Letters, May 3, 2011

How can Israel deal with bin Laden mourners?

IT was bad enough that there were Palestinians that celebrated in the streets after the 9/11 atrocity. Now Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip calls the killing of Osma bin Laden an “assassination” of an “Arab holy warrior.” and Israel is expected to negotiate peace with this Palestinian unity government?

Michael Burd

Toorak, Vic

A day that will now go down in history twice

ON May 1, it was announced that the nefarious Adolf Hitler had committed suicide and Osama bin Laden had been killed. Coincidence? I think not.

Philip Rothschild

Caulfield North, Vic

Death of bin Laden is cause for celebration

The killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces is to be greatly welcomed. Bin Laden was both an organiser of mass murder and a hero for Islamo-Fascists all around the world. Bin Laden was a symbol of terrible evil.

Australians have a direct reason to celebrate the removal of this terrible man. In a statement on November 3, 2001, bin Laden asserted, “Let us examine the stand of the West and the United Nations in the developments in Indonesia.

“The crusader Australian forces … landed to separate East Timor, which is part of the Islamic world.”

He reiterated this complaint a month after the infamous and tragic Bali bombings: “We warned Australia not to join in [the war] in Afghanistan, and [against] its despicable effort to separate East Timor. It ignored the warning until it woke up to the sound of explosions in Bali.”

Bin Laden will deliver no more bile-laden warnings to Australia, nor will he threaten Australian lives or the hard-won independence of our friends and neighbours in East Timor.

Dr Bill Anderson

Surrey Hills, Vic

We are not amused by Chaser’s offensive satire

I WAS prepared to give the Chaser boys the benefit of the doubt. However, when they showcased on last Thursday’s Q & A program a nasty and nauseating skit about Prince Phillip and alleged anti-Semitism, this non-Jewish husband saw red.

Given his mother’s recognised status as a wartime saviour of the Cohen family in Greece and steadfast opponent to the

Nazi occupation of her country, this was just a gag too far. Some issues are just too important to mock. Quality humour reflects discipline and cleverness. Neither was on show on my ABC.

Noel Hadjimichael

Maroubra, NSW

Headline writers – off with their heads

YOUR front page headline of “Mazal toff” (AJN 29/04) was not only unnecessary but utterly disrespectful. What was wrong with printing a genuine “Mazal tov”? We, who have never been slow in highlighting any perceived anti-Jewish comment, should certainly know better. The next time our community is the butt of such smart alec journalism, don’t complain.

Lou Pakula

Carnegie, Vic

Reflections on marriage and the monarchy

THE Duke of Cambridge’s new wife could not go wrong with British royal names Catherine Elizabeth. I remember when Lady Diana became engaged to the Prince of Wales – shock horror, we cannot have a queen with the pagan name Diana.

In a different vein, I remember 60 years ago when David Ben-Gurion visited a kibbutz. He learnt that the young people were living together without being married. “That is terrible,” he is reported to have said. “There will be no children.”

I enjoyed your double-page spread last week. I had no idea Prince Charles had such in interest in Jewish affairs.

Lilian Movitz

North Caulfield, Vic

Kosher contribution to the royal wedding

THE wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton brought to light another interesting Jewish connection.

The little bridesmaid, Miss Eliza Lopes, is a granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall and daughter of Camilla’s daughter, Laura Rose. This little girl is, also, a descendant of two famous Sephardi Jewish families through her father, Harry Marcus George Lopes.

Mordecai Rodriguez Lopes was a member of a family, originating, it is thought, from Cuba and long-time resident of Jamaica. His son, Sir Manasseh Massey Lopes, was created a baronet in 1805. Sir Manasseh had a chequered career as a Member of Parliament, was found guilty of buying votes, unseated by the Commons, and fined and imprisoned in Exeter jail. He resigned his seat of Westbury, in Devon,

but served as a magistrate for Devon and Wiltshire and as Recorder for Westbury.

When he died in 1831, he bequeathed his estate to his nephew, Ralph Franco, the son of his sister, Esther, who assumed the name of Lopes and succeeded to the title.

Sir Ralph Franco Lopes followed his uncle into politics and held the seat of Westbury for many years. His son, Sir Massey Lopes, the third Baron Lopes, became Benjamin Disraeli’s Civil Lord of the Admiralty, another son becoming the first Baron Ludlow, sitting as a judge in the Court of Appeal and as a member of Queen Victoria’s Privy Council.

Camilla’s son-in-law, Harry Lopes, is a direct descendant of Sir Massey Lopes, and thus provides yet another royal link in Jewish history.

Doreen Berger

Stanmore Park, UK

Words are not enough, Goldstone

A NUMBER of points have been missed by articles and letters on Justice Goldstone’s comments on his report. Goldstone stands by his report, as do his fellow investigators. In blaming Israeli non-cooperation for the flawed findings, he exculpates himself by playing the lawyer and placing process above justice.

No-one has asked Goldstone why he headed an investigation that ignored the UN’s process that calls for nations to first investigate themselves. Or why he has not issued a supplementary report correcting errors. Or why Hamas wasn’t referred to the International Court of Justice for its failure to investigate itself.

Goldstone states that in heading the Human Rights Commission investigation to substantiate “findings” of Israeli wrongdoing, he had hoped to influence Israel’s actions. But how can a judge call the process an investigation when he knows that the terms of the inquiry are prejudicial and he himself has an agenda?

Three items may have a bearing on Goldstone’s “clarification”. He may be preparing a defence against a lawsuit against him in the US. He may want to make Israel bend to his wisdom in making his report more palatable before the UN votes on Palestinian statehood. And B’Tselem’s demand that investigations of soldiers be turned into war crimes trials and for Israel to answer charges of planning aggressive war – like Nazi Germany – indicate that in criticising its flaws, the report is strengthened.

The far Left’s war on Israel, its Diaspora supporters and democratic Western values continues unabated.

Paul Winter

Chatswood, NSW