Letters to the Editor | Nov. 26, 2023

The American court system is an obvious failure. On the one hand, the U.S. Supreme Court writes up its own ethics rules and then imposes no enforcement measure. A different configuration of the Supreme Court read the Second Amendment and somehow concluded that all Americans have a right to own guns when the amendment itself talks about well-regulated militias. Now, a lower court tells me that even though the Constitution doesn’t specifically mention the president in regard to being an insurrectionist, and though it speaks in generalities about officers of the government and insurrection, it doesn’t apply to Donald Trump? This is truly Nixonian, as in, “When the president does it that means that it’s not illegal.” I pity the coming generations that face the corruption of all the branches of our government — executive, legislative, and judicial.

Roy Lehman, Woolwich Township

Yaakov Peri, former head of the Israeli internal security service Shin Bet, recently said his country’s military will kill the Hamas commanders who carried out the horrific attacks of Oct. 7. But, Peri added, “We’ll be fighting their sons in four or five years.” Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli citizens, but now the death toll of innocent Palestinians is increasing, while the status of the U.S. is suffering throughout the Muslim world. When the fighting ends, President Joe Biden should host Camp David III to negotiate a two-state solution. Israel and Palestine must exist as separate states with secure and recognized borders.

A two-state solution is best for the U.S. It is the only way for Israel to retain its Jewish majority and democratic status, and for Palestinians to attain their goals of independence and self-determination. The status quo is unacceptable, with violence escalating and hope disappearing. Borders must be established with mutually agreed land swaps that adjust the pre-1967 lines to grant Palestine the vast majority of the West Bank and Gaza. Most of the Israeli settlers in the West Bank can be included in the expanded borders of Israel.

Both sides must make ironclad security commitments to each other, including punishing their own transgressors. Full civil rights must be guaranteed for minorities and refugees. International support is needed to provide both sides with the infrastructure necessary to ensure public health, safety, and welfare. The U.S. and the entire Middle East will benefit from a true and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We cannot stand by and watch the violence recur every four or five years.

Joseph Hoeffel, former U.S. representative, 13th District, Meadowbrook

I attended the recent meeting regarding the proposed Sixers arena. I came away with more doubt than before. While David Adelman and his team made a sincere argument for the development, I’m afraid the project appears dependent on much wishful thinking rather than sound analysis. The centerpiece assumes that replacing the Fashion District mall with a weaker-concept mall with an arena slapped on top will somehow revitalize the daytime life on Market Street East. And that parking thousands of cars in time for tipoff will somehow miraculously occur. I believe the plan is weak. We should not risk the vibrancy of Chinatown and the beauty of Philadelphia’s historical core on this half-baked idea.

Rob Johnson, Philadelphia

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