The 1949 armistice agreement signed with Jordan contained a stipulation that Jews could visit the Western Wall.
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)History lesson In light of the old adage “He who fails to learn from history is likely to repeat it,” I wonder why people are surprised at the events on the Temple Mount.The 1949 armistice agreement signed with Jordan contained a stipulation that Jews could visit the Western Wall. During the 19 years of Jordanian occupation, no Jew was allowed to visit.When it came time to arrange the so-called peace treaty with Jordan in 1994, our eager negotiators, dying for a ceremony in the sunlit Arava, abrogated Israel’s sovereignty over the area by appointing Jordan as the “custodian and guardian of Islamic sites.” Obviously, those negotiators ignored the way Jordan upheld the 1949 armistice deal (and today, Jordan is turning to the European Union against Israel).It’s the same with the Iran deal.The “successful” US negotiators with the North Koreans over that country’s nuclear program included Ms. Wendy Sherman, who was more recently a key figure in the talks with Iran. Then, too, US dollars flowed into North Korea to help its economy and, more importantly, stop its nuclear activities. Pyongyang gladly accepted the dollars but secretly continued its research.Using a naval exercise by the US and South Korea as an excuse, the North Koreans are now threatening the US with nuclear attack. This shows that no one - not US President Barack Obama (who in any case wanted an agreement with Iran, and at any price), not Secretary of State John Kerry, and certainly not Ms.Sherman - learned a lesson from the agreement with North Korea.If they knew anything about the Middle East, they would have known that to enter into a Persian souk is dangerous and that, generally, you end up paying a higher price than the item is worth.How did that song go? When will they ever learn....
EMANUEL FISCHER JerusalemBring on the dogs There is a very simple solution to the current Temple Mount problem: Bring on the Israel Police’s dog division to patrol and restore order at the holy site.The highly-trained dogs and their resourceful handlers will very soon earn the respect of the Palestonean rock throwers. I can assure you that our four-legged canine friends will not allow their two-legged Canaanite adversaries to continue to wreak havoc and mayhem there and elsewhere in Jerusalem, disturbing the sanity and sanctity of the holy city.So for heaven’s sake, hurry up and bring on the dogs, even if by using this non-human system we risk further provoking the ire and irritation of our numerous critics.DAVID HERMAN JerusalemHot pants Regarding “Abbas: We won’t allow Israel to desecrate holy sites” (September 17), all I can say is: Liar, liar, pants on fire! The Muslims don’t take care of their own holy sites. The Aksa Mosque is used to store weapons. There is broken glass, and chairs are strewn around. Boys play sports on what they call “holy ground.”If that isn’t enough, the Muslims destroy Christian holy sites and make Christians’ lives miserable.Who in their right mind would believe Abbas’s promises? If his lips are moving, he is lying. If the people choose to believe him, they have only themselves to blame.SYLVIA WEISSMANN JerusalemIcy boycott The report that Reykjavik’s municipality will be boycotting Israeli goods (“Iceland’s capital city to boycott all Israeli products,” September 17) is amusing.If the city’s citizens really mean to boycott Israel, then any international banks using Israeli software or hardware will have to be boycotted. Airlines will have to be boycotted, and smartphones never used again.Is this a decision that will allow the residents of Reykjavik to feel good, or is it a serious decision? We have to remember that the people of Iceland are settlers from Norway.Therefore, all of their exports should be labeled as such.The actions of the city of Reykjavik and elsewhere in Europe are aimed at Jews. They are using the term “Israel,” but they mean Jews.MICHAEL H. DAVIS Rishon LezionI hope all of Europe boycotts itself back to the Dark Ages. In addition, we ourselves should deny Europe access to any Israeli invention or hi-tech innovation. Why stop at products?FREYA BINENFELD Petah TikvaJealous chief rabbis? Nowhere in “Chief rabbis accuse ICEJ of missionary work” (September 17) is there mention of proof regarding their allegations.As usual, the rabbinate decries “outside” organizations that raise money for Israeli citizens.Perhaps it’s because they are jealous of these efforts.Maybe they are hiding under an inferiority complex for not having achieved what the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem has achieved.Further, their actions seem to show that they lack the moral and spiritual strength to counteract any alleged missionary activity.URI HIRSCH NetanyaFeeling threatenedI received a rather disturbing email from a friend of mine, referring to the Iran deal. She wrote: “This whole thing really is affecting me. I am very worried and infuriated at the same time. That is not a good combination! What makes it worse is hearing other people, (especially) Jews, supporting [US President Barack] Obama.”As a life-long registered Democrat and a strong supporter of Israel, I am distressed that my friend feels this way. I, too, am troubled that a healthy majority of members of Congress and American citizens are against the deal. But what bothers me most is that, in spite of all the cited opposition, this flawed deal is being circuitously implemented by the Obama administration.Those who support the deal readily admit that it is imperfect but also claim that it is better than war. Yet they are wrong – dead wrong, in the same manner that British prime minister Neville Chamberlain was wrong.Chamberlain’s 1938 deal with Hitler meant goodwill, but it showed weakness. It inadvertently encouraged aggression, which ultimately led to war. The iconic bumper sticker that says “War is not the answer” is precisely why the Iran deal is the last thing anyone should want.My friend has a son and grandchildren living in Israel. I fully understand and share her concern.STEVEN WENICK Cherry Hill, New JerseyFeeling safe I was on holiday in Israel in August. I remember beautiful moments, such as sipping a glass of wine in the wine bar of the De Karina chocolate factory at Ein Zivan while my two-year-old son played with some hi-tech bottle opener. My other children were making sweets in the workshop, and my wife was drinking her Viennese chocolate coffee in the coffee shop.Outside I could see care-free children playing in the sunshine and, in the distance, the beautiful chalets of the kibbutz’s lodge nestling up to a modern swimming pool complex.A few kilometers away was a road sign with an obscurely marked four-digit number, denoting an IDF base. Just kilometers beyond, inside Syria, were units of the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front, and a few dozen kilometers beyond them were units belonging to Islamic State. But I felt safe. So did the villagers and other visitors to the area.On Yom Kippur, we sometimes concentrate on the curses in Ki Tavo. However, we must remember overwhelmingly the message of love and our divine protection at this time of year, and what we have to do to keep it.HAROLD MILLER London
