By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Incitement, indeedYour reporter in “Yigal Amir film wins Ophir Award for Best Picture” (September 24) claims that it shows news footage “at a rally in which crowds called for the killing of Rabin.”I saw the movie and I don’t recall any crowds that called for the killing of Rabin. I also watched the nightly news here in Israel that year, and I don’t recall any crowds that called for the killing of Rabin. In fact, I personally stood in crowds protesting the Oslo Accords before the assassination and no crowd that I stood in ever called for the killing of Rabin.I think part of the point of the film Incitement was to set the record straight. It seemed to go out of its way to debunk a couple of myths, like the mock coffin at one demonstration (lamenting the death of Zionism, not calling for the death of Rabin) and the Rabin-as-SS-officer photo (on a handbill distributed by Avishai Raviv, not on a poster for all in the vicinity to see). So it’s a shame to see a myth intruding on a review of the movie itself.MARK L. LEVINSONHerzliyaThe article claiming that “crowds called for the killing of Rabin” effectively mimics the Christian Book of Matthew, which makes the outrageous claim that Jews at the crucifixion of Jesus called out, “His blood be on us and on our children!”Inaccurate/false formulas like these have spawned hatred and violence throughout history.
YAEL ZANGHIBat YamResolving the electoral stalemateIn view of the closeness of the voting, I propose that the post of prime minister be shared as follows:-• Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – Bibi• Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – Benny• Shabbats – Liberman, alternating with Litzman, who couldn’t smokeSTANLEY COHENJerusalemExtremism and rigidity seem once again to be triumphing – on both sides. Balad on the Joint List Party won’t back Gantz, Liberman calls the haredi parties “[just] political rivals but the Arabs and Joint List are enemies,” plus all Netanyahu’s incitement and the Nation-State Law and vows to annex much of West Bank and on and on. Extremism and rigidity – and fear of extremist violence against them as against Rabin and Sadat – destroy hopeful futures for everyone.JAMES ADLERCambridge, Massachusetts What we need now more than ever is shalom bayit. We are one nation and our politicians should realize that the time has come to put ego out of the way and strive for true unity to be able to face the problems on all sides and most of all the internal differences.VICKY SCHERJerusalemIt is my hope, perhaps forlorn, that President Reuven Rivlin will remind Avigdor Liberman that his Yisrael Beytenu only has eight seats. As such, he has not been authorized or mandated by the majority of the electorate to hold the country to ransom for his demands.Perhaps Rivlin can also explain to Liberman that his demands are mere posturing and in the broad landscape of Israel’s future make no sense. For example, insisting on drafting the haredim (and while I personally would like to see more haredim in the work force) would necessitate that the army undertake major structural changes to accommodate them. The IDF is already seriously over its required capacity; insisting that the haredim be drafted is no good for them, impracticable for the IDF and neither viable nor necessary for the security of the State of Israel.A second Liberman demand that public transport and services operate on Shabbat infringes on the very sanctity of the State of Israel. If certain areas of the country wish to introduce these measures, so be it, but it is certainly not the prerogative of Liberman or the Knesset to do.I hope Liberman can be brought to his senses. He is not the kingmaker but someone who is allowing his ego to stand in the way of what is good for the country: a national unity government that he claims to be his sole aim, but which he is doing all he can to prevent.ARNOLD EPSTEINJerusalemRegaling us with less-than-concealed glee regarding the reasons for the result following the latest election, Susan Hattis Rolef would do well to follow her own advice. In the current maelstrom of post-election negotiations and shenanigans, yes, patience will be paramount.As Harold Wilson British Labour prime minister said in the 1960s, “A week is a long time in politics.” If we relate this to the current Israeli situation, it appears replacing the word “week” with “day” would be more realistic/ appropriate.Yes, patience is a virtue, as is “think before one speaks.” It currently appears to be in very short supply.STEPHEN VISHNICKTel AvivIn witnessing first-hand the last two national elections in Israel, I am reminded of the fictional American political pundit of the last century, Peter Dunne’s Mr. Dooley, who wrote: “Me and the Republicans are enemies one day of the year – election day. The rest of the time it’s live and let live.”Even though we live in a multi-party rather than a two-party system, it still speaks