While I recognize that housing is difficult for all, why is the problem more extreme in certain sectors of the population?
By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Obligation to citizensYour article “Druse-Jewish ‘Covenant of Blood’ still strong, but inequality could threaten coexistence, founder of Druse Zionist movement tells ‘Post’” (September 24) highlights a basic problem in Israel.According to the article, after the army, young Druse find limited housing options. “When they are able to find housing, the municipal services are usually a far cry from those in neighboring Jewish areas.”While I recognize that housing is difficult for all, why is the problem more extreme in certain sectors of the population? We live in a modern state that has the same obligation to all its citizens, especially those who serve in the IDF. There should be programs to help all those who serve our nation to obtain equal housing, education and other services, even if they come from minority communities, like the Druse or haredim.No one in our great nation should have an easier or harder life simply because of their race, religion, national origin or other factors, especially when they have served the state honorably.ROZ EBRAHIMOFFJerusalemBack at usRegarding “Ex-envoys meet Abbas in Paris” (September 22), we in Israel are unfortunately afflicted with a brand of diplomat that does not know when he no longer holds his post. They keep coming back at us.All manner of ex-, former and no-longer-relevant government employees feel free to try to influence other governments on our behalf, sometimes to our harm and embarrassment. Now we have the spectacle of Alon Liel, Elie Barnavi and Ilan Baruch blabbing to the Brazilian president because they do not like our government’s diplomatic appointment to that state.Not one currently has any official standing. I can only conclude that these guys keep coming back at us because they cannot find a real job.ROSALIE BROSILOWRehovotIran, meet VWNow that Volkswagen has been caught cheating and doubtless will be fined billions of dollars by US authorities (“Volkswagen shares plunge on emissions scandal, US widens probe,” Business & Finance, September 22), how much longer will it to take for American consumers to make it clear to their members of Congress and president that to give Iran the ability to cheat on self-testing for nuclear contamination is equally unacceptable? How much longer will it take for President Barack Obama to realize he has no choice but to listen to and respond to American voices?PETER SIMPSONJerusalemLife-and-death issueI was surprised that Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff came out in support of the deal that is intended to delay Iran’s production of a nuclear bomb (“The Iran deal and the 2 1/2-wall succa,” Comment & Features, September 18).It is unfortunate that the issue of the bomb has overshadowed the real issue, which is the call by Iran to destroy the Jewish state and create a second Holocaust for the six million Jews who live in Israel. Why does he not realize that it is this, even more than the bomb, that for us is a life-and-death issue? There is not a week that goes by when some Iranian religious or political leader does not call for the destruction of Israel; these people even cite a target date within which they intend to carry out their threat.Perhaps US President Barack Obama does not care, but why are there Jews who ignore this danger and close their eyes to what has happened since he announced the deal? As soon as the deal was made public, several countries were only too glad to announce that they were willing to send modern weapons to Iran to supplement its conventional arsenal – a portion of which will probably be transferred to support terror groups around Israel.It is a sad situation when there are many Jews who fail to realize that the issue is a future Holocaust, and not merely the postponement of a nuclear bomb.JOSHUA J. ADLERJerusalemShadow boxingJust what is it that Yair Lapid has demonstrated in the past that qualifies him to present a diplomatic initiative warranting a full five columns in The Jerusalem Post (“Lapid backs Saudi initiative as basis for renewing peace talks,” September 21)? He was an abysmal finance minister, and in the last election, he was handed his head, losing almost 50 per cent of his representation in Knesset.Lapid is given a platform to attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to stop the Iranian nuclear deal and Russian arms proliferation in the region.I’m surprised that he left out Netanyahu’s failure to prevent the deleterious weather conditions over the past month or so.Why is a person representing less than 10% of the population accorded a platform to spout what can generously be described as only a banal political and diplomatic analysis of a massively complex security situation?MARCHAL KAPLANJerusalemProof in the prayerMany Jews from Britain, despite having been in Israel many years, cling to the use of prayer books from the old country for festivals.There, instead of prayers for the State of Israel, appears the prayer for the royal family.There is much amusement, as these books, bound and rebound as they are, patched together with tape, are passed around so that people can see which king is referred to. My daughter’s prayer book mentions King George, Queen Mary and Prince Edward, referring to the present queen of England’s grandparents and uncle, who abdicated. Her book is far from the oldest; indeed, a friend has one in Yiddish and Hebrew that has a prayer for the tsar and tsarina.I would like representatives of the EU, UN and US, who aspire to tell sovereign Israel how to conduct its affairs, to read these books. Selecting almost any page at random, they will find two words that are repeated over and over again, words that do not appear even once in the Koran or any Islamic prayer book. These two words are “Jerusalem’ and “shalom” (peace).For generations, Jews prayed for the welfare of the head of state in whichever country they might have found themselves, and repeated many times a heartfelt prayer for Jerusalem and peace. So read and learn, and then try to disprove our connection to our undivided holy city or our longing for peace.YEHUDIT COLLINS JerusalemRather not sayIsraeli companies have announced £3 million of investment in South Wales that could lead to up to 100 jobs being created, and £13m. being spent with local suppliers.Welcoming the news, Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb said: “Israel is a close friend of the UK and we enjoy an excellent trade relationship built on decades of cooperation.” Welsh government Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: “The visit by senior executives from leading Israeli companies is most welcome as they explore new business opportunities in Wales and build on the growing links between our two countries.”In contrast, Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, was asked during a recent courtesy visit to the Glasgow Jewish community: “In light of the multi-million pound energy contract awarded to Aberdeen Wood Group and the expansion of missile defense work at Raytheon Glenrothes, does the Scottish government commit to encouraging and facilitating Scottish trade and business ties with Israel”? She pointedly avoided answering, quickly diverting attention to her recent business seeking visits to China and the US.STANLEY GROSSMANGlasgowThe writer is honorary secretary of the Scottish Friends of Israel.
