Iconic Photo
In “The Boy in the Picture” (op-ed, Oct. 17), Ed Lion analyzes the impact of the photo of the young boy, hands raised, in a round-up of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto, that he rightly calls “one of the most iconic photos of the 20th century.”
As Mr. Lion noted, the extensive search for the fate of that child, notably the recent work of Hebrew University professor Dan Porat in his book The Boy: A Holocaust Story, has not yielded results.
This photo will forever move those who view it.
Dr. Elie Feuerwerker
Highland Park, NJ
Unstatesmanlike Conduct
If the Palestinians were to achieve statehood before making peace, it stands to reason that the new state of Palestine would remain at war with Israel. Nothing would change – except that they could use their status to demand compliance with resolutions whose implementation was contingent on a peaceful agreement, while offering nothing in return.
Right now, each side has something to trade for peace – the Palestinians have violence and Israel has control of the land. Forcibly ending the dispute will do nothing to stem the violence; it would only encourage it.
Statehood is more than recognition or a piece of paper. A state should have to act like a state before it is recognized as one, and to date the Palestinian leadership has been less than stately in its behavior.
Gary Taustine
New York, NY
‘Klinghoffer’ Controversy (I)
What’s almost as disturbing as the opera “The Death of Klinghoffer” is that it wasn’t protested by more non-Jews. The murder of Klinghoffer may have been an anti-Semitic atrocity, but terrorism today is a global problem. This opera should disturb everybody.
Particularly disturbing is Mayor Bill de Blasio’s defense of the opera: “I think the American way is to respect freedom of speech…”
Mr. Mayor, what happened to respecting freedom of life?
We may have freedom of speech, but as Americans we also have the freedom to protest. And as civilized human being we have an obligation to protest a grotesque glorification of cold, calculated murder. What’s troubling is that de Blasio chose to exercise his right to defend the opera rather than his right to condemn it.
Josh Greenberger
Brooklyn, NY
‘Klinghoffer’ Controversy (II)
On September 19, officials of the Zionist Organization of America sent a letter to The New York Times criticizing the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel opera “The Death of Klinghoffer.” This followed an article that appeared in the Times the previous day that tried to analogize “Klinghoffer” to “Othello.”
To date, The Times still has not published ZOA’s letter. Instead the Times ran yet another article making the same flawed “Othello” analogy.
Here is the letter The New York Times refused to print:
“Death of Klinghoffer” director Tom Morris disingenuously asserts that saying that “Klinghoffer” condones murder is “the equivalent of saying that Othello . . . is an opera that tells people to kill their wives” (Met’s Operatic Army Mobilizes, 9/18).
In fact, “The Death of Klinghoffer” does condone murder, by presenting (false) purported “justifications” for Palestinian terrorists’ execution of an innocent American Jew.
“Klinghoffer” composer John Adams states on a Met Opera video: “There have to be reasons why [the terrorists] did this act.”
The opera falsely paints Israelis as “supplanters” who brutally dispossessed indigenous Arabs in 1948. In fact, invading Arab nations and the Arab High Committee urged Arabs to move to safe areas while they attacked Israel’s Jews.
The Palestinian terrorists in “Klinghoffer” sing that they are “men of ideals.” None of the Arab terrorists regret their heinous cold-blooded act. Othello, by contrast, is so stricken with remorse over his crime of passion that he commits suicide.
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