Letters to the editor: ‘Miriam Margolyes is anti-Israel, anti-reality’
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Letters to the editor: ‘Miriam Margolyes is anti-Israel, anti-reality’

Send us your comments: PO Box 815, Edgware, HA8 4SX | letters@thejngroup.com

Miriam Margolyes plays Alice, a woman living with dementia in lockdown, in Louise Coulthard's new online production, Watching Rosie
Miriam Margolyes plays Alice, a woman living with dementia in lockdown, in Louise Coulthard's new online production, Watching Rosie

Anti-Israel, anti-reality

Last week’s interview with Miriam Margolyes (Jewish News, 30 July) caught my attention, particularly where she told your writer: “I’m an anti-Zionist. I have seen the devastation and misery the Palestinian population is experiencing from the beginning of Israel’s creation. Every day, I’m reminded of the Holocaust and the terrible things that have been done to our people. I don’t forget or overlook that. I just don’t want us to be doing similar things to other people in the misguided belief that we have the right to do so. We don’t.’’

Please, Miriam, did you see the concentration camps, and what about the gas chambers, or are the real enemies the Jews, and the good people the Palestinians? It is very clear that some Jews, in order to be fair, bend over backwards to befriend the enemy. 

What the Israelis are doing is to live in peace and look after our own. I’ve read many interviews with Israeli Arabs who would rather live under Israeli rule than the Palestinian Authority. I will go even further and say that even Palestinians living under the Palestinian Authority would prefer Israeli rule. 

Thousands of Palestinians come into Israel to work, earn good wages and are happy. Most of the Arab world now openly condemns the Palestinians for wasting the last 70 years. 

When Yasser Arafat died, he left his wife and daughter money that should have been left to the Palestinian people. 

I really feel sorry for the Palestinians, who did not have the sense to choose real leaders. Even you, Miriam, would have been better than all their rubbish leaders.

S Solomon, Hendon

Intellectual theory vs reality

From her comments, Ms Margolyes is clearly an enemy within, a person of faith who hides behind a veil of anti-Israel/anti-Zionism which, like her declared hero, is certainly very Corbynesque.

She is another intellectual claiming to be a champion of the so-called long-suffering Palestinians.

Intellectual theory is one thing, dealing with reality is quite another matter.

Stephen Vishnick, Tel Aviv

 

Anti-Bibi demo   

Regarding last weekend’s Jewish-organised protest against the Israel prime minister outside the UK embassy, I bet they are the pride and joy of their communities and are also global experts on Covid, corruption and democracy – which is handy because Bibi is the democratically elected leader of Israel and people outside israel don’t vote in Israeli elections. I bet none of the 150 protesters has won an election of any kind. It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of them aren’t even Jewish, even if they claim to be.

William Comet, By email

Abortion law

Sylvia Rothschild says the Jewish view is clear, that we should not police women’s bodies and prevent abortion (Jewish News, 30 July). The reason abortion is clearly forbidden in Jewish law has nothing to do with policing women’s bodies, but is to prevent the life of a baby, created by the mother, being snubbed out because the mother has decided that, in fact, she doesn’t want her child to live, and Jewish law protects this child. The only exception to this rule is to save the pregnant mother’s life.

Ann Cohen, Golders Green

Help bid us bon voyage!

Magnolia Court

I work at Magnolia Court Care Home in Golders Green where many of our residents are Jewish, and write to ask the Jewish community of the local area to help us with a new project. 

This involves us taking our residents on a ‘virtual cruise’ where the world is our oyster. We are asking people to help inspire us with travel ideas with recollections of their own travels, suggesting places that we may ‘visit’ on this magical tour. If any of your readers have had a special experience somewhere and don’t mind calling our activities team on 020 8731 9881, I would be extremely grateful.  

Courtney Moncur, By email

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