Hawking’s boycott stance illogical
Professor Stephen Hawking has decided to join the BDS movement against Israel (“Stephen Hawking affirms boycott of Israel,” May 10). How very sad that this very intelligent, brave man did not see fit to say anything about the absence of civil liberties, women’s rights or gay rights in the countries that surround Israel. And may I recommend that Hawking double-check the origin of the many medications he must take for his survival. He may want to reassess his “boycott” when he discovers that he may owe his life to research that was done in Israel.
Dr. David Levine | San Francisco
Hawking — not so smart
Professor Steven Hawking is an idiot. There, I said it!
Hawking will not attend a presidential conference hosted by President Shimon Peres. Add him to the list of other useful idiots boycotting Israeli academic and cultural institutions in a one-sided attempt to tarnish Israel’s international reputation at the behest of the cynical and duplicitous BDS movement. I doubt Peres will miss you. Maybe Peres’ newfound Facebook buddy Mark Zuckerberg will take your place?
Hawking no doubt benefits from Israeli technology that improves his quality of life. Computer chips that power speech synthesizers and medical research into his affliction with ALS all have their roots in the very Israeli hospitals and academic institutions that Hawking has chosen to boycott.
Hawking’s moral condemnation of Israeli policy appears to be selective at best. He visited Iran in 2007 and China in 2006 despite their egregious human rights violations. Why has his moral compass been stirred suddenly when the country in question is Israel?
So what’s it going to be, Professor Hawking? I hate to say it, but to me, Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ashton Kutcher, who’ve all visited Israel recently, seem a whole lot smarter than you these days!
Steve Lipman | Foster City
Golan vital for Israeli security
I lived in the Golan Heights in the mid-1970s. There were a few small settlements and many military installations. Now it is a major agricultural producer, including first-rate wines, and is a tourist destination in both summer and winter. The Golan is still a military asset. It serves two purposes: It keeps the Syrians some distance away and it’s within artillery range of Damascus. The Golan also protects Israel’s primary source of water, the Kinneret.
Every few years I would hear politicians, both in Israel and America, discussing a return of the Golan to Syria in exchange for a peace agreement. I don’t hear that today. With the death toll mounting in the Syrian civil war and the possibility that al-Qaida affiliates will gain a foothold in that country, there is no credible person willing to sacrifice the Golan for a piece of paper. The Golan represents security. Syria planted mines; Israel plants fruits and vines. The events in Syria emphasize the importance of keeping this land that is so vital for the peace and security of the Jewish state.
Gilbert Stein | Aptos