Letters to the Editor: Radiohead in its right place

Radiohead in its right place

We must doff our caps to the guts shown by Radiohead against the arrogance and bullying of Roger Waters and Ken Loach. Artists for Palestine is just another front for the left-wing to support a cause they do not understand. However, this is not my point. My point is the sheer lack of sensitivity shown by Loach and Waters.

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke replied after about four weeks to the request not to play in Tel Aviv. This might be due to the fact he was so shocked by the request and offended. Let us not overlook the fact that guitarist Jonny Greenwood has an Israeli wife. Is there a dilemma? Pink Floyd was one of my all time favourite bands. Do I stop listening to their music because of Waters’ absurd politics? Do we stop watching Ken Loach films for the same reasons? Answer: Yes!

Mike Abramov, By email

All in one state makes an easy target

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is reported to have said: “If Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide.” (Jewish News, 22 June).

Where are the Jewish leaders worldwide with the courage, wisdom and vision to say that, for the continuation of the Jewish people, concepts and beliefs, the preponderance of a very large proportion of Jews in a very small area of land is completely undesirable, and constitutes the circumstances readily available for a further Holocaust to happen.

Martin Saffer, North Finchley

There must be zero tolerance for Jew-hatred

I’ve always been proud of being a Jew living in such a tolerant country as England.

My own tolerance has been severely tested in light of recent events such as the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic bias so prevalent at the BBC; the government allowing the display of Hezbollah flags and no sign of an official Royal state visit to Israel.

This country must have zero tolerance to anti-Semitism and any statements or activities calling for Israel’s destruction. Since the Royal family have visited many countries that do not share our British values, surely they can go to one that does?

J D Milaric, By email

Is there a JFS memorial for heroes of Great War?

My great uncle, Harry Levy, was killed at Passchendaele on 4 October 1917.

Harry had attended the Jews’ Free School from 1899 until 1906, but I cannot find a JFS war memorial that commemorates him or indeed the dozens (perhaps hundreds) of other former pupils and staff who were killed in the Great War.

Did the school commemorate its fallen? If not, why not?

If any Jewish News readers can shed any light on this question, I would be grateful if they would contact me through the newspaper.

Derek Starve, Kfar Sava, Israel

Research is misleading

Your article, ‘Jewish vote cost Labour in London’ (Jewish News, 22 June), and the research cited is interesting, but some findings are misrepresented.

Dr Daniel Allington selected 13 adjoining constituencies in north-west London. But he omitted constituencies with different characteristics. Richmond Park and Twickenham experienced a fall in the Labour share of the vote, but neither has a significant Jewish population. By contrast, Ilford North saw an increase of 13.9 percentage points in the Labour vote, and Hackney North & Stoke Newington an increase of 12.2 percentage points – higher than London’s average 10.5.

The linear relationship identified is not present when the analysis is extended to the whole of London. Some constituencies with the very highest Jewish populations buck this trend – it is likely to have more to do with the nature of those Jewish communities, rather than the presence of Jews per se.

Daniel Vulkan, N2

What will Jez be?

I recently sent directly to Jeremy Corbyn a very simple question, but so far have not received a reply from the Labour leader. When, inevitably, this country has a civil war, will he be a Royalist or a Roundhead? Many of his followers have already made their preferences known.

Gary Spedding, By email

Real election winner

The community should be under no illusions about the General Election result. There was only one winner – and it wasn’t the winner. Theresa May remains in power but Jeremy Corbyn is in the box seat to be the next prime minister.

Adam Alexander, Stanmore

Failings led to Trump

Poor Isaac Cohen, who is very easily ‘angered and sickened’ by attacks
on Donald Trump (Jewish News, 29 June).

Notwithstanding Mr Trump’s apparent support for Israel (what happened to the promise to relocate the US Embassy to Jerusalem?) people across the world see a bullying, blustering, narcissistic, self-regarding sexist, a master of the fake news of which he accuses others and, most importantly, an unstable man with a finger on the nuclear button.

His election is down to the inadequacies of Barack Obama, who drew a red line and did not enforce it, and Hillary Clinton for her grinning and embrace of celebs who meant nothing to those who felt unrepresented by the elite. The rest of us live with the consequences.
Barry Hyman

Bushey Heath