Sir, - The opening sentence of the Book of Ruth lends itself to two explanations. The first is, 'In the days that the judges judged'; the second is, 'In the days of the judging of the Judges' - i.e., the judges committed more abominations than the rest of the people.
Personally, I lack the professional qualifications to judge the judges. However, I join many of my peers in feeling that the court's decision to open Highway 443 to Palestinians is a morally grotesque one. The original closing of the road was due not to theoretical threats; rather, it was based on the real loss of Israeli lives in terror attacks. We are further told that this decision will prompt an influx of court petitions to open more roads ('Defense Ministry braces for spate of court petitions to open more roads to Palestinians,' December 31).
Judges who ignore imminent danger to human lives for the sake of ideals, however lofty, are not adequately acting in the interests of their fellow citizens.
ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva
