Times letters: Gaza protests and how to keep Jews safe

Sir, Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, says about the Metropolitan Police that “the police wanted to keep us safe but the problem is the police see themselves as peacekeepers rather than law enforcers” (“Antisemitism campaigner cancels march”, Apr 27).

Sir Robert Peel would be proud. I am too. For the success or otherwise of law enforcement, Mr Falter might contrast the hundreds of arrests by New York police in riot gear at the University of Columbia, which have provoked continuing demonstrations across the United States.
Lord (Ian) Blair of Boughton
Commissioner, Metropolitan Police, 2005-08 House of Lords

Sir, Matthew Parris misconstrues the issue about the police sergeant who described Gideon Falter as “openly Jewish” (Notebook, Apr 27). The point is not the clumsiness of the language but the fact that recognisably Jewish people are no longer free to walk the streets of London during so-called peaceful protests.
Dr Danny Pine
London NW3

Sir, Sir Mark Rowley has backed the sergeant who challenged an “openly Jewish” person at the recent demonstration.

Sergeants are the backbone of the police service and unlike the commissioner don’t have the luxury of time and focus groups to make decisions. The decision to support the sergeant appears to have taken only a couple of days — quite swift for a the leadership of the service.
George Wake
Retired PC, Northumbria police
Gateshead

Sir, Matthew Parris makes some excellent points, but his assertion that the police officer was justified in preventing an “openly Jewish” man from crossing a road where a pro-Palestinian march was taking place, is classic victim-blaming. If, as he suggested, the aim was to protect the man, officers should have been sent to do so — stopping the threat, not penalising the one being threatened. If the police are unable to prevent such a confrontation (and bear in mind that Mr Falter was not protesting or carrying a placard), that is good evidence that the march should not have gone ahead in the first place.
Jonathan Dickson
Edgware, Middx

Sir, Gerard Baker hits the nail on the head when he writes that “as US campuses show, today’s antisemitism comes not from torch-wielding thugs but college-educated middle classes”.

The students are not protesting as hundreds of thousands of people die in Sudan. They did not protest when 500,000 were killed in Syria. They’re not protesting as 400,000 die in Yemen. Neither did students protest when well over 400,000 people were killed after 9/11 in Iraq.

Only when Israel is involved — in self-defence — do students get so animated. Yes, these protests may be led by jihadists, but jihadists are anti-Christian as much as they are anti-Jewish. It is their ability to mobilise the ordinary left-wing middle-class intellectuals that is the real giveaway that the story is about Israel and Jews, not about humanity and deaths. As they say, “antisemitism is a light sleeper and easily awakened”.
Joshua Rowe
Manchester

Rwanda flights

Sir, If the Rwanda plan is a flight of fancy, it is no more so than believing there is anything the government can do to make people more secure in their homelands (letters, Apr 25). No amount of money is likely to appease the warring factions in Sudan, or create a homeland for Iraqi Kurds, or reconcile Palestinians and West Bank settlers, or provide a future for the exploding populations of sub-Saharan states sliding under Russian influence. Investing in better border control might help, but then, ultimately not even the mighty legions of Rome could withstand being overwhelmed by the barbarian hordes. Sometimes we just have to accept that we are helpless before the tides of history.
Dominic Kirkham
Manchester

Sir, I was very amused to read President Macron’s comments about the proposed Rwanda policy, which he calls a “betrayal of values” (“Rwanda bill spreads dread in Calais camps”, Apr 27). If he believes migration and the safety of migrants is so important, he should stop grandstanding and instead do something practical to stem the flow of illegal migrants from the camps in the north of his country. Targeting the smugglers would be a good place to start.
Mark Calvin
Crickhowell, Powys

Sir, Dr Cottam (letter, Apr 24) believes the EU’s failure to control its borders encourages boat crossings to the UK. But the pull factors include a lack of ID cards, the English language and established communities in our big cities. A few deportation flights to Rwanda, if they ever happen, will not be a deterrent against all this.
Lucinda Lubbock
London SW6

Lariam danger

Sir, I have something to add to the comments on Lariam (“MoD offers to settle over drug linked to suicides”, Apr 23, “Uphill Battle”, leading article, Apr 25 and letter, Apr 25). I was involved in running trans-Africa overland expeditions from the mid-1970s to the 2000s. The journeys took several months, passing through west and central Africa, and involved camping in built-up as well as rural areas. Participants were required to take anti-malarial prophylactics. The medication on the market at the time, combined with sensible practical precautions, kept the incidence of malaria in our groups remarkably low.

When mefloquine — Lariam — became widely available, it was taken up with enthusiasm, not least because it required a weekly rather than daily dose. Unfortunately, its perceived efficacy encouraged a more casual approach to precaution. Moreover, there was a noticeable tendency for those in our groups taking Lariam to experience neuropsychiatric side effects. As a result, we felt compelled to advise against using Lariam. Our Australian participants reported that officials at the Australian High Commission in Kenya had warned against it, having had to deal with many an overlander seriously affected.
Jo Jordan
Halesworth, Suffolk

Visiting Venice

Sir, Dr Jeremy Auchincloss (letter, Apr 27) believes that Doge Enrico Dandolo would be appalled at the inadequate entrance fee being charged to visit Venice. I’m not so sure. Doge Dandolo was not shy in demanding and collecting small sums from even the poorest crusader who stayed on the Venice Lido in 1202, to pay for a crusade that led to the eventual conquest and sacking of Constantinople. The success of this battle also resulted in the looting of the four horses of San Marco, which were shipped back to Venice and decorate the Basilica to this day. Enrico Dandolo was totally blind throughout his time as Doge, but he took the cross, led the crusade and died in Constantinople. I’m sure with his record he would think that charging “foreigners” to enter Venice for the day was a very good idea.
Sally Wilton
Bournemouth

Willing workforce

Sir, My experiance differs from that suggested by Jenni Russell (“We’re wasting the over-50s — give them jobs”, Apr 27). At 77 and with three jobs — washing up in a pub, delivering newspapers and another driving job — I am frequently asked to increase my hours to fill vacancies. Here in south Wiltshire we have a mismatch between the demand for goods and services, and those of any age to deliver them.
Johnny Longley
Tisbury, Wilts

Comet Line tribute

Sir, My grandfather, Le Baron Donny, was the financier behind the Comet Line and I found great solace and pride in your article highlighting the courage of Belgian women in the Second World War (“Joyous female resistance network saved RAF pilots from the Nazis”, Apr 27). The tribute to Andrée de Jongh and the heroic efforts of those who risked everything was both moving and inspiring.

My grandmother, La Baronne Donny, devoted her life to commemorating the sacrifices of those involved in the Comet Line. Even after the loss of her husband, known affectionately as le père Noël, at the hands of the Nazis in 1944, she remained steadfast in her commitment. The actions of de Jongh and her comrades stand as a shining example of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tyranny. Their unwavering commitment to the ideals of freedom and justice continues to inspire generations. Let us not only pay homage to their heroism, but also reaffirm our own commitment to the values for which they so valiantly fought.
Sandra Macleod
Elstead, Surrey

Sir, My mother was one of the brave girls of the Comet Line. At a party after the liberation she met my father, an RAF officer who had served on light bombers. They were married in 1946.

In 1970, Mum took me to the routes she and her comrades had used. I know that she had had a very bad experience with the Gestapo, but she could not or would not talk about it. She died in 1991.
Armand Foster
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Falling out of love

Sir, This sad story (“I love my husband — that’s why I’m divorcing him”, Apr 22, and letters, Apr 25 and 27) follows one of the two main forms of relationship breakdown, the pattern of “drifting apart” identified by the Gottman Institute over 50 years of research. An underlying cause was found to be losing the habit of making gestures of affection. Over time this undermines the emotional connection and leads to the loneliness Lisa Quinn describes. Happily, in my work as a human needs therapist I have found that combining a solution-focused approach with knowledge of the root causes of divorce can help couples to reconnect.
Ann Marie Taylor
Swane, Sweden

How old is old?

Sir, Ann Treneman may consider herself old at a mere 68 (Notebook, Apr 27) but I am not old. At 83, I define old as at least one day older than me.
Peter Dace
Cuffley, Herts

Sir, I knew I must truly be old when I was addressed as “young man” by someone half my age.
Mike Pinder
York

April showers

Sir, Chaucer was 600 years ahead of Flanders and Swann (letter, Apr 27, and Weather Eye, Apr 26) when he wrote The Canterbury Tales, which start: “Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote/ The droghte of March hath perced to the roote…”

March was obviously a far drier month in the 1300s than it is today.
Mark Cole
Buckingham

Whined and dined

Sir, Max Hastings’s recollection of his restaurant disaster (Notebook, Apr 25) reminded me of a visit a few years ago to a new tapas restaurant. We ordered our dishes, but 45 minutes later, along with all the other customers, we were still waiting for our food. We then heard raised voices from the kitchen before the waitress came out and announced to the room: “I’m sorry for the delay, but Chef is being a complete shit.” When the food did arrive, it was very nice.
Mark White
Felpham, W Sussex