By JERUSALEM POST READERSLetters 370(photo credit: REUTERS)
Sir, –According to “Peres: PM nixed deal with PA in final stages 3 years ago” (May 7), President Shimon Peres was on the verge of a “peace” deal but Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ordered him to stop.The deal would have had Israel agreeing to a Palestinian state in return for Abbas “recognizing” Israel as the Jewish state. Sounds great.But wait a second – there was no agreement about the Palestinian “right of return” to the Jewish state although it was agreed that the problem would be resolved (after the Palestinian state was up and running) in what the Post termed “an agreed and just manner.”What does that mean? Israel would by then be hard-pressed to say no while the Palestinians insisted on seven or maybe eight million – at which point the UN would seek a “compromise” of five million or six million. Not too much chance of a Jewish state then.After only a few minutes of thinking through the consequences of a binding Peres-Abbas agreement, it is hard to see that this grand “peace” deal would be anything more than a pernicious formula for our annihilation. Thanks, but no thanksJAC FRIEDGUT JerusalemUntenable situationSir, –Daniel Tauber (“Leaving us with little choice,” For Zion’s Sake, May 1) deserves congratulations for his succinct analysis of the Israeli political system. By pointing out that effectively there is little public representation and thus our votes hold little sway with politicians, the country is going down the slippery slope to dictatorship, totalitarianism and repression of minority views – an untenable situation.The position of president is only ceremonial. However, the incumbent continually makes political statements that are beyond his jurisdiction and diametrically opposite to government policy. Our leaders have failed to rein him in.The election of a new president cannot be left to politicians who can’t distinguish between ceremonial and political roles. Candidates who once held political positions should be banned from standing – they have done their service.The Knesset is apparently more concerned with stabilizing shaky coalitions.In addition, numerous financial scandals have revealed corruption at the highest levels for many years. This is a clear warning that our politicians and public servants are myopic.As we celebrate 66 years of renewed statehood, we should turn to our prophets of old and heed their dire warnings before we bring on ourselves yet another calamity.COLIN L. LECI JerusalemRaucous eveningSir, –We returned home Monday evening after a joyful Independence Day celebration at the home of friends. We live in an apartment building that overlooks the park in Jerusalem’s San Simon neighborhood.Usually, the park is a lovely, quiet place where families gather, children frolic and elderly people stroll.But not on this night. A group of rowdies had gathered near the memorial that commemorates the Battle of Katamon and the brave men who fell there in 1948. These rowdies were men in their 20s or older.They had a boom box and had turned the volume up as high as it could go.The noise was deafening and continued without letup until after 5 a.m. They ignored all requests to stop.Two calls to the police only evoked the terse response: It’s the law; they can do whatever they want on the holiday.A law that permits and encourages such disgraceful behavior does not support the meaningful observance of the holiday. It allows hooligans to distort its significance and act out its desecration.It is to be hoped that the persons who are responsible for this law will consider its current misuse and propose a more appropriate way to mark the holiday.ELLEN SUCOV Jerusalem
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