Letters to the editor

Editor,

I took Frank Scafani’s advice and googled "Zionist Terrorism” and found a whole series of historical fiction. Two examples: The bombing of the King David Hotel where about 90 people died. Yes it happened,but what the story is missing are two crucial facts. First the Hotel was used by the British Colonial Army as a military center and that the so-called terrorists phoned the British and warned them that a bomb was planted and to evacuate. When was the last time a Palestinian suicide bomber warned anybody? The Deir Yassin event referred to occurred during wartime. The article is flat-out lying when it says that this Arab village was unarmed and this was an unprovoked attack. The fact that several Israelis were killed and wounded is evidence that this village was defenseless and its residents unarmed. Furthermore, a PBS documentary showed interviews with Arab survivors of this so-called massacre who essentially confirmed the Israeli account, but also stated that they were urged by the Arab leadership in Jerusalem to declare that the Jews raped their women (completely false) in order to whip up the nearby villages. Frank Scafani some 60 years later is trying to do the same thing. Enough is enough. Just face the facts Frank: You support a violent, racist, homophobic group of terrorists who want to finish what Hitler couldn’t. Why don’t you just be honest about it?

Gil Stein

Santa Cruz

Violence does

not equal victory

Editor,

Jewish students were murdered praying in their religious school recently. Their mothers will grieve while mothers of Hamas will pass out their customary sweets celebrating this latest "victory.” Folks wonder why there can be no peace between the Arab nation and Israel. Maybe it’s as simple as this.

Scott Abramson

San Mateo

‘Disproportionate’ tears

Editor,

In the Feb. 26 edition of the Daily Journal, Ted Rudow shed crocodile tears over an Israeli Defense Forces group claiming alleged abuse of Palestinians. These tears are "disproportionate” to the situation (to use a term frequently applied against Israel when it responds militarily to terrorist attacks). The purported abuses consist of things such as an IDF soldier, operating a grenade launcher against Palestinian gunmen, is concerned that he might hit innocent targets, or the IDF shutting down Palestinian shops with a curfew. These are extremely mild reactions from the IDF, in defending their country under constant terrorist attacks from an implacable enemy dedicated to her destruction. Where is Rudow’s outrage that Palestinian gunmen are operating from a civilian site? Where are examples of Palestinian concern that innocent Israelis may be killed or maimed by the ongoing terrorist campaign? Where are the corresponding Palestinian websites protesting official Palestinian policy, such as the desire to utterly destroy Israel as a Jewish state?

I do agree with Rudow concerning the effectiveness of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and appreciate him plugging it. The main reason for its effectiveness is that AIPAC provides U.S. policy leaders with spot-on, accurate information that is objectively verifiable. This objectivity is most welcome amidst the perpetual propaganda flurry perpetrated by the Palestinians, and their supporters such as Rudow.

Larry Yelowitz

Sunnyvale

Urge Foster City to sign Climate Protection Agreement

Editor,

Foster City Cool Cities Team is a group of residents who are advocating for Foster City to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Foster City sits only a few feet above sea level, leaving our residents and businesses at risk from any sea level rise, and also putting us amongst the smog that sometimes blankets the Bay. Furthermore, we are bordered by estuaries whose health depends upon the management of run-off pollution by Foster City and surrounding cities. Our volunteers have come together with a shared concern for the health of our physical landscape, and believe that our City Council can help address many of the issues affecting our environment and should take a leadership role on environmental issues.

Many cities, in this country and abroad, have initiated strong local policies and programs to reduce global warming pollution. On Feb. 16, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol, the first international agreement to address global warming, became law for the 174 countries that have ratified it to date. On that same day, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched this initiative to advance the goals of the Kyoto Protocol through leadership and action by American cities. By the end of 2007, more than 800 cities had signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Like our neighboring communities of San Mateo, Burlingame, Menlo Park and Redwood City, among many others, we think that Foster City should sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which our council formally declined in 2006. While we acknowledge and applaud environmental measures that the city has already undertaken, we state that more assertive action must be taken. A petition letter with more than 50 residents’ signatures has been submitted to the City Council in January 2008, outlining our request along with specific recommendations for implementation. In an effort to stimulate further community support, we are continuing our outreach to more local organizations, business interests and individual residents. It is not enough any more to act individually, we must work together with other communities in the Bay Area in addressing this important issue.

Huijun Z. Ring

Foster City