"I thought the Germans would be the last people to become involved with the issue of Jews and labeling."
By JERUSALEM POST READERSThe Merkel visit Sir, – With regard to “Merkel: Boycott not an option, but settlement labeling acceptable” (February 26), I thought the Germans would be the last people to become involved with the issue of Jews and labeling, bearing in mind their sorry history of yellow- labeling Jews not so many years ago.DAVID S. ADDLEMANMevaseret ZionSir, – The recent German- Israeli summit cannot be seen as completely convincing.It is not enough for survivors who worked in a Nazi-run ghetto to receive full recognition under Germany’s social insurance law.There is also a need to apologize, especially to those concerned.By the way, Berlin is not the best place in Germany to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Israeli-German diplomatic ties. There are other cities – for example Hamburg, with a growing, dynamic Jewish community.Visiting the famous Grindelviertel, with its great Jewish history, would be a much better idea!RASMUS HELT
HamburgSir, – I’ve had the Post delivered to my door for over seven years. Not always do I agree with all that is written, but I was disturbed by what I saw on February 26 (“A photo worth 1,000 tweets?”).Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in Israel from Germany on a mission to show friendship and support for the State of Israel. We read “Merkel awarded Presidential Medal of Distinction.”Then, on the same page there appears a photo that, due to an unintended fluke, depicts the image of the most hated person the world has ever known. This surely was an insult and should never have been aired to the public.There are other items of interest going on in Israel that never get published.The photo of a shadowed mustache on a high official is not funny. It should have hit the trash can, not the newspaper.LENNY BOLNICKJerusalemSir, – They’ve done it again. Every time a big shot visits Israel (most recently it was German Chancellor Angela Merkel), the powers that be close Route 1. Until the big procession of limousines and fancy jeeps passes, the main highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is closed.This is intolerable. Thousands of our citizens are being harassed for the benefit of an entourage that has maybe 40 people. We are made late for weddings or, God forbid, funerals. We are prevented from being on time for medical appointments that we made months in advance. One Friday afternoon we were almost late for Shabbat candle- lighting.What should we do? Abandon our cars and hiked to our destination? When, oh when, will somebody invent the helicopter? That, of course, was a joke. As a former “Connecticut Yankee” I lived not far from the Sikorsky helicopter plant in the 1950s. These things have been puttering around in the sky ever since. So what’s the problem?THELMA JACOBSONPetah TikvaCalling Mr. StorrsSir, – In regard to Daniel K. Eisenbud’s “Cinema City makes Jerusalem big-screen debut” (February 26), it isn’t about whether the complex should be open on Shabbat or not. The question is, how did the plans for this architectural mess get approved in the first place? The complex is right next to our stately and dignified Supreme Court and looks like a cheap circus tent. I am astonished that community and government planners have such limited understanding of the beauty of Jerusalem’s skyline.(Or maybe it is their lack of taste that allows them to build a monstrosity that reminds one of a tacky water park.) When, during the period of the British mandate, Ronald Storrs issued the edict to erect all of the city’s buildings with Jerusalem stone, he was on to something.Where is our Ronald Storrs when we need him?DEBRA NUSSBAUM STEPENJerusalem