By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Temple MountWith regard to “Temple Mount crisis ‘coming to an end,’ says Liberman” (July 30), Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for days of rage to get the metal detectors removed from the Temple Mount. After they were removed, there were further calls for days of rage.We won the 1967 war and our soldiers shouted “The Temple Mount is in our hands!” But then the government took it out of their hands and gave control to the Jordanian-controlled Wakf Muslim Trust. Today, it’s the same government – only the names have changed. It gave in to the Muslims’ demand to remove the metal detectors, cameras and security that are badly needed on the Temple Mount, yet the more we give, the more they demand.It is way past time that our government stood firm and used deadly methods of riot control.It’s time we showed the Muslims that rage will not help, and time we showed the world that Jewish blood is not cheap.Pride! Let us show some pride!CHAIM GINSBERG, Ma’aleh AdumimI am not Israeli. I do not live in Israel. I have not served in the IDF. I am just a guy who cares about Israel enough to spend as much time as possible in the country where close friends and family members live and serve in the IDF and contribute to the country’s taxes and welfare.But have the Israeli government and security agencies taken leave of their senses? Is the current government of Israel as myopic, naive and reckless as the one that handed over the Temple Mount lock, stock and rocks to the Wakf post-Six Day War? Something deranged, dangerous and delinquent is afflicting the State of Israel. Its backbone is battered. Its resolve is weak. Its policies are muddled.LEVI J. ATTIAS, Gibraltar
I would like to thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the money I keep winning.When Israel has any interaction with the Arabs, such as the recent controversy regarding the metal detectors and cameras on the Temple Mount, my friends and I bet as to what he will do. I always bet that he will capitulate and surrender.Thank you, Mr. Netanyahu. I have never lost money on you yet. But my gain is Israel’s loss.In the American military they say “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” It’s time for our prime minister to get out of the way.ALEX STERNBERG, HerzliyaAn after-thought?In “New York exhibit remembers Europe’s lost synagogues” (July 30), the word “Holocaust” appears only toward the end, seemingly as an after-thought.The article attributes the destruction of European synagogues to World War II, as if those buildings were simply random structures that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.The synagogues mentioned were not random casualties of World War II or Kristallnacht.They were deliberately targeted by the Gestapo, SS and Wehrmacht for destruction and desecration.In fact, Kristallnacht occurred almost 10 months before the war began.This article, probably unwittingly, smacks of Holocaust denial or at the very least minimization – an effort that sadly is being continued by others in Europe today.ANDERSON HARKOV, Modi’inInspiring organizationWith regard to “How volunteering becomes a way in for millennials distanced from the Jewish community” (July 30), how refreshing it is to get a different slant on young American Jews! Thank you for telling us about this inspiring organization and some of its members. Branches of Repair the World are definitely needed, not only throughout the US but in Israel and all other countries.RIVKA ZAHAVY, Jerusalem‘Boring’ delicacy In Gloria Deutsch’s restaurant review of Lilyot in Tel Aviv (Billboard, July 28), she describes the salad her vegan companion chose for a first course as “quite boring,” but states that “for a vegan it was probably a delicacy.”Ms. Deutsch apparently doesn’t know about vegan food – or vegans. Why would she assume that something “boring” would be considered a delicacy by people who appreciate good food? Perhaps she could take the time to find out what vegans actually eat. She would discover an abundance of delicious and interesting foods that even a carnivore would enjoy.NANCY MORIN , EfratJews and climateI was very pleased to see “In Jerusalem, Abrahamic faith leaders unite against global warming” (July 27). It discusses a climate- change forum at the Jerusalem Press Club during which a rabbi, a Catholic priest and a kadi (Islamic judge), “all esteemed leaders within their faiths,” stressed the urgency of applying their religions’ teachings in an effort to reduce climate change.As the rabbi, David Rosen, the American Jewish Committee’s international director of interreligious affairs, put it: “Today, [climate change] is a matter of life and death... [and if] we are people of faith, there is no option but to make it a major focus of our activity.”As we all suffer during a long period of very high temperatures in what might be the fourth consecutive year of record temperatures worldwide; as melting glaciers and polar icecaps cause oceans to rise; as deserts expand and droughts, storms and other climate events become more severe; and as climate scientists warn us that we are approaching a tipping point when climate change will spiral out of control, it is urgent that Jews lead efforts to stabilize the climate before it is too late.SHOSHANA DOLGIN-BE’ER, JerusalemSurviving with dignityI write on behalf of tens of thousands of elderly Israeli citizens who are being abandoned by the country that they and their families have served loyally over the years.The situation is as follows: As we get older, many of us suffer from debilitating medical conditions.Although we can still stand on our feet, we are unable to manage in a normal way. We apply to the National Insurance Institute for assistance from a caregiver but are often turned down even though multiple doctors certify that we are unable to function on our own.When you live alone, this is devastating. If one has the financial means to go into assisted living or hire a foreign worker, well and good. But what of those of us who have very limited financial means and cannot afford external help? At present, the NII authorizes some nine hours a week of assistance for those it finds totally handicapped, which increases to 21 hours in the most extreme cases.I would suggest that it authorize a minimum of three hours per week for those individuals who cannot manage on their own but are still mobile. This would allow them to live their lives with some dignity. What is one supposed to do if one can no longer do the laundry or mop the floor? I beg for a public outcry to help the elderly survive with dignity.ANNABELLE HOROWITZ, Petah TikvaCORRECTIONUnlike what was stated in “Will Amnesty lose its nonprofit status for anti-Israel activities?” (July 31), Amnesty International condemned the terrorist attack in which a Palestinian massacred three members of the Salomon family while they were eating dinner at home in Halamish on July 21. The condemnation came within a news release headlined “Amnesty International Israel: Appalled by politicians’ calls for the death penalty, condemns all violence against civilians.”