to the point, that after the contentiousness of an election campaign, the time comes for governance – for cooperation rather than competition. It is hoped that this can be achieved through the present coalition system, but if not, perhaps the time will come for Israel to consider change through our constitutional process.MARION REISSBeit ShemeshKerry and IranKudos for including Seth Frantzman’s mention of John Kerry’s comments on Iran, albeit at the bottom of Page 4 (“Kerry agrees with Zarif: We declared ‘economic war,’” September 24)While the Jerusalem Post has published numerous op-eds extolling the Left’s worldview, the plain truth, as evidenced in the news section, is that the godfather of the Democratic Party’s foreign policy is still an Iranian supporter and an Israel hater. A return to Democratic Party leadership in America is a truly frightening notion.CHAIM ABRAMOWITZJerusalemEating to fastEytan Halon discusses the great amount of food wasted during the Tishrei holidays (“Quarter of the yearly food waste occurs during Tishrei holidays,” September 23). There is another even darker side to this particular coin. Many Jews – secular, traditional and Orthodox – take Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) very seriously. It is supposed to be a day of intense spiritual awakening emphasized by disconnecting from the physical (eating). But in preparation for the fast, many eat to overload during the supper before the fast and then eat to exhaustion immediately after the fast. My estimate: in the 36 hours enveloping the 25 hours of Yom Kippur, two to four times the normal amount of food is gorged. The same goes for the other high holidays where the emphasis is on food, food and more food.The Health Ministry states that the ultra-Orthodox are seven times more likely to be obese than the rest of the Israelis. The high holidays might be re-named the holidays of gluttony.YIGAL HOROWITZBeershebaSusana Terstal should make one realize that the EU will never accept our rights to the Jewish Land, but that’s okay because we don’t need its or anyone else’s acceptance for what is historically and forever the Land of Israel for the Jewish People.Oslo brought us death and destruction and the mistaken belief that our Land could and should be shared with our enemies who make no secret of their goal of destroying us. PA leader Mahmoud Abbas talks of the arch terrorist Yasser Arafat as his mentor in whose steps he proudly walks. Arafat, our “peace” partner, murdered and maimed over 1,000 Israelis with guns we provided.Unfortunately, we didn’t learn enough from that disaster. Terstal thinks that “dismantling Oslo would take everyone back to a much more radical and dangerous debate about who is more entitled to the entirety of the Land.” There is no history of ‘palestinians’ before the Arab League invented it in 1967 as a political ploy to destroy Israel. In 19 years of illegal Jordanian rule in the “West Bank” and Jerusalem, no one mentioned Palestinians or a Palestinian state or Jerusalem as their capital?Judea and Samaria, the heartland of the Jewish State. We are long overdue in taking a position on our full rights to this Land without any ifs, buts or maybes.PHYLLIS STERNNetanyaRegarding “Joint List Considers Endorsing Blue and White Leader” (September 22), as an expatriate South African who will never forget the accession to power of Nelson Mandela, I see a thrillingly similar scenario taking place in Israel today.Ayman Odeh is one of those rare gems: a peace seeker. Are we mature enough to appreciate an overture from Israeli Arabs to move toward peace?Odeh has shown up Netanyahu as the pathetic leader has been he has become. Netanyahu will never be the peacemaker who will meet Odeh half way.We are on the verge of something special. The shouting and dramatics between various avaricious politicians is camouflaging the miracle that is struggling to see the light of day.We sing “Shalom aleinu v’ al kol beit yisrael.” This includes the Arabs who live in Israel.Let’s do it. It could be the first step in a massive peace movement in the Middle East.SUSAN TUCKERNetanyaI read with bemusement “Jordan in trouble. Will the peace deal help?” (September 24)Who is in trouble – Jordan or Israel? The author omitted crucial fact that Israel’s refusal to commit itself to a Palestinian state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital living beside a secure Israel, and its strangulation of Palestinian rights and aspirations for over seven decades are bound to throw more youth into the raging fires of radicalization and desperation.Jordan has received biblical numbers of refugees and worked tirelessly to protect families, moral values and safeguard communities, peace and stability in an inflamed region. The Hashemite dynasty remains a linchpin for stability and moderation. The one-state solution that Israel heads to is an ugly undemocratic reality and the sooner it realizes this the better.DR. MUNJED FARID AL QUTOBLondon
