November 28: Honor Dr. Evatt

Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the historic United Nations vote in favor of partition which brought Israel into existence.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
letters to the editor (photo credit: )
letters to the editor
(photo credit: )
Honor Dr. Evatt Sir, - Tomorrow will be the 60th anniversary of the historic United Nations vote in favor of partition which brought Israel into existence. Every year at this time we hear the recording of this vote - Afghanistan - no, Australia - yes, etc. - without doing justice to the abrasive Australian who chaired the UN committee: Herbert V. Evatt. For months before the vote, Evatt had maneuvered among the delegates to obtain their support for partition, which only just received the necessary two-thirds majority - 31 for,13 against and 10 abstentions. David Mandel in his book The Undercover Zionist, as he calls Evatt, notes the opinion of the Polish delegate to the UN at the time: "Dr.Evatt - now there's a great man for you. Without him the Israelis would never have got in. He bullied, pleaded, cajoled and coaxed until he got the right number for them. He made himself their advocate and but for him the victory of their soldiers would have been taken away again." Surely Dr. Evatt deserves to be honored here in the same way as many others who played a vital role in the establishment of this country. SHLOMO MANNS Givatayim Better to grow veggies Sir, - I read the article "I, trapper" (November 27) with increasing disgust. If Lauren Walker wants to work hard for the thrill of providing her own dinner, she could grow vegetables without killing anything. No wonder her family finds it hard to accept her choice. Maybe her "shrink mother" could provide some professional as well as maternal insights. As for trying to explain her lifestyle by relating it to the Holocaust, it is beyond contemptible. Walker need not fear she would be a "victim": If she is proud of killing innocent creatures, enjoys it and can justify it to herself, she would be on the side of the perpetrators. LOUISE KATZ Jerusalem US Jews pro-peace Sir, - While Hilary Kreiger's portrayal of the almost complete silence on the part of the American Jewish organizational establishment regarding the upcoming Annapolis peace conference is accurate, she misses the mark by calling them "mainstream," implying that they represent the prevailing sentiment among American Jews ("US Jewish groups unusually mum amid summit skepticism," November 23). In fact, polls have consistently demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of American Jews agree with the aims of the Annapolis conference. Most recently, a survey in June 2007 found that 87 percent of American Jews support a two-state solution, while 68% are more likely to support a presidential candidate who promises to take an active role in the peace process. While the Jewish establishment seems to be suffering from a case of laryngitis on Annapolis, the pro-Israel, pro-peace majority has been getting our message across loud and clear. Last week, following intensive outreach to congressional offices by thousands of activists across the country, 135 members of Congress, including more than a third of the Jewish delegation, signed a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging her to seize and build on the opportunity to revive peace negotiations created by Annapolis. The letter was backed by the Union of Reform Judaism and AIPAC, among others. Support for Annapolis was echoed by a Rabbinic Call to American Jews issued by Brit Tzedek v'Shalom and signed by over 500 rabbis and cantors nationwide. It is high time that our community had leaders who realize that history has shown that Israel's security can only be brought about through successful peace negotiations. STEVE MASTERS President Brit Tzedek v'Shalom Philadelphia Teach courtesy Sir, - Re "Courteous Driving" (Letters, November 26). I just spent a month in America, and was amazed at the patience and discipline on the roads. Teaching kindergarten children courtesy (in general) is a good idea. Courteous driving would then come naturally when they are old enough to learn to drive. RACHEL RASBASH Ramat Efal