February 22: Some questions for Mabhouh mourners...

Where are said international-law advocates when Russians travel to foreign nations and (allegedly) assassinate Alexander Litvinenko?

By JERUSALEM POST READERS
letters (photo credit: JP)
letters
(photo credit: JP)
Some questions for Mabhouh mourners...
Sir, – Those armchair pontificators who lament the passing of Hamasterrorist mastermind Mahmoud al-Mabhouh might consider a few questions(“Dubai police chief urges Interpol to seek Meir Dagan’s arrest,”February 19).
Even if he had been brought to The Hague, do they think for a secondthat he, an enemy of Israel, would have gotten the trial that hedeserved? If the head of the Mossad must go on trial, where are saidinternational-law advocates when Russians travel to foreign nations and(allegedly) assassinate Alexander Litvinenko? And they were prettyquiet when Iranians bombed the Jewish cultural center in Argentina.Finally, were we Irish and the British to have used assassination,might terrorists in Northern Ireland have thought a little harderbefore imprisoning, torturing and killing?
    JOHN LALOR
    Dublin, Ireland
Sir, – Given the reaction to a Hamas terrorist leader’s assassination,can we expect stark raving moral indignation should anything befallOsama bin-Laden?
    YONATAN SILVER
    Jerusalem
... and an answer for the British press
Sir, – The British press should get off its high horse and get real(“British papers insist Israel owes UK an explanation,” February 19).Spies from countries all over the world – including Britain, Irelandand France – use forged passports from other countries all the time.How else do you expect spies to get around? The British press shouldthink twice before calling on its government to cut Israel off fromintelligence-sharing. The Brits need Israeli intelligence much morethan Israel needs British intelligence.
    KATE HALLGREN
    Jerusalem
Presidential qualifications
Sir, – Marilyn Henry’s contention (“You betcha!” February 21) that sheoutranks Sarah Palin because she has three university degrees (how manydid Abraham Lincoln have?), or equals her because of her incompleteterm as secretary of the Friends of the Teaneck Library vs. Palin’sincomplete term as a mere governor of Alaska, seems characteristic ofconceit. That she measures Palin’s public speaking against the outputof a Hollywood script-writer shows cultural snobbery more than commonsense.
    MERVYN DOOBOV
    Jerusalem
Sir, – The qualifications required to run for president of the US arethat you be a natural-born citizen of the US, at least 35 years of age,and have lived in the US for the preceding 14 years.
The real reason that Sarah Palin is qualified to run, and Marilyn Henryis not, is that Henry has no constituency. Henry simply espouses thesame old notion of mindless liberalism that serves America, Israel andthe Jewish People so poorly. She misreads Bayh’s retirement fromgovernment as the fault of partisan Republicans instead of hisweariness from his own party’s constant drift to the left.
Jews should be the very first to understand that as government getsbigger, citizens get smaller. Palin’s push-back against big governmentis what is making her popular. Whether or not one believes that she isthe best candidate for the Republican Party, is less government a goodidea? You betcha!
    MICHAEL ABRAMOWITZ
    Houston, Texas
‘Ayalon 2: J Street 0’
Sir, – Perhaps your headline about J Street and Ayalon should have read“Ayalon 2: J Street 0” (“J Street 1: Ayalon 0,” February 19).
In my opinion, Danny Ayalon should get double credit for saying it likeit is. Many of us are disgusted at the doublespeak and fake smiles andacting that goes on in the foreign departments of so many governments.
Why should Ayalon grant niceties to Jeremy Ben-Ami and those like him,who are the first in line to denigrate and malign the Jewish stateunder the guise of “We love Israel?”
    SONIA GOLDSMITH
    Netanya
Mehadrin lines...
Sir, – Why do you continue to lambaste the “mehadrin” bus lines(“Transport minister ordered to explain why he rejectedgender-separation findings,” February 19)? In a society in whichcome-hither clothing is sold to toddlers, shouldn’t we be be cheeringon the only group among us that waves the banner of modesty?
And the haredim mainly want the mehadrin lines in their neighborhoods.There is no talk about placing one in Sheinkin or Dizengoff.
    JO GRUN
    Jerusalem
... being crossed?
Sir, – Just when one thinks there is nothing new under the sun, we readthe article “For heaven’s sake! New ‘personal mehitzas’ marketed forharedim on planes” (February 19). I want to preface my remarks bysaying that I have nothing against haredim; in fact, some of my dearfriends are haredim. But I think some of them nowadays are going a bitoverboard.
I think the haredim of decades ago would be amazed at what is going onnow in the haredi world. Separate buses, separate sidewalks, mehitzasfor airplanes – what next? Do they really think this makes them morereligious than their ancestors of years past?
    HANNAH SONDHELM
    Jerusalem
Innocent until proven guilty
Sir, – The shock over the rumors about Rabbi Mordechai Elon describedin several articles in the Post seem out of place when the samearticles admit that the facts have not been determined, and the word“if” stands out so strangely (“The Elon affair – an earthquake thatcould strengthen the national religious community,” February 19). Whydo we violate the rights of the accused in order to protect theaccusers? We cannot have it both ways: hatred and condemnation of sin,as well as imputation of sin without witnesses and policeinvestigation.
I hope Elon is innocent. If he is found to be guilty, I, too, as agreat admirer of his, will be surprised, hurt and shocked. But thosefeelings will have to be held in abeyance as long as the “if” isrelevant.
    JACOB CHINITZ
    Jerusalem
Concerns, not complaints
Sir, – I didn’t expect to have a correspondence in regard to the letterthat I sent in; however, Chaim A. Abramowitz has ruffled my feathers(“... and to the ‘Daily news,’” February 18). What he claims are a“litany of complaints” are, rather, a litany of concerns for the futureof this country – for its morality, its humanism and its realizationthat we live in the real world. Just as we don’t want to bediscriminated against by others, just as we don’t want to be terrorizedand confined behind walls, and just as we want to be recognized as Jewswith the right to live in a Jewish state, there are others who feelthey are defending their rights.
For Mr. Abramowitz’s information, our son and sons-in-law, ourgrandsons and our granddaughters have served and continue to serve inthe IDF. He does not have to preach to me about sacrifices. They knowwhy they served, and they tell me that it was to preserve those valuesthey hold dear – respect for one another, recognizing differences andhonoring those differences.
I respect Mr. Abramowitz’s view on life. I only ask that he respectmine and that of others like me. We Jews have to stop trying to destroyone another. There are enough people out there trying to do thatwithout our help.
    JUDY TELMAN
    Mevaseret Zion
A life-saving ‘mitzva’
Sir, – “A liver donated by the family of a 75-year-old woman has savedthe life of a 30-year-old man,” writes Judy Siegel-Itzkovich (“Pre-opbriefings can prevent accidents,” February 21).
More people in Israel should be encouraged to join in the life-savingmitzva of donating a kidney or part of a liver, in life or by signingup for an organ donor card.
More information is available at www.health.gov.il/transplant.
    RUTH POSNER
    Beit Shemesh