Assassinated Ayatollah
The targeted assassination of Ali Khamenei is profoundly significant, ending the life of one of the most evil men of our age. Khamenei was the head of an intransigent and deeply authoritarian state that persecuted its own people relentlessly and exported state terror around the world.
Together with his clerical acolytes, Khamenei hijacked the great Persian civilisation in the cause of a pitiless religious fundamentalism, the ramifications of which could be seen on October 7.
Khamenei’s death will not bring regime change on its own, given the regime’s multi-layered succession planning. But today, millions of Iranians will rightly celebrate the demise of this brutal dictator. We should stand in solidarity with them.
Dr Jeremy Havardi
Director, B’nai B’rith UK Bureau of International Affairs
Israel and America are being criticised for their action against Iran as it is said that the threat it posed was not imminent. But when is a threat deemed imminent?
For example, when did Russia’s threat to Ukraine become imminent? If it could be calculated so easily, why did the so-called coalition of the willing not take appropriate action to stop Russia’s invasion at whenever the right – imminent – time was?
In the case of Ukraine, Crimea was invaded in 2014. Did that not suggest that a wider threat from Russia was imminent? Indeed, was the threat to Ukraine not imminent in the period leading up to that first venture?
What in fact appears to have happened was that Ukraine’s allies sat on their hands beyond when the threat was even immediate, let alone imminent, with hundreds of thousands of Russian troops massed on Ukraine’s border for what Russia said were defensive reasons. Of course, by then it was too late.
Like Russia, Iran has form, demonstrated by its rhetoric and activities that destabilise the region and are a direct threat to Israel and Western allies, including in the Middle East and Gulf area.
It seems to me that Israel and the USA are right to act while a threat is imminent and before it becomes immediate. Better to be months or years early than days and weeks too late, when the threat is so apparent from Iran’s previous words and actions.
Howard Erdunast
Pinner
Arab fiction
I am puzzled by all the talk of “Palestinians” and “Palestinian rights”.
The UN eliminated Palestine on May 14, 1948. It is now as obsolete as Mesopotamia or Southern Rhodesia. One day later, on May 15, 1948 the UN replaced it with the rebirth of the State of Israel. It would seem that Arab oil money has duped the world into accepting this fictional “Palestine” as a fact. This is quite ridiculous. Thousands have died as a result of this “Palestine” fairy tale.
Is it not time Britain came to its senses and recognised the truth as to this Arab-created fictional state?
David Lee
Kingston-upon-Thames
Same-sex marriage
In the story about two men celebrating a shutafut partnership, Jay Schlesinger makes reference to a mishnah and a comment in an old siddur, and acknowledges that these talk about business arrangements and not a personal relationship (Rochdale make a little LGBT history, JC online, February 25).
However, in the Gemara in Chullin 91, the famous Amora Abaye comments that there were more than the usual seven basic mitzvot that even non-Jews were expected to live by – there were actually 30.
However, says Abaye, they only kept three of those – one of which even the early pagans observed was that they did not celebrate same-sex marriages.
Dr Joseph Berger
Netanya
Israel
Royal absence
Jonathan Sacerdoti commented on the difficulty of the UK sending a Royal to Israel in the current climate (Prince William courts Saudi Arabia was Israel stays untouchable, JC February 20).
About 20 years ago, while I was in Israel, I asked the British Ambassador there why the Queen had never been sent on a state visit, bearing in mind that Israel was a close ally of the UK. His immediate and most probably well-prepared response, was that it was too dangerous for her. Before I could ask why she had been sent to countries with very poor records on many grounds, he rushed away from me to avoid having to respond to that question.
We all know why the the UK monarch has never made a state visit to Israel and that they never will.
Geoffrey Bernstein
Road to understanding
I was recently asked to visit our local primary school as they were studying different religions. I was somewhat apprehensive as to how best to describe Judaism to a class of non-Jewish 5- and 6-year olds and spent some time carefully and slowly explaining in a way that I hoped they would understand.
When I had finished, one little boy put up his hand and, as my panic rose at my prospective inability to answer his question, he asked: “What car do your drive?”
Peter Fineman
Barrow Street, Wiltshire
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