Fake bill of goods Sir, – I find it nothing short of ludicrous that there are still questions being asked about the Gush Katif expulsion (“‘If I had to do it again, I’d make them drag me out by my hair,’” July 23).Are we forgetting that we live in a country that after 15 or more years of planning and building, still doesn’t have a light rail system operating in Jerusalem? Or that the train ride from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem after decades of talk, drawing boards and possibly some digging still takes a donkey’s lifetime to reach its destination? How did we ever believe that moving Gush Katif’s 8,000 people and supplying them with housing, education and employment – in short, the basics they needed – could be planned and executed by any government in just a few months. But that’s exactly what they sold us.Won’t we ever learn?HOWARD BURG NetanyaGagging Boney MSir, – A short article tucked away on Page 9 of the July 23 Jerusalem Post mentions how the Palestinians ordered the 1970s disco group Boney M, which was performing in Ramallah, not to sing “By the Rivers of Babylon,” whose chorus quotes from the book of Psalms in referring to the exiled Jewish people’s yearning to return to the biblical land of Israel (“Boney M told to forget ‘Babylon’ at W. Bank gig”).This little incident could easily go unnoticed. Yet it is just another example of the crime of cultural and historical genocide being perpetrated by the Palestinian regime in an attempt to rob the Jewish people of its culture and history, especially anything that connects it to the Land of Israel (which is just about the entire Bible).It is time that the Jewish people and true human rights organizations world-wide wake up and protest loudly this crime being committed against the Jewish people’s history. This is incitement at its peak, and the true root of the entire Middle East conflict – the denial by the Arab and Palestinian regimes of the Jewish people’s ancient and historical connections to the land.LARRY BIGIO Zichron Ya’akov Do-it-yourself Singapore Sir, – It’s quite interesting to think that the international community would like to see Gaza become another Singapore (“Hong Kong? Singapore? Don’t hold your breath,” July 23).During my recent visit to Singapore I experienced a country that was beautiful, not only in its physical appearance but in the beauty of its citizens, who were kind and generous. In addition, there was a sense of serenity.It is the Singaporean government that took action to make sure the country is what it is today. Palestinians should not wait for others to make changes – they should take charge and make a change for themselves.CHAYA HEUMAN Ginot ShomronPower of imagery Sir, – Freedom of speech does not include the right to shout fire in a crowded theater. Neither does it include the right to incite hatred of minority groups, be they Arabs, haredim, settlers or political opponents (“Shenkar student slammed for using totalitarian imagery against the Right,” July 22).The excuse given by Itzik Rennert, head of the visual communication department at Shenkar, that the imagery in question was not specifically Nazi, was as disingenuous as saying a swastika was not specifically a Nazi symbol as it had been used in India for decorative purposes centuries ago.If there is a danger to Israel’s democracy it is from Yossi Even- Kama and his like, be they on the extreme Left or on the extreme Right.DAVID STEINHARTPetah Tikva
Let’s hear it for CUFI Sir, – Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, talked at an event in Washington, DC, where 4,500 Christians marched to demonstrate their support for Israel.Regrettably, this event did not get its deserved media coverage.Since The Jerusalem Post also failed to publish this pro-Israel event, I hope your readers will Google “Christians United for Israel” and learn about it. It is gratifying to know that CUFI boasts 420,000 members, all standing up for Israel.LEONARD KAHN Zichron Ya’akov