Dead children were not props | Israel-Gaza war

“T“Stories of child murder” are not what is happening in Gaza (“Stories of child murder have fueled hatred of Jews for centuries. They still resonate today”). These are real deaths and real children and real losses. The blood libel myth is a horrific example of how anti-Semitic propaganda was used to persecute and ultimately exile England’s Jewish population. It is a shameful aspect of British history, but it is a myth and it is important that we strip it of its power by firmly establishing this. The killing, bombing and starvation of children in Gaza is not a myth. It is a fact, it continues, and it is irredeemably disrespectful to their memory and their families to suggest that their bodies are just a prop in an anti-Semitic narrative.

It is anti-Semitic to equate an entire religion with a violent regime and occupier, and that is exactly what Jacobson does in this article. The Jewish population and faith are diverse and there are many who do not support the occupation and genocide in Gaza.
Esther Chauncy
London E7

As a novelist, Howard Jacobson is an excellent polemicist who, in his article, covers Israel’s war crimes against my people, risking fomenting anti-Semitism. I will never defend anti-Semitic blood libels, although I will accuse Israel of regularly murdering Palestinian children.

Here are some facts: Guardian Reporter Chris McGreal wrote in April that doctors were “deeply disturbed by the number of children seriously injured or killed by single shots” by Israeli snipers. A group of 45 doctors sent a letter with accompanying documents confirming this. My mother’s cousin, 15-year-old Abdallah El-Farra, was shot this way in July while picking up bread for his family.

It’s also in April Guardian reported that Israel is knowingly allowing the killing of civilians with its AI-powered targeting method. At Nasser Hospital in November 2023, I saw a somber procession consisting of a baby, three older children and two adults being carried into the morgue immediately after an Israeli airstrike on the Khan Younis refugee camp. Twenty-five of my maternal family, including children, were killed last week by an Israeli airstrike on their home in Khan Younis.

We blame Israelis and their Western arms dealers, not Jews, for murdering more children than in any other conflict in the last two decades. If he truly cares about anti-Semitism, Jacobson should stop and think about the facts and the implications of equating Jewishness and Israel.
Mohamed Ghalaieny
Manchester

I am positively charged

Ros Coward is right to call for a more coherent and effective system for public electric vehicle charging (“Why am I still forced to hunt for the charger four years after buying an electric car?”).

Nonetheless, after 18 months of owning an electric vehicle, I feel much more positive. For those of us who can charge at home, this is a no-brainer. Aside from the large carbon footprint, internal combustion engines are extremely inefficient in terms of energy use. In the best case, about a third of the energy contained in the fuel is used to power the car – two thirds is given off as heat from the radiator and exhaust. Hybrids are better than conventional cars, but only marginally. When driven sensibly, our mid-size electric vehicle has a range of between 280 (winter) and 320 (summer) miles. It took us to West Wales and South West France. Long journeys require a little forethought, but so does anything in life that needs to be done effectively. “Range anxiety” seems suspiciously like a neurosis propagated by oil industry lobbyists.
Dr. John Gee
Forest Row, East Sussex

Looks good, feels good

Finally someone with common sense who realizes that the reason people get surgery is simply to feel better (“Social media isn’t driving the plastic surgery boom. Who doesn’t want to look better?”). I wish the sour grapes crowd would stop shaming those who just want to feel better, instead of insinuating that everyone who cares about their appearance is somehow a bad person.
Bekah Griffiths
Cobham, Surrey

What about the climate?

Will Hutton always has something important to say about politics and society. His new book is no different. But there is a core mistake that he illustrates in his article (“After 100 days of mistakes, we need to hear Labour’s underlying philosophy”). The world has changed and yet here we are again, 70 years back, sifting through the thoughts of a long-dead politician. The challenges we face are unprecedented and the elephant in the room is the climate and biodiversity crisis. There is no mention of this here, and hardly anything in his book, and yet the impending failure to address it will destroy his entire vision. His appeal to the new government is legitimate and sincere, but the gap between this and the measures we need now is a yawning chasm.
Neil Blackshaw
Alnwick, Northumberland

Hard work pays off

Torsten Bell rightly emphasizes the role that inherited wealth plays in financial security, but falls too far into defeatism (“TikTok is full of advice on how to retire early. The truth is, you just need rich parents.” ). Reducing success to luck at birth ignores the value of hard work, innovation and perseverance.

The claim that financial success is unattainable without rich parents risks encouraging resignation among young people. Yes, inherited wealth creates advantages, but it does not make ambition and effort in vain. Social mobility stagnates when we promote a sense of helplessness. Instead, we should empower young people to believe that, despite the challenges, they can change their circumstances.

While the system is biased towards the rich, there are countless examples of people who achieve success through smart decisions and persistence. It may be more difficult today, but it is not impossible. It is the government’s job to create a level playing field, but individuals must take control of their own destiny.
Omar Sarhan
Leeds

Take a break from drinking alcohol

On “England urged to introduce minimum alcohol price as deaths rise by 10% a year”: Prevention takes many forms in public health. The developers of seat belts do not want to ban cars altogether, but rather reduce the number of traffic deaths. Some people drink a lot of alcohol when it is readily available and relatively cheap. The damage caused by alcohol to the body depends on the amount consumed and frequency. The number of alcohol-related deaths has reached an all-time high and is rising. Our society does not encourage driving a car without brakes. For some drinkers, a minimum unit price is an effective measure to curb their alcohol consumption.
Woody Caan
Duxford, Cambridgeshire

Portobello pork

In his review of Boris Johnson UnleashedTim Adams asks us to spare a thought for the fact-checkers (New review). He cites Johnson’s claims that “graffiti has appeared on the wall in Portobello Road” and says: “Brexit is saving lives”. As a resident of the street I can confirm that this is a fact. I can also confirm that underneath, in the same handwriting, were the words “Brexit keeps Britain white.” I painted over it. Maybe that’s why Johnson didn’t mention it in his memoirs.
John Lowery
London W11