Don't Downplay Stone Throwers on Mount of Olives!

Sir, - With her article ("Food for the soul and the stomach," J.Post, July 10) Greer Fay Cashman has performed a genuine disservice to all who are concerned with protecting the Mount of Olives from the continuing waves of Arab violence and with the preservation of Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem.

The cemetery is the oldest burial place of Jews and has been in use as a most honored and cherished choice for Jewish internment going back 3,000 years. The site has suffered major problems of tombstone desecration and ongoing attacks by Arab stone throwers against mourners who come to bury their dead and grapple with the intensity of their grief.

Cashman describes a scenario where relatives and friends have gathered together for the consecration of the tombstone at the grave of the late Arthur Abrahams but were unable to do so. Cashman attributes this inability to the escalation of violence in Jerusalem, "coupled with stories that visitors to the Mount of Olives risk being stoned by wayward youth."

For shame Greer! These are not merely stories, and the Arab stone throwers are certainly not merely wayward youth, but genuine terrorists who aim to inflict real pain and sometimes death on Jews who have done them no harm, merely because they are Jews!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user Fazia_]

Shameful!: Shlomo Carlebach and the Terrorist

Sir, - Although I am grateful to Greer Fay Cashman for calling our attention to the richly merited services and activities in honor of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, I take strong issue with her about the following matter:

Cashman relates a story about Carlebach's entertainment, by song and dance, of a group of female prisoners that included murderers and terrorists at the Neveh Tirza prison. She goes on to describe a terrorist by the name of Fatima, who was imprisoned for planting a bomb in a movie theater that resulted in the death of many Jews, who was drawn into the dancing by the enthusiasm generated by Carlebach and even embraced him. Due to her enchantment with Rabbi Shlomo, they exchanged phone numbers and from time to time he would call her at the prison.

What had me completely aghast, was the fact that Cashman called this "one of many heart-warming stories" involving Carlebach. I, however, find it "chilling" to my very core, and am quite certain that the families of those dead Jews join in my abhorrence of the above. Nowhere do we find mentioned any contrition or remorse by Fatima for her heinous deeds or of a pledge to change her ways.What we are told, is upon her release as part of a prisoner exchange, she went to Gaza where she became head of the women's police and where we can assume she has joined in the Hamas call for the elimination of Israel.

Shameful!

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Flickr user alphadesigner]

J.Post September 4: Some Shekel-Gazing

Sir, – We all owe a debt of gratitude to Greer Fay Cashman and veteran astrologer Miriam Binyamini for heralding the joyous news that a war between Israel and Iran will not take place in the foreseeable future (“War with Iran? Not in the stars,” Grapevine, August 29).

Our defense forces and home front can now relax and breathe a deep sigh of relief. The many strident opinions voiced by politicians, security personnel, theologians and philosophers surrounding the Iranian issue can now be forgotten.

However, despite our gratefulness to astrologer Binyamini for the above glad tidings, I feel she was morally remiss for not also activating her star-gazing skills for a matter of lesser importance, but still rather hurtful, when she failed to alert us to the rise of the dollar against the shekel.

Good news however, by any means, is always welcome!

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Karen Horton]

Money Talks! Albert Danon & Ehud Olmert

Sir, - It is not usual for me when reading Grapevine, Greer Faye Cashman's well written, entertaining, and lightly informative column, to feel deeply disturbed.

When reading, however, about the Gala Dinner hosted by Albert Danon where Ehud Olmert was the keynote speaker, I was both troubled and offended. The right of Danon to choose the speaker at a dinner paid for by him, is quite clear, but having money is by no means a sufficient qualification for him to preach to Israelis about his partisan political and social views.

Danon, who lived in Israel but then chose to make his home in Australia, nevertheless is critical of Israel, saying: "Here in this country, you take one of your best sons and bring him down." Danon not only denigrates Israel's entire judicial system but seems to be totally oblivious to the fact that the investigation has been very thorough, has gone on for years, and indictments have been issued against Olmert for several serious criminal offenses, from before and during his term as prime minister.

As for Olmert's 'almost' peace plan, it included a return to the 1947 borders and the division of Jerusalem, which completely ignored Israel's vital security needs and was quite clearly unacceptable to a majority of Israel's citizens.
         
ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Antônio Milena]