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Bizarre disconnect

At the SBC ballpark celebration of Israel's 56th anniversary, there was a bizarre and sad disconnect between protests on the street and activities inside the stadium.

Outside, San Francisco police held back Palestinian supporters waving Palestinian flags and holding signs accusing Israel of innumerable crimes. Marchers wore T-shirts that read "Palestine" over red maps in the shape of the state of Israel. Their message was clear: The state of Israel is to be demolished and replaced by "Palestine."

Unnerved by their threatening signs and demeanor, I asked a police officer who the protesters were. "Some are professional demonstrators," he said, noting that several faces were familiar to him. "They're bused in, given signs, get paid, and are willing to protest anything for anyone."

On entering the packed stadium I was immediately struck by the lyrics of joyful songs performed by several groups. The words, printed on the big scoreboard, were all about peace, cooperation and hope — a world of difference from the hate-filled words on the protesters' signs. 

I felt glad to participate in the Israel celebration and proud that songs of peace are sung — even though Israel is fighting for its life against enemies determined to destroy it.

June Brott | Oakland




Destroying Israel?

We had a "TV pogrom" on KQED Thursday night, June 3.

For an hour and a half, KQED aired a most vicious, brutal attack on Israel (and not-so-indirectly on the Jews), quaintly titled "Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land/Middle Eastern News."

Never have I seen such a concentration of lies, distortions, half-truths and misinformation on one program.

But why am I surprised? KQED has been following this policy for years.

Interesting to note that it was produced by the BBC. And we all know how wildly successful the British were in solving the problems in the Middle East when, after 30 years, they left the region utterly defeated. (Read "O Jerusalem" by two non-Jewish authors, Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, if you haven't already.)

Rest assured that anyone who gives any support — financial or otherwise — to KQED is helping to destroy Israel.

Lila Kaufman | San Mateo




'Undeserved swipe'

Mara Wallis' May 28 letter takes an unfortunate and undeserved swipe at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival for "spreading Palestinian propaganda."

Perhaps she wasn't aware that in our last festival we showed 21 Israeli films, making us one of the nation's leading presenters of narrative, experimental and documentary film and video from Israel.

Our offerings are not ideologically uniform ("The Settlers," for example, was a remarkable portrait of Orthodox Israeli women settlers).

Many feel it is our willingness to present multiple points of view that makes the festival the single largest Jewish cultural event in the Bay Area — supported this year alone by agencies ranging from the Israeli Consulate and the NEA to the Koret and Hewlett foundations.

They and our thousands of individual supporters and audience members embrace with us the free and open contest of ideas, a founding principle of our own nation, of Israel and of Jewish tradition.

We invite all j. readers to our 24th festival in July, where we will continue to bring the best of Jewish — and Israeli — independent filmmaking from around the world to a Bay Area audience that treasures the art of film, the diversity of Jewish life and, yes, even a healthy debate.

Peter L. Stein | San Francisco
executive director
S.F. Jewish Film Festival

A tiny problem

I read with great interest Alexandra Wall's June 4 article about the Israeli-Palestinian peace delegation to Antarctica. What a wonderful way to break down barriers to peace and increase communication between peoples!

There is just one tiny problem with the article. Wall wrote that one of the participants, a Palestinian journalist, "lost his brother to an Israeli attack."

This brother may well have died at the hands of the Israelis. However, in the dictionary, attack "applies to offensive action, especially to the onset of planned aggression."

It is Israel, a country seeking peace since the dawn of her modern existence, under attack. Israelis across the political spectrum are desperate for peace, but Palestinians must first end the terror.

Alex Fisher | Petaluma




Vets honored

Owners of the best Russian restaurant in the Bay Area, Fandorin, in Burlingame, deserve to be commended for a great mitzvah. They entertained — at no charge — 280 Russian-Jewish war veterans at a Victory Day celebration with an amazing feast, music, wines, pelmeny, blini with caviar, vareniky and Napoleon tortes.

The Jewish soldiers — who were wounded in the battles of Stalingrad, and stormed Berlin — solemnly came to Fandorin decorated by the war time orders and medals, with service ribbons on their best suits.

Victory Day, May 9, 1945, when Nazi Germany surrendered in Berlin, is a day these people will commemorate to the end of their lives.

From the 500,000 Jewish soldiers fighting in the Soviet Army against the Nazis, 200,000 were killed. For the Jewish soldier in the Soviet Army, the chance of survival was approximately 50-50.

For them, Victory Day was a second birthday, a very mournful celebration. As the song in Fandorin sounded, "Victory Day is a celebration with the tears on your eyes. Victory Day!"

RABOTA (Russian-American Business Owners Trade Association) helped Fandorin in sponsoring this unique event of commemoration of the Jewish soldiers we owe our lives to.

Tatiana Menaker | San Francisco




'Shining example'

I would like to thank Nina Lagergren, Raoul Wallenberg's sister, for her wonderful letter of greeting to this year's graduating class of San Francisco's Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School.

I would also like to thank Barbro S. Osher, consul general of Sweden in San Francisco, for her wonderful assistance in conveying Lagergren's letter to the graduates and to Wallenberg Principal Steven Hirabayashi for making this year's graduation a very special event.

Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust. Lagergren and the International Wallenberg Foundation have worked tirelessly to keep the memory of her brother's deeds alive.

Wallenberg's life embodies the essence of what it means to be human, and is a shining example of how one person can make a positive difference in the lives of others. It is an example worthy of all emulation and is a story that should be told to each generation, to remind our young people to act for life and for the good.

This year's Wallenberg graduates will take with them the lessons of humanity and sacrifice that Raoul Wallenberg's life embodies, together with wonderful words of praise and encouragement from his sister, Nina.

Jacob Koff | San Francisco




Who 'elected' Arafat?

About 10 years ago, Yasser Arafat was "elected" head of the Palestinian Authority. His sympathizers keep reminding us that he is the "elected" leader.

This raises the question: What is his term of office? Was he elected for five years, 10 years, 20 years, or for life, or forever, or until the end of time? Does anyone know?

Karl D. Lyon | San Francisco

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