Letters: 10th August 2014

Context is everything

I read with great disappointment the summary in MaltaToday (August 3, 2014) of my interview with F. Attard that appeared on the Illum newspaper on the same day.

MaltaToday chose to concentrate on the use of the word ‘dictatorship’, to the delight of online commentators and some gratuitous insults.

In the comment’s context, it was meant to underline my belief that an administration that enjoys such a huge majority as the present one is not a healthy one for the country for obvious reasons.

May I end this letter by quoting from my interview ‘Il-mezzi tax-xandir dejjem lesti biex ifittxu dak il punto e virgola biex jimlew u jikkritikaw jew anke ikissruk jekk ma jaqblux mieghek’.

Dr Josie Muscat, Chairman, Saint James Hospital Group

Preventing the next Gaza-Israel War

There have now been three wars between Gaza and Israel in the past six years. If nothing is done to stop the protagonist - the Islamic resistance army more commonly known as Hamas – then the only certain future for the area is that there will be another war in the not too distant future.

While many world leaders recognise the necessity of eliminating Hamas – both for the benefit of Israel and for the Palestinian civilians who suffer negatively both directly and indirectly from the decisions made by Hamas – few have the foresight or vision  as to how to accomplish this task.

The Palestinian Authority does not have the will or the capability to eradicate Hamas. The Arabs cannot be trusted to do it – with the possible exception of Egypt, which has been destroying terror tunnels in Gaza, enforces the necessary blockade to stop terror supplies reaching Hamas, and has thwarted an Islamic suicide bomber terror attack and rocket attacks aimed at Israeli civilians in the past month.

Israel has the capability to get rid of Hamas, but the world accuses Israel of being too brutal in doing it. The western countries that could do it know full well that if they were to do it they would have to behave as ‘brutally’ as they accuse Israel of doing in the face of Islamic terrorists using civilian human shields, and they would have to come to terms  with their hypocritical stance towards Israel. Western countries also have no appetite to fight any Islamic terrorist group – especially one playing hostage to a civilian population.

While it is, sadly, abundantly clear that the world is not actually prepared to do what is needed to stop the conflict reoccurring, the western world does  have some control. Funds given to the Palestinians should be strictly controlled – it is irresponsible (if not downright murderous) to continue to look the other way while the Palestinian terrorists get rich, spare no expense on buying rockets and invest millions in terror tunnels.

Without funds the terror trade of Hamas will die, even though the ideology of course will not.  Perhaps this is the best solution that the western would is prepared to fathom for now.

Michelle Moshelian, Givatayim, Israel

Mindless bell-ringing

In Malta, there is too much bell-ringing. The pealing of bells is supposed to commemorate events that allegedly happened 2,000 years ago. At other times, the bells ring in memory of some dubious or obscure “saint” who has been dead for hundreds of years. During several weeks following Easter, the clanging of bells is relentless at weekends. This mindless noise goes on year after year.

In between all this bell-ringing, other bells chime Marian tunes every other hour or so. The insipid chimes are repeated several times each hour.

The jolly bell-ringers do not care if they inconvenience other people with their bell-ringing as long as they get their kicks by making noise.
The Church in Malta preaches consideration for others, but does not practise it when it comes to its own noise abuse.

Since the Church does not care if it inconveniences other people, it’s time for the Labour government to step in to curb the incessant bell-ringing in Malta.

John Guillaumier,  St Julian’s