Trump’s wall

There is one blaring omission from Amotz Asa-El’s “The great wall of Donald” (Front Lines, January 27): what it was that turned the West’s “era of good feeling” into pessimistic protectionism. It’s the same that former US president Barack Obama omitted: radical Islamic jihadism.

When President Donald Trump gets bids from Israeli fence contractors, he might choose to build a “smart fence” for the most part, not a 30-meter concrete barrier. In any case, the wall will not be an iconic landmark or an obstacle for legal immigration, but it will be more than a nuisance for illegals.

We can thank the jihadists for turning European comity upside down, from a utopia to a dystopia. President Trump is the first American leader to acknowledge – and hopefully combat – the West’s sworn enemy, the jihadists. STEVE KRAMER Alfei Menashe

I am astounded that Mexicans, apparently including leaders of the Mexican Jewish community, are condemning the new Trump administration for planning to wall off the US-Mexico border.

Anyone who has visited Mexico over the past 30 years knows that every Mexican of means – including politicians, community spokespeople and, no doubt, leaders of the Mexican Jewish community – all live behind three- or four-meter fortified walls, typically crowned with cemented-in broken glass and barbed wire. Those who are truly well off hire 24-hour security guards to supplement their walls.

The stated purpose of these walls is to prevent unauthorized Mexicans and others from entering the owner’s property. One would think the Mexican ruling class would be sympathetic to those in the US who wish to wall-off US property to prevent unauthorized Mexicans and others from entering. SAUL FOX Woodside, California