Readers’ Letters: ‘Why bibi must not divide to conquer’

Mr clegg and his one-sided mouth

Dear Sir

Regarding Nick Clegg’s comments last week on Benjamin Netanyahu’s election victory, the Liberal Democrat leader knows as much about Israel as he does about the ‘man in the street’, which is to say sweet rock all.

Did we hear his condemnation of Mahmoud Abbas when he stated he would not allow one Jew to live in his Palestinian state? And where was his condemnation of Mr Abbas for his open encouragement, not only through the media but in schools colleges and on TV channels, for Palestinians to kill and injure Jews?

Your mouth is one-sided, Mr Clegg.

Lee Francis

jewishnews.co.uk

Save us from these stupid politicians

Dear Sir,

The Palestinians do not want a state, they want to destroy the State of Israel. It is strange how many non-Jews understand this, but so many Jews do not.

The Palestinians glorify in terrorism and murder, name squares after killers and the world’s stupid politicians talk incessantly about a two-state solution. They look forward eagerly to the demise of Israel and then the American Jewish liberals and Democrat voters will set up some museums to commemorate the late State of Israel.

I hope and pray Mr Netanyahu will stick to his guns and not give up even one inch of land.

David Dolties

jewishnews.co.uk

Occupation likely For another 48 years

Dear Sir,

So Roslyn Pine believes Israel is not an apartheid state and is the only free country in the Middle East (Jewish News, 12 March). I think Ms Pine should tell that to the two million Palestinians on the West Bank and then ask the simple question: are they treated as equals or second-class citizens?

And following the re-election of another Likud-led government and Mr Netanyahu’s claim to end any implementation of the two-state solution, it now looks as if is the occupation will continue – for another 48 years.

Fraser Michaelson

Southgate

Jewish boys in the wartime east end

Dear Sir,

Like Frank Harvey (Letters, Jewish News, 19 March), I was born in 1940; in my case, it was the end of July so we are almost exactly the same age.

I was born in Bethnal Green Hospital, within the sound of Bow Bells, which makes me a real, genuine Cockney.

Unlike Frank Harvey, I was evacuated as a babe-in-arms to Berkhamsted. But we were back in London’s Stoke Newington by 1943, where we had an Anderson shelter in the garden.

Incidentally, in about 1944, a shelter wall collapsed on me and I still have the scar on my left arm – my very own war wound.

Living just a few minutes’ fast walk from Stamford Hill, as a young teenager I joined the ‘best youth club in the country’!

So tell me, Frank, did we ever meet?

Jeff Best

By email

Why bibi must not divide to conquer

Dear Sir The Israeli election showed the vibrancy of Israel’s democracy which, as a Zionist, I am incredibly proud of.

However, I was dismayed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments towards Israeli Arabs, where he complained about the high turnout from Israeli Arabs, claiming it was some sort of leftist conspiracy that right-wing voters must counteract.

Mr Netanyahu, it was an example of democracy in action, where minorities – unlike the countries surrounding Israel – have the right to vote.

His remarks come at time when distrust between Israeli Arabs and Jews is rising, and dreams of a shared society for all, which is pivotal for Israel to fulfil the dreams of being a light upon the nations, is in danger.

We need to work with groups such as the Abraham Fund to promote coexistence between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs.

All that Mr Netanyahu’s comments do is pull the two communities further apart.

That is why I signed Yachad’s petition on the matter. If you agree with me you can sign it too, at yachad.org.uk.

Stephen Hoffman

Parliament Street’s Director of Middle East Studies

There are not 50 shades of kashrut

Dear Sir,

Just when we thought the furore about shechita had blown over, a whole set of new spanners are thrown into the works. Are those spanners from outside, perhaps from ignorant political activists, the RSPCA and BVA, well-meaning or otherwise? No.

Once again we throw them at ourselves with the Federation now sabre-rattling over a new type of kosher, presumably a new “super-duper-ultra-mega-whizzo-uber-kosher” that sets them above mere “standard-kosher crypto-goyim” like me – naturally at a commensurately higher price that will prey on people’s sense of religious guilt.

Now forgive my ignorance, as a mere United Synagogue pleb, but I was under the impression that if certain rules, rituals and inspections are followed and processes observed with fully trained shomrim and shochetim, then food is kosher; not almost kosher, perhaps kosher, maybe kosher, kosher-ish, or a bit kosher, but kosher as in kosher.

In other words, consumable by all Jews.

This whole issue has dissolved into farce with various rabbinical “experts” looking to exercise their dominant authority, squaring up to each other like angry tomcats, vying to be more kosher than kosher and, therefore, better.

As long as this stupidity continues, we are easy targets for those who wish to divide us. There are not 50 shades of kashrut. Food is kosher or not. End of story.

Jeremy Zeid

Kenton

Meat debate and the name game

Dear Sir,

So the Federation is to launch a range of Mehadrin kosher meat, which I would guess may be similar to what some call glatt, and the president of the London Board for Shechita is shocked?

The management of Kedassia has far more reason to be worried, as it is more likely to lose business. Some Federation synagogues are indistinguishable from Union and Adass synagogues and, therefore, tend to support Kedassia.

Federation Mehadrin may well serve a ready-made built-in Federation market.

To digress, regarding your story on the 40 most identifiable Jewish names used in an Ipsos MORI survey (Jewish News, 12 March), would that list include Roberts, Padwa, Ehrentreu, Dunner, Jakobovits, Adler, Gurwitz, Kotler, Grunfeld, Hertz, Pinter or the names of other top Charedi rabbonim?

It might be better to ask a range of shuls to send the questionnaire with a covering letter and envelope to return to the pollster. Looking over the names of the 450 families that make up a major London Charedi kehillah, most are not especially Jewish, unless you assume anyone with a German name must be Jewish.

Joseph Feld

By email