LETTERS

will be added to the amount of payments already expected as per one’s regular mortgage conditions, and 2) much worse, it explicitly says that interest will be added to the interest that was not paid as part of the mortgage payments missed, which include principal and interest.

So, while it is intended to be useful as a short-term cash flow management tool, in the end the banks will actually wind up making more from each of us, charging interest upon interest.

Having no sturdy, steady government to exert real pressure on the Bank of Israel to pressure the banks to forgo at least “interest on interest” shows yet again why we need a strong unity government.

At least for now, can’t the Bank of Israel minimally put a stop to this gauging? We don’t necessarily expect freebies even in these trying times, but interest upon interest adds insult to injury.

SHALOM ZIDEL

Jerusalem

Regarding “Is Benjamin Netanyahu telling the whole truth about coronavirus in Israel? (March 23), we that facts about the coronavirus pandemic are easily misunderstood because of imprecise or not fully disclosed information.

It seems the the article’s writer is also victim of such a misinterpretation. The first fact that is quoted is about the amount of people who have caught the coronavirus. Netanyahu says that Israel is ahead of a vast majority of countries. The writer denies this fact by quoting a study that shows the number of cases in each country in proportion to 1 million people. As of today, Israel is in the top 50 countries according to this criteria.

But what is more important than the amount of cases counted is the amount of deaths. If you compare the number of deaths per 1 million inhabitant in Israel, with that of other countries, you will see that Israel is, as our prime minister says, ahead of most countries by far. Whereas Israel has “only” 0.12 deaths per million, Germany, the European Union’s best result, has 1.12 – i.e. almost ten times more. LAURENT CUDKOWICZ

Jerusalem

“Will Israel lead the way?” (March 19) outlines a bold medical proposal that needs to receive as much worldwide coverage as possible if it is to come to fruition – and it needs to be adopted by the medical community throughout the world as soon as possible if it is to be most effective.

Dr. Shalom Reich, a doctor in the Emergency Department of the Assuta Hospital in Ashdod, proposed that governments worldwide recruit young (20-40) healthy volunteers in the medical field, i.e. doctors, nurses, aides, as well as vital personnel such as police, ambulance drivers, EMT professionals and the like, to be intentionally infected with the coronavirus and be under strict medical supervision as they recover so they can be released back into service just as the virus reaches its peak, in time to deal with the thousands of new cases that are expected and that will be in need of urgent medical attention. These key individuals, who will now have developed a natural immunity to the virus, will then be able to move freely throughout the infected population with little or no risk of infection. Reich has submitted his proposal to the Health Ministry, but without it receiving wider recognition among the general medical profession, both within Israel and worldwide, it may not get implemented in time to be a real life saver for literally thousands.

I appeal to your readers to reach out to any of their professional contacts in the medical profession anywhere in the world and share this important, bold and timely approach to the coronavirus challenge. The very urgent need now is to create discussion around this creative idea in order to generate as much attention by the world’s decision makers, not only in the medical profession, but also with government figures with decision-making powers. I personally know Reich and to quote him, “If this idea is universally adopted, it can save many lives in Israel and throughout the world.”

IRVING M. GOLDENBERG Efrat

Regarding “Israel protests while under lock-down – analysis” (March 23), kudos to Herb Keinon on his uplifting, on the button, article criticizing the demonstrators who, even in this time of national crisis, formed a few hundred car demonstration claiming that Bibi (as in “Erdogan”) was destroying our democracy. Nothing can shut up the Israelis, according to Keinon, and he’s right.

He says, “Stay home and shut up.” I for one have never understood how the demonstrators really believe that they are acting in the name of democracy. Rather, the opposite is my take. They are screaming, “I want my one vote to be worth more than one vote. Because its me. I want my one vote to be worth a thousand votes or ten thousand votes. Because its me.”

In this day and age, what with email, Zoom, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, if you want to strengthen Israel and act democratically, organize a petition online, get ten thousand signatures, or a hundred thousand. It may be less fun and take more time, but at least you won’t add to the air pollution and inconvenience others.

SHALOM GUREVICH Beersheba

Regarding “Netanyahu: ‘A million Israelis infected with coronavirus within a month’” (March 24).

With every uptick in COVID19 cases, the government maintains it’s our fault. The public’s. Then they tighten the noose.

It’s not – and they should lighten up.

We are following sensible guidelines. We are like zombies distancing ourselves from one another as prey from their predators. The government should stop the panic count up and offer a different narrative.

The public is doing a great job! We are maintaining our social distancing. We’ve stopped eating out. We’ve put our social lives on hold, we don’t share anything and we have made an array of other lifestyle changes.

And the results?

The results are great because... imagine if we didn’t.

Kol Hakoved to all of us who are pitching in. STEVEN FRANCO

Jerusalem