Letters Daily Edition

• Published in: The Jerusalem post
• Main Author: Esti Allina-Turnauer, Natan Golan, Rebecca Lippman, Philip Benson, Tuvia Muskin, T. Joseph, Niel Hirschson, Paul Berman, Charles Feingold, Marcella Wilson, Nachman Shenker, C.B. Kenan
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jerusalem The Jerusalem Post Ltd 22.05.2005

Sir, - As an American Jew deeply concerned about the administration's apparent targeting of Jewish officials, I was gratified by Calev Ben-David's insistence that the Jewish community remain supportive of Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman ("The challenge for AIPAC," May 18). Rosen has dedicated most of his illustrious professional career to advancing the interests of American Jews, and of Israel, and deserves better from the community he has served so ably and so passionately for so long. Sir, - So we Israelis are living longer - wow! ("Jewish population oldest in the world," May 17). Does that mean our minister of health is doing a grand job? No. Every year thousands of Israelis die and many more are hospitalized with smoking- related diseases. Yet there is an excellent law that bans smoking in public places and the workplace except for designated smoking areas. It's a pity Minister Dan Naveh does nothing about enforcing it. There is also a law against selling cigarettes to minors, but as long as cigarette vending machines are not banned, it too is unenforceable. Sir, - Amotz Asa-El challenges the belief held by many that the misfortunes that have befallen the Jewish nation since the destruction of the Temple some 2,000 years ago are the result of its sins ("The Jewish curse," UpFront, May 13). He posits that the series of catastrophes that mark Jewish history is the result of the many political mistakes made by Jewish leadership. He thus negates any connection to the divine in the Jewish experience.