I generally try not to read Gershon Baskin’s Encountering Peace columns.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Curious reading I generally try not to read Gershon Baskin’s Encountering Peace columns. However, I was curious to see what being Jewish meant to him (“Being Jewish,” November 16). It seems to me there are some serious contradictions in his thinking that he might want to consider.He states that he is an atheist and yet Israel is his historic homeland. If he does not believe in God, and God gave the Land of Israel to the Jews, what right does he have to this homeland? Another point he makes is that the most un-Jewish thing he can think of is forcing the Palestinian Arabs out of Judea and Samaria.First, nobody is trying to force the Palestinians out of Judea and Samaria. Second, is it more Jewish to force Jews out of Judea and Samaria? I cannot understand why my children have fewer rights there than any Arab living there.Yet another point is claiming that if we don’t give the Palestinians a state, we will be forcing them into a non-democratic situation.Everyone knows that a Palestinian state would be far from democratic. If each Palestinian could have his wish without being afraid for his life, I am sure each would opt to continue being under Israeli rule.NANCY CHERNOFSKYJerusalemWhy indict Gopstein? Regarding “Gopstein close to indictment for racism, violence” (November 14), why racism? I did not know that someone who wants to stop intermarriage in Israel between Arab and Jew is called a racist.Anyone who knows Jewish law knows this is Torah, not racism. Calling a girl and telling her she shouldn’t date an Arab is not racism – it is called saving a Jewish girl. And calling on an Arab not to date a Jewish girl is not violence.If the State Attorney’s Office would investigate such intermarriage, prosecutors would educate themselves on how girls will suffer from beatings and forced sex.Yes, Bentzi Gopstein sang a song about Dr.Baruch Goldstein, who was his good friend and well as my friend. If arrests had been made for Arab incitement and leftist incitement, numerous Jews would not have died in Dr. Goldstein’s arms. His Hebron home would not have been filled with blood from Jews whose life he had to save from stabbings.Why did the police not arrest the Arabs who, on Purim in Hebron’s Cave of the Patriarchs, disrupted the Megilla reading with shouts “Kill the Jews!” Why keep quiet about how the Arabs had axes and axed Dr. Goldsteins body? Can anyone explain how the Arabs got the axes into the Cave of the Patriarchs? It is much easier in the name of “democracy” to try and indict Bentzi Gopstein, who is running Lehava, a legal organization that operates in a lawful way. It is long past time for the arrest of Palestinian leaders, and even Arab MKs, who openly incite violence.CHAIM GINSBERGMa’aleh AdumimWhy ignore Hebron? Each year, thousands of people gather to celebrate the Torah portion of Hayei Sara, which relates the details of Abraham purchasing the final resting place for his wife.This deal culminated in the first purchase of land in Israel, creating the Cave of the Patriarchs, which houses the remains of our forefathers.The site is in Hebron and is 4,000 years old. Its stature is one of the most holy and revered Jewish places on earth.An unprecedented 35,000 people recently celebrated the Torah portion in Hebron. However, it appeared to be a non-event, as I searched the columns of my favorite newspaper for information.The Jerusalem Post totally ignored it.RUBY RAY KARZENJerusalemOur other MIAsI got very upset when I read “Inhuman trafficking” (Editorial, November 9), regarding our soldiers missing in action.More soldiers are missing! What about the missing from our first war in Lebanon?R. EISENJerusalemDangerous sidewalksIt’s become dangerous to walk on the sidewalks of Jerusalem. Motorized and regular bicycles suddenly appear on sidewalks, whizzing by at high speeds. Senior citizens and everyone else are at risk of injury. Even jumping out of the way can be dangerous.Two ideas: 1. If regular bicycles are allowed on sidewalks, require them to have a bell or some other device to sound a warning. 2. Have schools teach about the need for safety and consideration on sidewalks.It should be a simple fact: Pedestrians, not bicycles, have the right of way.TZVIA EHRLICH-KLEINJerusalemCORRECTION: In “Hotovely and the iceberg” (Our World, November 10), it was stated that David Myers “is a member of several BDS groups including Jewish Voices for Peace, J Street, the New Israel Fund, and If Not Now.” It should have stated that he “is a member of several BDS groups or groups connected to BDS funding, including Jewish Voices for Peace, J Street, the New Israel Fund, and If Not Now.”
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