Even on Holocaust Memorial Day, there is no avoiding antisemitism

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

The Holocaust is a black stain on humanity's consciousness (Getty)

There is no avoiding the fact that there is always a presence of antisemitism – there are times when it is more prevalent and, as a Jew, one can feel more aware of a certain level of animosity.

The spectrum of antisemitism is broad and can range from the denial of the Holocaust and a passing remark such as “typical Jew” to the desecration of Jewish cemeteries. Most complex, though, is the criticism of Israel. While it can be healthy to disagree and debate the political issues regarding the Israeli government, all too often it leads to the inevitable question, “Isn’t that antisemitic?” I am not preaching to discourage people from having their opinions on Netanyahu’s parliament, just to address that anger towards the politicians, not Jewish people.

Joshua Curiel

London

Don’t forget the atrocities inflicted on Palestinians

The Holocaust Memorial Day’s theme this year, the power of words, is a timely reminder of the need to sympathise with others, promote tolerance, mercy and preclude hatred and prejudice. The Holocaust is not only a black stain on humanity’s consciousness but one of the most atrocious crimes in modern history and a poignant reflection of man’s inhumanity to fellow human beings.

However, while Israel commemorates the event, Palestinians continue to live a life of hardship, oppression, injustice, indignity and desperation. They continue to be denied basic freedoms and dignities. Jerusalem, which is an emblem of coexistence and religious understanding and dialogue, has become the capital of the Jewish people only and a flashpoint of hostility and hatred between the children of Abraham. It is time for leaders of the civilised world, Trump included, to stand up and speak up for justice and equality for people everywhere irrespective of their gender, colour, religion and ethnicity.

Munjed Farid Al Qutob

London

Gavin Williamson’s speculated bid to become Tory leader has failed

If Gavin Williamson becomes leader of the Tories, watch the nasty party get even nastier!

Why does the Conservative Party have such a death wish?

Nigel Groom

Essex

Gavin Williamson’s hysterical suggestion that Russia could cause “thousands and thousands and thousands” of deaths by crippling British infrastructure tells us several things. Mostly, it tells us that putting a man in charge of the military who needed to keep a spider on his desk to intimidate colleagues was ludicrous.

Having Williamson as Secretary of State for Defence is as crazy as it would be – for example – to have a racist as foreign secretary or a man with a history of ridiculing experts in charge of the environment.

Amanda Baker

Edinburgh

BBC gagging orders are typical corporate policy

While the concept of gagging orders in the BBC is abhorrent, it is hardly unusual, with almost all large corporates employing such tactics often well before any informal or formal process has been conducted, allowing perpetrators of abuse to move smoothly across sectors. Perhaps such cast-offs from the private sector find their way to the public sector after being shunned in their own market.

Laura Dawson

Harpenden

Many attendees with closed eyes at the Presidents Club?

Children and families minister Nadhim Zahawi excused his attendance at the Dorchester charity event by claiming to have left early, as soon as he felt uncomfortable. He also claimed not to have seen anything untoward. So he must have somehow foreseen that he would soon feel uncomfortable by seeing things that he hadn’t foreseen. Or had. Clever minister.

Bob Finch

Cambridge

If all those gentlemen at the Presidents Club dinner, and others like them, had paid an equivalent amount in income tax to the amount they donated to charities and the cost of the dinner, it could have achieved the same end result for the good causes, but of course paying tax doesn’t make one look good and feel good, does it?

John Hudson

Derby

Veganism comes at a cost

Emma Henderson’s piece on the environmental aspect of veganism (Why veganism isn’t as environmentally friendly as you might think) is striking. While I’m not a vegan myself, I have had to take on some aspects of the diet due to various food intolerances, and I found work in a health food store. I would regularly see the invoices and check the stock inventory and would be horrified by the level of the companies’ carbon footprints. Besides locally produced honey, there would be avocados, coconuts and all manner of fruits and vegetables being imported from all over the world.

As your writer dutifully points out, we cannot completely forgo trade with these countries as this would be unfair and unpopular to a lot of people but if there can be a way of reducing the footprint even by a tiny fraction, we will all have done our bit.

David Murphy

Address supplied