Letters to the editor: ‘No justification for support’

No justification for support

I was astonished to hear from the lips of Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, a prominent Jewish supporter of the Palestinians, that suicide bombing is “understandable”. Worse, we have also heard this from Baroness Tonge, who once said if she were Palestinian she too would understand the bomber.

Even worse, Tony Greenstein (ex-Labour Party) also stated to me that sometimes “people have to die for the cause”. Is it just me who is totally gobsmacked at the concept of mass murder as “understandable” because it appears to be within the remit of the Left to include suicide bombing as a statement?

Here are my questions to the three mentioned above: do you also excuse the Manchester Arena suicide bomber who in May, murdered women and children for the greater good of the Caliphate? And, second, is it only the Palestinian suicide bomber who murders dozens of people in Israel who is excusable?

I’m sure many Jews devoted to the Zionist cause will agree that if the bombing of the Kind David Hotel in 1946 was “not in our name”, then equally we should condemn the concept adopted by the above as abhorrent.

I am therefore inviting Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Tonge and Greenstein to respond to my question, in this publication, to explain how they justify mass murder.

Mike Abramov, By email

Embassy move comes up Trumps 

President Trump has ordered the American Embassy be moved to Jerusalem, demonstrating, he says, “it is time to officially recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel”.

He is recognising, not making, and in so doing also accepting that the many years of turning a blind eye to the fact have not brought peace, or the prospects of peace, in the area any closer.

Thank you, Mr President.  Along with so many, I have been, and remain, critical of some of your seemingly hasty Tweets, but this time I really cannot help but say you have come up Trumps!

I also believe that in time those who have thought otherwise, or at least said that they thought otherwise, will add their thanks to you too. Israel IS already and Jerusalem IS its capital.

Hasten  the day when the nations will beat their swords into ploughshares. Hasten the day when the world will be at peace and, wherever nations might choose to put their embassies, there will be no doubt and no doubters that Israel IS and Jerusalem IS its capital.

Jack Lynes, By email

A need to learn respect

There’s a clear parallel between the threats of a new Palestinian uprising in the wake of President Donald Trump’s recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the invasion by Arab forces following Israel’s Declaration of Independence in 1948.

If the Palestinians really want international acceptance, they need to learn about mutual respect which, after all these years, seems to remain an alien concept to them.

The war-mongering of Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League’s Ahmed Aboul Gheit serves absolutely no purpose other than to further inflame the situation.

Barry Borman, Edgware

No way to work together

I was amazed and pleased that a well-run and democratic newspaper such as yours gave the oxygen of publicity to a Stamford Hill writer  – Levi Scapiro – when it would be impossible to find a copy of Jewish News in any Charedi household.

Mr Shapiro, who is hardly known in Stamford Hill, pleads that “we must work together”. Yet he lives among a group of tribes who hardly have anything to say to each other. Having experienced the low level of intelligence among the new generation of Orthodox Jews in this area, in my opinion they could not organise a wine tasting in a vineyard, let alone bring the different tribes together.

Noach Bright, Stamford Hill

60  years on, the heroic legacy of beersheba

Your article [Jewish News, 2 November] on the battle of Beersheba was very interesting and rightly celebrated the heroes of the Australian Forces.

However, we should not forget the role of the British soldiers who were also there at the time.

My father, who was in the City of London Regiment, was wounded at Beersheba  and taken to hospital in Alexandria.

Here, the Jewish ladies in traditional style helped the wounded, unlike their Christian counterparts.

My father subsequently visited Israel in 1977 and was amused when  people asked if it was his first visit,

He was able to say: “Oh no, I was here 60 years ago with Allenby.”

Dorothy Tuwie, NW11 

IT’s forever our capital

The reaction to the announcement that the US has recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and, consequently, will move it’s embassy into the city has been fascinating.

Politicians’ criticisms seem to rest on three points – President Trump’s involvement; its impact on the peace process; it being a bargaining chip during final agreement negotiations. Media reaction has been almost entirely based on its view of Trump.

Interestingly, politicians of all main parties across the western world seem almost in total agreement that Jerusalem is, always has been and always will be the capital of Israel.

Politicians and diplomats have failed miserably to find a solution to this whole Israel/Palestinian issue for 70 years, and anybody who still believes it is simply a matter for negotiation during settlement of a final agreement is naïve or stupid.

Harry Levy, Pinner