It’s everyone’s duty to oppose anti-Semitism
THe outcry by the Jewish community about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party shows this irrational hatred still exists.
i worked as a chef in Tel Aviv for ten years and, after my return to the UK, i was alarmed by the anti- Semitic, anti- Jewish and anti-israeli sentiments i encountered. One israeli friend asked me: ‘Why does everyone hate us so much?’ i didn’t know how to reply. My friend was not political, nor religious, simply Jewish.
The ugly rise of anti-Semitism should be opposed at every turn.
i decided to run educational events at a church, which included food from Jewish festivals such as Purim and Passover.
But a chaplain at the hospital i attend for chemotherapy and kidney dialysis objected to the leaflets about these events i had left in the chapel.
He said people had phoned him decrying the use of the words ‘israel’ and ‘Jewish’.
This irrational hostility towards Jewish people is something that should belong in the distant past. We need to reassure our Jewish friends that we wish them shalom — the Hebrew word for peace.
cOLIN NeVIN, Bangor, co. Down. PRAiSe to those who organised the dignified demonstration in Parliament Square.
Jeremy Corbyn’s letter of apology to the Board of deputies of British Jews is a smokescreen for his lack of action in kicking out the perpetrators in Labour. The party has recognised it has pockets of anti-Semitism — unfortunately, they appear to be very deep.
STePHeN VISHNIcK, Tel Aviv.
Life must mean life
THe High Court decision to overturn the release of black-cab sex offender John Worboys is welcome news.
The justice system has long been a joke — crooks are automatically released early, regardless of behaviour or repentance. We hear of so many thugs, rapists and killers who, after early release, go on to reoffend. it’s time the justice system put the welfare of innocent people ahead of lawbreakers. cHARLeS JAcKSON, Newcastle upon Tyne. WHeN the death penalty was abolished, politicians assured us that anyone who committed murder would be imprisoned for life. But ‘life’ now seems to mean just a few years and criminals have been freed to murder again.
Stephen Unwin and William John McFall separately murdered pensioners during burglaries, met in prison and, after their release, tortured and killed a young mother. The only life sentence is served by families of the victims.
JUDY GOODWIN, Altofts, W. Yorks.
Stamp out this tax
ONe reason why people are moving house only half as often as a decade ago (Mail) is because of the exorbitant levels of stamp duty imposed by Gordon Brown and continued by this Government.
My husband and i live in a threebedroom house with two reception rooms and a garden. A primary school is four minutes’ walk away, so it would be ideal for a family.
We would like to downsize to a smaller property nearer to our sons. The snag? The £9,000 stamp duty. Add a survey, solicitors’ and removal fees and the amount needed is £16,000. That’s a huge chunk of irreplaceable savings.
K. BAULD, Hullbridge, essex. THe average number of home moves has been calculated to be four, but i might have skewed the results. From 1969 to 2005, i moved 31 times — between countries and towns, sometimes renting, sometimes buying. cAROLe GOODMAN, Tandridge, Surrey.
Truth about Facebook
AFTeR all the revelations about Facebook’s harvesting of personal information, i decided to download all the data it has on me (go to Settings and click ‘download a copy of your Facebook data’).
i was astonished to discover it has all the personal contacts from my mobile phone, which i wrongly thought were private.
i never knowingly agreed to give Facebook access to my phone, but there is a record of every call i made, with the date, time and duration. Printed out, it came to more than 150 pages.
DAVID WeST, Birmingham. THe assertion Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook ‘with the best of intentions’ (Letters) is not correct. its first incarnation was a site called Facemash, launched in 2003 while Mr Zuckerberg was a student at Harvard.
it displayed pictures of students and encouraged people to vote for those they found ‘hot’, pandering to the elitist ‘frat boy’ culture.
Official Harvard headshots were used without permission and displayed on an open website that anyone could view. The university shut down the site. Was this a benevolent start? if anything, it shows Facebook’s true colours — a business doing whatever it takes to become successful. IONA BAIN, London W14.
Mobile madness
i WAS interested to see how much people spent on mobile phones in the article ‘is £43,000 a year the key to happiness?’ (Mail).
Two families spent more than £50 a month and one spent £120. if they are struggling to make ends meet, may i suggest they do what i do — buy a cheap pay-as-you-go phone? it’s perfectly adequate for making and receiving calls and text messages, but doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles.
VAL BeLLAMY, Devizes, Wilts. THe easiest way to manage your money is to spend it on your needs, not your wants. Mrs cOLLeeN BRUNTON,
enfield, Middx.
Missing a hug
i LOVed Jan Moir’s review of the BBC comedy Mum (Mail). i have been widowed for five long years and, much as i desperately miss my husband, like Cathy in the TV show, i wish i had someone in my life who would hug me.
cAROL BYATT, Harlow, essex.