Letters to the editor: ‘Reach out to Golders mosque’

Reach out to Golders mosque

We at Mitzvah Day pride ourselves on working with all religions and cultures towards building cohesive neighbourhoods and strengthening civil society. To this end, and like many others, we have been very disappointed to read about the campaign that is being waged against Markaz mosque’s planning appeal at the site of the Hippodrome in Golders Green and, in particular, its tone, which is bordering on Islamophobic.

It saddens us that the building would remain empty when it could be used as a place of good deeds and prayer – like so many other buildings that have changed use in the Golders Green area.

While we fully recognise the pressure any use of the old theatre will put on local parking and services, and that due process by the council is essential, we urge the Jewish community to reach out in friendship to our new neighbours, demonstrating that we are all citizens of the area and want, and need to live together in peace.

Laura Marks and the Mitzvah Day Trustees

Luciana is a staunch friend

I’m delighted Luciana Berger is standing in Finchley & Golders Green. This will be a chance for people to vote for a candidate who is a staunch friend, a member of the communit and suffered for it. She is also the candidate for a party committed to being in favour of remaining in the EU. Standing for Parliament is rarely a “soft option” as Mr Sands suggested.

Lord Monroe Palmer, President, Lib Dem, Friends of Israel

‘Yid’ says I’m with friends

I fight antisemitism – most recently outside the new Co-op in Edgware (the Co-op does not source any products from the Israeli settlements). I’m also a lifelong Spurs fan.

If there was any antisemitic intent about our use of the word ‘Yid’, believe me, I would be on it faster than you can say Mauricio Pochettino. But there isn’t.

We call ourselves ‘Yid Army’ because of the club’s close historic connections with London’s Jewish community, particularly representing the growth of the community in Tottenham in the early 20th century.

Respect for Jews and for Israel runs through Spurs supporters, and the Yid chants simply tell me I’m among friends.

Those who wilfully misinterpret the chants – particularly Chelsea fans – never seem to notice genuine antisemitism.

I wonder why not? I invite them to  demonstrate with me outside the Edgware Co-op.

Jonathan Hoffman, By email

 Perfect place for unwanted Labour MPs

As we approach a General  Election, may I suggest a suitable storage area – from furniture store Anthropology – for deselected MPs and Israel
supporters still cluttering up Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

Mrs G Hur, N14

Rabbi Newman and the extinction of good sense

During Succot, of all weeks, when he should have been in shul, Rabbi Newman made an embarrassing public spectacle of himself to “save the planet”. He helped cause chaos and disruption to thousands, in support of the hard-left Extinction Rebellion against climate change, some of whose supporters blame “the Rothschilds” and by extension Zionism and Jews. In contrast, I note his and others’ compete silence and lack of rebellion against the climate of Jew hatred and the extinction of Israel on our increasingly hostile university campuses.

Perhaps instead of saying kaddish for the climate, he should say it for the extinction of reason and common sense.

Jeremy Zeid, By email

• Rabbi Newman opinion: Why I got arrested at the Extinction Rebellion protest in London