Shame on Obama Sir, – One of the most shocking and disgusting acts ever perpetrated by an American president was committed recently by Barak Obama when Jonathan Pollard, a prisoner for 25 years, was refused permission to see his dying father – even in shackles (“Jonathan Pollard’s father dies at 95,” June 19).One can only shake his head in incredulous disbelief at this inhumane act. No caring or compassionate person will forgive you, Mr. President. Shame on you!URI MILUNSKY NetanyaSir, – Jonathan Pollard has already been incarcerated for over a quarter of a century. This is unprecedented and unconscionable for any parallel crime.Pardons have been sought and often obtained for murderers and their ilk on the premise that they have reformed. Regretfully, not so for Pollard. What a travesty of justice.Now, to add a terrible insult to this injury, the White House refused to allow him to visit his dying father. How can President Obama sleep at night?NAOMI FEINSTEIN NordiyaSir, – MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) sent a condolence letter to Jonathan Pollard saying “The people of Israel will never forgive Obama for his cruelty in not taking action to free you from jail to visit your father.”Not much chance of that, I would say, as the people of Israel have shown only too often that their memories are short.Prime Minister Netanyahu should take note and remember how he gave in to Obama’s demands to free terrorists that had murdered our people, how he endangered his own people in order to make life easier for our enemies.Netanyahu should take note that this is the man he depends on for our security.EDITH OGNALL NetanyaThe glass half-full Sir, – Ziva Mekonen-Dego is quoted in “Young Sabras becoming less supportive of Aliya” (June 15) as being of the opinion that students of Ethiopian origin are made to feel like outcasts by the education system.The AMIT educational network’s educators try their hardest to believe in every immigrant student.They invest everything, with all their hearts, until every Ethiopian- born boy or girl feels at home in school, becomes part of society and experiences success. Thank God we see good results.A few examples can put things in prospective.Hadass Melda, a graduate of the AMIT ulpana in Beersheba and daughter of a family of Ethiopian immigrants, recently graduated from medical school.In 2010, all immigrant students at the AMIT ulpana in Haifa completed their matriculation exams successfully, as did those studying at the AMIT Nogah ulpana in Beit Shemesh. One of the members of the AMIT spiritual- educational committee is Kess Samai Alias, a young cleric from Rishon Lezion who helps us improve the way we connect with immigrant students.We are aware of the difficulties and bumps along the road, but it is important to see the full half of the glass.SHMULIK KLEIN Petah TikvaThe writer is spokesman for AMIT A better way Sir, – Mark L. Levinson’s letter (“Better democracy?,” June 14) missed the point.First, constituency elections elsewhere have proven to be superior to our disastrous system.It is not true that voters are “forced” to vote for a party they do not like. There have been innumerable cases (in the US, at least) in which voters have crossed party lines to vote for an individual deemed better than their favored party’s hack. That is impossible here.“All politics is local,” someone once said, and with a constituency system, should your representative fail to deliver on his promises, you can dump him for someone else while still voting for your favored party at the national level.No matter how much one might despise a party, the bulk of what’s important is not dependent upon who is in power. Reducing choice may actually be beneficial, particularly when you can present a menu of apples, oranges and tomatoes while eliminating the Bamba, potato crisps, ipecac, castor oil and arsenic.TREVOR DAVIS Asseret
June 21: Amir and Marwan
Marwan Barghouti is in jail for a reason. He is a murderer, not a political prisoner. Why would anybody at all consider him a partner?
Shame on Obama Sir, – One of the most shocking and disgusting acts ever perpetrated by an American president was committed recently by Barak Obama when Jonathan Pollard, a prisoner for 25 years, was refused permission to see his dying father – even in shackles (“Jonathan Pollard’s father dies at 95,” June 19).One can only shake his head in incredulous disbelief at this inhumane act. No caring or compassionate person will forgive you, Mr. President. Shame on you!URI MILUNSKY NetanyaSir, – Jonathan Pollard has already been incarcerated for over a quarter of a century. This is unprecedented and unconscionable for any parallel crime.Pardons have been sought and often obtained for murderers and their ilk on the premise that they have reformed. Regretfully, not so for Pollard. What a travesty of justice.Now, to add a terrible insult to this injury, the White House refused to allow him to visit his dying father. How can President Obama sleep at night?NAOMI FEINSTEIN NordiyaSir, – MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) sent a condolence letter to Jonathan Pollard saying “The people of Israel will never forgive Obama for his cruelty in not taking action to free you from jail to visit your father.”Not much chance of that, I would say, as the people of Israel have shown only too often that their memories are short.Prime Minister Netanyahu should take note and remember how he gave in to Obama’s demands to free terrorists that had murdered our people, how he endangered his own people in order to make life easier for our enemies.Netanyahu should take note that this is the man he depends on for our security.EDITH OGNALL NetanyaThe glass half-full Sir, – Ziva Mekonen-Dego is quoted in “Young Sabras becoming less supportive of Aliya” (June 15) as being of the opinion that students of Ethiopian origin are made to feel like outcasts by the education system.The AMIT educational network’s educators try their hardest to believe in every immigrant student.They invest everything, with all their hearts, until every Ethiopian- born boy or girl feels at home in school, becomes part of society and experiences success. Thank God we see good results.A few examples can put things in prospective.Hadass Melda, a graduate of the AMIT ulpana in Beersheba and daughter of a family of Ethiopian immigrants, recently graduated from medical school.In 2010, all immigrant students at the AMIT ulpana in Haifa completed their matriculation exams successfully, as did those studying at the AMIT Nogah ulpana in Beit Shemesh. One of the members of the AMIT spiritual- educational committee is Kess Samai Alias, a young cleric from Rishon Lezion who helps us improve the way we connect with immigrant students.We are aware of the difficulties and bumps along the road, but it is important to see the full half of the glass.SHMULIK KLEIN Petah TikvaThe writer is spokesman for AMIT A better way Sir, – Mark L. Levinson’s letter (“Better democracy?,” June 14) missed the point.First, constituency elections elsewhere have proven to be superior to our disastrous system.It is not true that voters are “forced” to vote for a party they do not like. There have been innumerable cases (in the US, at least) in which voters have crossed party lines to vote for an individual deemed better than their favored party’s hack. That is impossible here.“All politics is local,” someone once said, and with a constituency system, should your representative fail to deliver on his promises, you can dump him for someone else while still voting for your favored party at the national level.No matter how much one might despise a party, the bulk of what’s important is not dependent upon who is in power. Reducing choice may actually be beneficial, particularly when you can present a menu of apples, oranges and tomatoes while eliminating the Bamba, potato crisps, ipecac, castor oil and arsenic.TREVOR DAVIS Asseret