On attacking Israel

Patrice Bombardier’s anti-Israeli response to Barry Merson’s letter cannot be marked more than a C- [“Pride and genocide,” Sept. 21]. He included the requisite comparisons of Israelis to the South African apartheid regime and to the Nazis (do anti-Semites get hard comparing Jews—which is what Israelis are by the way—to Nazis?), but there wasn’t much else enlightening.

To make it easy for him, here’s the scoop. If nobody attacked or killed Israelis, they would attack or kill nobody. When many so-called Palestinian supporters like Bombardier refer to the “occupation,” all Israeli supporters understand that this includes Tel Aviv etc. Otherwise, why would Hezbollah and Hamas have attacked Israel from unoccupied territories?

The “carnage in Lebanon” to which he refers would just never have happened without these unwarranted attacks. Even some Hamas leaders are questioning the “wisdom” of the Gazans.

Finally, Bombardier refers to Merson and his like obliquely as “Not friends, just morally deficient morons blindly loyal to their tribe.” He would seem to have expertise in this realm!

» Ken Frankel

Regarding Albert Richard’s letter [also under “Pride and genocide,” Sept. 21]: Like repeatedly crying wolf, the tedious charge of anti-Semitism hurled at critics of Israel has not only lost its sting, but actually does Jews a great diservice by lending that term respectability. After all, if condemning the slaughter of Lebanese civilians or the collective punishment of Palestinians is anti-Semitic, then surely anti-Semitism can’t be that bad.

There is, of course, a fundamental difference in criticizing state crimes and hating an entire religion, a distinction most people easily recognize. It is precisely this distinction that Mr. Richard tries to erase when he conflates criticism of the state of Israel with hatred of Jews, in spite of his curious lament that “frontiers between Jews, Zionists and Israelis have been (conveniently) blurred.”

Patently “inconvenient” is neglecting to mention that Israel’s entire policy is to deliberately confuse faith with nationalism by using religious symbols like the star of David on its national flag and describing itself as the “Jewish state.”

To their credit, most Arabs and Muslims still manage to distinguish between Zionism and Judaism, even with the star of David emblazoned on the Israeli tanks that slaughter Palestinians.

If only the Albert Richards of this world would learn to do the same.

» John Dirlik

Graffiti gratitude

I am writing to express my public appreciation for the fine, talented artists who draw graffiti in Montreal’s back alleys. I saw, for instance, some excellent portraits last night on the walls that just blew my mind. It was like walking in a great art gallery! Thanks people, I was inspired.

I do have one question though: Why draw in these alleys where so few people can see your works? I know you can’t draw openly on busy streets, but it still seems a waste. Anyways, I appreciated it.

By the way, the alley that I wandered through last night so contentedly was the one bisecting the block of homes and businesses surrounded by St-Laurent, St-Viateur, Clark and Fairmount. Check it out.

» Marco Ermacora

Book recycling backwards

I have noticed too that many good books are trashed in the blue bins outside Redpath Hall on Wednesday nights [“Stop trashing books,” Letters, Sept. 21].

Considering that many public high schools in Montreal have libraries that are severely underhanded, and other public schools have no libraries at all, it would be a wise idea by Redpath Hall to donate most of the surplus novels and non-fiction books to these places.

To put books in good condition out in blue bins is an incredible waste of resources. Redpath Hall must be urged to review its operations. Just because it has operated in this manner in the past, it does not mean this practice should continue unrestricted.

Redpath Hall’s telephone number is 398-5000. Interested people should get in touch with them on this matter.

» Sabrina Lepage

Claw hammer a factor

I hope you will want to update the “Caring hands” item [Man Bites Dog, Sept. 14] with the important new info below:

The New York Times reports that the intruder Kuhnhausen strangled was wielding a claw hammer and was apparently a hit man hired by her estranged husband to kill her. The police acknowledges she acted in self-defence and the husband has been arrested.

» Martin Dufresne

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