Simon Schama is right – the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government since taking office are deeply disturbing and must be strongly opposed (“Simon Schama urges UK Jews to condemn Israel’s ‘horrifying’ shift to far right”, News). Our support for Israel is firmly rooted in our progressive values and the Jewish state’s place as a beacon of democracy, the rule of law and minority rights in the Middle East.
It is also clear that Netanyahu’s self-serving efforts to debilitate the judiciary and the repellent actions of his far-right allies do not command the support of the Israeli people, who have shown the strength of their opposition in demonstrations now entering their 10th week.
An estimated 250,000 Israelis took to the streets to oppose the government’s judicial reforms. Given the size of the population, this is roughly equivalent to 1.9 million Britons joining the protests – a figure far in excess of any in our history. Those of us who care for Israeli democracy stand four-square behind the opposition to Netanyahu both on the streets and in the Knesset.
Michael Rubin, director, Labour Friends of Israel
London WC1
Cancer waiting time woes
Your article about the failure of most NHS trusts to meet cancer waiting targets was horribly familiar (“Only 2.4% of English NHS trusts hit cancer wait target”, News). My husband, who has previously had cancer, was referred “urgently” by his GP to University Hospitals Birmingham almost seven weeks ago. He got an initial scan after three weeks that showed concerning findings and another “urgent” referral was made to a specialist. The best that UHB have come up with so far is to tell my husband he might get a phone appointment in four weeks. He needs a physical examination.
In despair, we have turned to the private sector where he has been seen by two specialists and is due to have a diagnostic biopsy this week at significant cost. We are both clinicians in the NHS and understand the importance of early diagnosis of cancer. This situation is appalling and there must be many others in similar circumstances who cannot afford to pay for treatment and diagnosis or don’t realise that time is of the essence. Our only hope is that whatever treatment my husband may need can be accessed quickly. The NHS is well and truly broken.
Elizabeth Hall
West Heath, Birmingham
Joan Bakewell, inspiration
Wow, almost 90 and she’s looking fabulous; I wouldn’t care about my appearance either if I looked as good as Joan Bakewell (“This much I know”, Magazine)! What a lovely set of responses she gave. Inspirational.
Sharman Finlay
Portrush, County Antrim
Teachers, heed your pupils
You quote a headteacher as being “unapologetic” about only allowing pupils to use the lavatories during breaks (“Heads warn parents not to back pupil rule protests spreading through TikTok”, News). That’s easy to say when you’ve never been in class and realised that your period, possibly your first, has started unexpectedly. That if you don’t put on sanitary protection, fast, you are going to have to stand up at the end of the lesson with menstrual blood all over your clothes and your chair. Nobody who thinks it’s reasonable to humiliate a blameless teenage girl in such a manner is fit to teach.
Catherine Long
Leeds
I fight on after sexual assault
I found Martha Gill’s article distressing (“We know women aren’t always safe, even in gyms. But fear is also a good way or reining us in”, Comment). It brought back memories. I was the victim of a violent sexual assault nine years ago, attacked from behind in the dark and forced to the ground face down in the snow with the temperature well below freezing. It could have been a stranger. It could have been someone I knew. I did not see his face. I fought, I struggled, I screamed: “Don’t kill me!” I had attended martial arts classes for two years. I did not learn how to escape from a half-nelson in the snow. I was not an Instagram fitness model with “the strength and mentality to fight back”. The mentality, yes, but at 62 not the strength. I couldn’t “keep fighting”. I gave up.
This article left me in tears, the implication being that, as I wasn’t strong enough to fight off my attacker, I gave up and therefore it was my fault. I lacked strength. I think I put up a pretty good fight. In order to recover, I did not do a couple more martial arts classes. I did not search for inspiration from people who survived attacks. I decided to travel on my own and show the world that I’m a survivor – across the US by train, the trans-Mongolian in the middle of winter and my adventures continue. Does this mean I feel safe in the dark on my own? No, unfortunately not.
Mary Wickham
Richmond, London
Universities’ moral duty
Your article claims that Queen Mary is the first university to use a form to record missed teaching (“Students urged to ‘snitch’ on striking staff at university”, News). It is the regulatory and moral duty of all universities to ensure any education missed due to strike action, or for any other reason, is made up and delivered in full to its students. To ensure students receive all their education, many universities employ methods to enable students to report instances where education is missed. Queen Mary was not the first to implement a form for this purpose.
In addition, you chose not to include the following pertinent facts: disruption due to industrial action at Queen Mary has been limited, with less than 2% of our staff taking strike action; and we continue to have very low academic staff turnover, with published figures showing we are consistently lower than the university sector and the Russell Group.
Professor Colin Bailey, president and principal, Queen Mary University of London, London E1
A day of two halves
Last Sunday morning, I read two articles in your Sports section, one telling me how Liverpool were a spent force (“The aura has gone but can Klopp channel Shankly and summon another great age?”) and one how Manchester United were younger, highly motivated and better organised (“Casemiro’s gritty leadership has United set fair for Anfield reckoning”). In the afternoon I read the result. Funny old game, football. Funny old game, sports journalism.
Dr Jeremy Swinson
Liverpool
