Letters to the editor: ‘Bibi betrays Israel’s future’
Send us your comments : PO Box 815, Edgware, HA8 4SX | letters@thejngroup.com
Bibi betrays Israel’s future
In last week’s edition Sharren Haskel MK welcomed dialogue with the Diaspora while branding Mick Davis’s scathing assessment of Israeli politics as “inaccurate”.
As British olim who have spent years making Israel’s case, we are acutely aware of the reality, and share many of Davis’s concerns.
Indeed, we share the judgement of Israel’s majority, who rejected Netanyahu in March. We see a corrupt prime minister inciting not only against political opponents and minorities, but the legal system.
His rush to annex settlements, to serve his own and Donald Trump’s agendas, risks denying future generations the chance for negotiated peace.
We urge British Jews to tell Ms Haskel and all Israel’s representatives that while Diaspora commitment to Israel’s welfare is unconditional, they will vigorously oppose the erosion of values enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence; values which are also critical to winning the argument against anti-Zionists.
We further urge British Jews to support Israeli political parties and NGOs committed to keeping Israel Jewish and democratic.
Toby Greene, Modi’in, Israel and Paul Gross, Jerusalem, Israel
Israel has right to take e unilateral steps to protect her own borders
Israel has a majority government after democratic elections so has the right to make decisions on its future.
The Palestinian Authority leadership continues to act against a negotiated settlement, choosing to attack and delegitimise Israel through international institutions and organisations. All past attempts at negotiated settlement have failed, owing to Palestinian intransigence, leaving Israel with little option other than to take unilateral steps to secure its borders.
Israel accepted Trump’s peace plan but the Palestinians rejected it. It played a key part in the Israeli elections and places no conditions on Israel with regard to proposals to “annex parts of the West Bank”. The Jordan Valley is largely unpopulated and other areas where annexation is proposed are mostly areas recognised as being part of future territorial swaps – had there been an opportunity for negotiations. It is likely in all proposed areas inhabitants will be offered full citizenship, much like they were in 1967 in Jerusalem, and in the Golan Heights.
Israel is a democratic state, led by a democratically elected government and annexation will not change this.
Paul Charney, Chair, Zionist Federation
Don’t take our money if we can’t have a say
Sir Mick Davis was right to castigate the current Israeli leadership. The notion that only those who make aliyah can criticise is long bankrupt. If this is the case, Israel should not turn to diaspora Jews for political support and money. The truth is that recent successive coalition governments are led by a corrupt prime minister who is doing his utmost to skip his forthcoming trial in which he is accused of bribe breach of trust and fraud.
The new ‘national unity’ coalition is nothing more than an unholy alliance between the Likud ruling party and the Blue & White Party that betrayed its voters. They are setting up a monster that would consist of almost 50 ministers and deputy ministers under the guise of corona. This partnership includes the Charedi parties, which receive public money to finance schools that refrain from teaching core subjects and thus condemn their students to a life of ignorance and dependence on state handouts.
Is it conceivable one single politician would drag the entire nation to three elections in one year just because he refuses to face the legal music even after 11 years in power? Is Anglo-Jewry supposed to accept his plan to annex the West Bank just because it suits his personal political needs, risking relations with the Arab Sunni world? Israel is too precious to be left to Israelis.
Dr Saul Zadka, By email
Envoy inconsistent on annexation
In his recent address to the Board of Deputies, the Israeli Ambassador defended his country’s proposed annexation of the Jordan Valley on the grounds that even Yitzchak Rabin had said the area would be ceded to Israel in any final status agreement. So why was Mark Regev adamant that no unilateral step be taken by the UK in recognising Palestine in the absence of peace? Is he implying Rabin never envisioned the creation of a Palestinian state?
David Chesler, Edgware
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
