By LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters(photo credit: REUTERS)Groundless allegationsIt was with dismay that I read the article “Jews of Turkey fear growing antisemitism,” published on The Jerusalem Post’s website on July 5 and written by Ms. Iris Georlette, a reporter from the Post’s sister-publication Maariv.Due to its delayed and flawed reporting, it misses the point, gravely misleading the readers with its incomplete content. A clarification is therefore in order, to set the record straight.Upon finding out that there were inappropriate signs in an elementary school in Istanbul on June 24, 2018, the Turkish Ministry of Education immediately acted to remove the signs the next day.Subsequently, the ministry launched a comprehensive investigation about the facts, as well as a screening process covering all the schools. As a result, members of the Turkish-Jewish community expressed their gratitude on social media and the press for quick and effective measures taken by the Turkish authorities.Turkey will never allow discrimination and hate speech among its citizens, and it will continue to take necessary legal measures against such cases.It would have been fair to your readers had Ms. Georlette duly corroborated her facts before writing a story with serious gaps and groundless allegations.It is regretful that this piece stands in sharp contradiction with the values of objective press, which I strongly believe are among the guiding principles of the editorial board of The Jerusalem Post.UMUT DENIZThe writer is chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv.More stats, pleaseWhen I read the July 10 article, “McDonalds expects NIS 1b. in sales,” I thought of Hannah Arendt’s famous phrase, “the banality of evil.”Beyond the statistic that “the Israeli arm of the international fast-food chain McDonald’s is expected to surpass a billion shekels in sales this year,” there are other statistics I would appreciate seeing:How many Israelis will suffer from heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening diseases from eating McDonald’s hamburgers?How many farm animals will be tortured on factory farms before being slaughtered to make the hamburgers?How much methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas, will be emitted by the cows, making a climate catastrophe more likely for Israel and the rest of the world?How many hungry people could be fed with the grain used to fatten up the cattle?How many rabbis and other Jewish leaders are willing to speak up to increase awareness that animal-based diets are inconsistent with fundamental Jewish teachings about compassion, hunger, health, resource usage, and environmental sustainability?BATZION SHLOMIAfulaComplete the occupationThe Irish decision to boycott the “occupied territories” is admirable, but woefully incomplete.I suggest that they start with an embargo of Anglican settlers in Northern Ireland – the occupied west bank of the Irish Sea.The boycott must also extend to products from Tibet, Corsica, Tahiti, Papua, Western Sahara, Gibraltar, Quebec, Scotland, the Falkland Islands, Alsace and Puerto Rico – to name a few.Naturally, the Irish tradition of worshiping a Jewish West Bank settler every Sunday must also be outlawed.STEVE BERGERRamat GanRepresent the peopleAs a proud Irish citizen living in the UK I want to express my outrage at the decision of the Irish Seanad to boycott Israeli goods.This decision does not reflect the sentiments of the people of Ireland as a whole. For the most part, it represents the opinions of a small, but aggressively vocal group of left-wing agitators.Most Irish people – like most right-minded people in the world – want to see peace and justice for Jews as well as for Palestinians. The decision to boycott Israeli goods will not advance this cause.I will be writing to Irish politicians, including the prime minister, Mr. Leo Varadkar, to remind them that they do not have a mandate from the people of Ireland to take this course of action.BRENDAN DEVITTThe lion wants meatCaroline Glick’s July 13 column (“A glimpse of Europe’s true face,” Column One) couldn’t be more accurate.Europe is weak, afraid and appeasing. It operates on the throw-the-meat principle: To stop a hungry lion, don’t use a firearm; throw a large piece of meat, so he will be satisfied and not eat you.European appeasement is as operative today as during the rise of Nazi Germany.For years, following World War I, Germany, in violation of the peace treaty, rearmed, expanded its territory and influence, and showed the aggressive domestic and foreign policy of a ruthless dictator and his party.Instead of acting to frustrate German design, the Europeans did not threaten military action, refusing to adequately rearm. Instead, it threw the lion meat, the Rhineland and Czechoslovakia.Europe, now, tells the world not to expect it to support the US and stand up to Iran’s plan for regional hegemony, nuclear armament, destruction of Israel, worldwide spread of Shia Islam and the ability to destroy European cities.That would ruin its chance to make money. Appeasement is good for business. We are witnessing, a weak, greedy, dishonest, hateful Europe, infected with an overwhelming and debilitating pacifist ideology, which, in the end, will cause its own destruction.BERNARD SMITHJerusalemWhere’s our pride?I fully support the soldiers returning their medals (“400 IDF officers and soldiers return medals received in Protective Edge, July 9) and the Goldin family boycotting the official memorial service for soldiers killed fighting Hamas during Operation Protective Edge.However as far as the Goldin family are concerned, I believe they made a mockery of their son’s death by taking part in a pathetic and defeatist display by joining those sending over “kites of peace’” in response to the murder and destruction coming from Gaza.This sends a message to our enemies that they can kill us and destroy our land and we will behave like a people without pride or shame.YENTEL JACOBSNetanya
