’S RECOUNT”.
REV MICHAEL PLASKOW MBE
Netanya
Regarding “Cairo: French minister affirms respect for Islam in dispute over cartoons” (JPost.com, November 8), the Koran and the Haddith describe the prophet Muhammad in 627 in Medina as personally approving decapitation of 600-900 unarmed Jewish men and kidnapping and sexually enslaving of 1,000 Jewish girls and women. If Sheik Ahmed al-Tayeb of al-Azhar feels it is insulting to accurately and/or satirically describe the documented events as mass murder and serial misogyny, then he will be protesting the West’s Enlightenment tradition of respect for accurate reporting and biting satire forever.
RICHARD SHERMAN
Margate, Florida
The article “Israeli peace camp must act soon” (November 8), written by Nadav Tamir, a former diplomat who also served in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, was a confusing study in journalistic mumbo jumbo.
At the beginning, he talks about an opportunity that the peace camp in Israel cannot miss, imploring all who read the article to “prepare for it and not wait until conclusive results are announced.”
What he proposes is not spelled out in any cogent terms or ideas. He rambles on about “harmful” actions of the Trump administration vis a vis the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What conflict he is talking about? The intransigent Palestinian “partners” believe that peace will only come for them at the expense of the Jewish state.
We do not need to rally other countries to “create a bloc of EU countries with similar thinking on the Palestinian issue.” Rather, we need the world to recognize that the Palestinians will always believe they are the victims and will need new leadership to get them down from the tree. Once they are on a level playing field with the Israelis, perhaps then we can move forward, as we did with the other Arab countries – and hopefully with more to come.
US President Donald Trump did not increase the division between countries on the Palestinian issue; he forged peace and understanding to the benefit of all.
DEBRA FORMAN
Modi’in
Sadly, there is no mention in Nadav Tamir’s essay of working to get the Palestinian leaders to stop enriching themselves on funds donated for their people’s benefit or of urging the leaders to prioritize the building of the first-ever-to-exist Arab State of Palestine over efforts to destroy the nation-state of the Jews.
The Obama-Biden administration gave $150 billion to Iran. That money was used to fund terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah. I fear that the Biden-Harris Administration will, likewise, pour money into the PA, which will continue to do nothing to improve the lot of the Palestinians in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, and which will continue to insist that Israel take in millions of people claiming descent from Arabs who fled Arab-initiated violence in the 1940’s and in 1967.
TOBY F. BLOCK
Atlanta, GA
Regarding “UAE, Bahrain and Sudan bash Israel at UN, despite normalization deals” (November 8), Israel has to assert itself if it doesn’t want to cease to exist. Of course those countries never said they were making peace with Israel, only a deal to satisfy their own needs.
Regarding “Temple Mount referenced solely as Muslim site in draft resolution” (November 8), our rights to the Temple Mount have over the years gradually eroded due to all the concessions made to Moslem control. The incoming American president must be told in no uncertain terms – and I honestly believe this is our last opportunity – that we will brook no interference in the affairs of the Jewish Land, the full control of which we are taking back.
It is our right and our obligation.
EDITH OGNALL
Netanya
No man is an island
Regarding “Eilat, Dead Sea ‘tourist islands’ rejected due to of coalition fight” (November 10), once again, our “esteemed” members of Knesset have proven that they do not care an iota for the country or its citizens. The members of government are only concerned with their own salaries and comfort and the rest of the people be damned. What they are too stupid to realize is that in the process of destroying the country, they are also destroying their own jobs.
Yes, let’s have another election – but this time, any one of these idiots that wants to run should automatically be disqualified. We don’t need all these political parties, two would be enough, and voting should be for individuals not for the party. That way, maybe there will be some accountability – of which today there is none – and we can get some truly qualified members of government.
JOE SIMON
Kfar Aviv


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