Readers sound off on anti-Zionism vs. antisemitism, stillborn births and Shohei Ohtani

Thank you for not towing the flawed party line

San Mateo, Calif.: An open letter to California Rep. Kevin Mullin (photo): We at Peace Action of San Mateo County do appreciate your recent non-support of the wrongheaded HR 894, (equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism) and look to you for future leadership in a balanced and intelligent approach to the relations we have with the state of Israel.

We all recoil from the horrific violence of Oct. 7, but the over-the-top response by Israel has made us complicit in what amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity — not to mention the seeding of the ground for future adherents of similar violent organizations.

It unfortunately appears that the Israel Defense Forces and current government have been so humiliated by Oct. 7 that they would be willing to see the hostages counted as war dead rather than have to negotiate for their lives. Cutting off their food, water and medicine and bombing tunnels in which they are probably being held will surely bring that about.

We need intelligent policies, not responses that are self-defeating, which is the way of the Hamas organization. We see a complete cease-fire and meaningful long-term negotiations to settle the 75-year period of discrimination and dispossession of the Palestinian population as the only solution, as no other path offers long-term peace and mutual security going forward.

Thank you for your good will and hard work for our district, as it is indeed appreciated. Mike Caggiano

Spreading hate

Jersey City: The ignorant, antisemitic hate speech of Voicer Samuel Mark needs to be answered. There is, in fact, a “legal duty owed to civilians in countries that start wars” under both the Geneva Conventions and the Nuremberg Trials precedents that civilized countries, including the U.S. and Israel, subscribe to. Further, Israel’s governing Likud party’s reaction to the terrorist actions against Israel, initially understood and supported by the world, has long since lost that support. It is not a war against an established government that can be defeated but, thanks to its own overreach, has become an unconscionable recruiting action for the next generation of the very terrorists they claim to be fighting — which is why thousands of Israelis are demonstrating against it! And antisemitic? Yes, it may stun Mr. Mark to learn that Semites are not just Jews, but include the Palestinians as well! John Esche

Clumsy communicators

Merrick, L.I.: Ex-University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, Harvard University President Claudine Gay and MIT President Sally Kornbluth showed how intelligent people say really stupid things. Curtis E. Izen

Press for peace

Manhattan: I am a Black individual living in New York. The fight against oppression is one that can connect us all, and we have the power to bring needless violence in this world to an end. A brief pause in the killing in Gaza is far from enough, and I am demanding that we make a push to save the lives of remaining hostages and Palestinian civilians facing the genocide imposed upon them. The power of taking action through dialogue has proven to bring about positive change. I call on New York representatives such as Adriano Espaillat, Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota and more to take these actions to publicly call for a ceasefire. The loss of innocent lives demands it. The oppressed demand it. We can only grow as a nation through steps such as these. Omari Woodruff

Been here before

Monroe, N.J.: I read in the papers that carbon dioxide levels are the same today as they were 14 million years ago. The temperature was 9 degrees higher and sea levels were 40 to 50 feet higher. Our cars and gas stoves are not the problem. The climate does change. All the panic is just the powers that be exerting their control over us. Wake up, people, we can’t let them control us like this. John Ray

Medically inaccurate

Rockaway Park: Some Voicers, in their rush to make Republicans look bad, make statements that are factually wrong. A perfect case in point is Voicer Paul Falabella, who stated that Texas would not permit a woman carrying a deceased fetus to have an abortion. Abortion is the process of killing a live fetus and removing it from the womb. While I am not familiar with the case he cites, removing a fetus that died of natural causes in utero is not an abortion. Rather, it is a stillbirth if the fetus is nearly fully developed. If the fetus is relatively undeveloped, it can be removed using a procedure known as a dilation and curettage. Neither procedure is an abortion and is therefore not subject to laws governing abortions. Peter Galvin

Sleepy Joe

Yonkers: Is it possible that President Biden is emulating Vincent “The Chin” Gigante to avoid prosecution or testifying at his son’s trial? I’m waiting for him to start walking around the White House lawn or down Pennsylvania Ave. in his pajamas, talking to himself. Tom Deering

Fat chance

Wellfleet, Mass.: Presidential candidate Donald Trump stating at a town hall campaign event in Iowa that he will be “a dictator for a day” is like me saying that I’m going to eat just one potato chip out of a full bag. Trump rattled a lot of voters with his dictator comment, given that those voters never want to be ruled by one. Mike Rice

Pay up

Woodside: So Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer told a sob story to the jury that Rudy is strapped for cash and a large verdict would ruin him. Rudy ruined those two Georgia election workers’ lives. His allegedly shaky finances was rightly of no concern and the jury awarded $148 million. If I was on that jury, my concern would have been for the victims and others who have also sued him for millions. I’d would have wanted to leave some of his ill-gotten gains for them. Let the punishment fit the crime. Sheila Richardson

No sympathy

Forest Hills: Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer has whined that a steep financial penalty would equal a “death sentence.” Please direct me to his GoFundMe page so I can (not) contribute to it. By the way, Mr. Former Prosecutor, if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. Alan Hirschberg

Unfinished business

Staten Island: My grandma and I are avid Daily News readers but more importantly, we enjoy completing the puzzle pages. I do them every day when I get home from school at her house. As I was doing the Word Search on Tuesday, I was unable to find the words “pet toys.” Upon closer inspection, I don’t believe the words are there and there may be a typo (an “o” that perhaps should be a “y”), which seems odd to me, though I quadruple-checked. Please let me know if I have just missed it, because I’ll be thinking about leaving the Word Search unfinished for days to come. Antoinette Mattarelliano

Heartfelt thanks

Bronx: Last Sunday, my 88-year-old cousin suffered a medical emergency and needed help. The men and women of Engine Company 60 and EMS personnel responded quickly and started care. He lives on the 11th floor, and both elevators were out of service. The FDNY crew and EMS carried him down 11 flights with great care. My cousin is no lightweight, so this was a difficult task that required strength and skill. Our family sends our grateful regards to all who assisted him in his time of need. God bless the FDNY and EMS. Michael Kenney

Earned income

Somers, N.Y.: For Voicer Bruce McMenemy to conflate the monumental contract of Shohei Ohtani with this country’s problems of homelessness, hungry children and desperate migrant families is ridiculous. One has nothing to do with the other. This country is based on capitalism, and whatever an employee can derive from their talent does not take money away from others. It’s not our government that is paying him, it’s the Dodgers. And who is cheering “this type of obscene gluttony”? Many may think his contract is crazy, but he is a two-way player never seen before in baseball history. In 1930, Babe Ruth was paid $80,000, which was more than President Herbert Hoover’s salary. Well, as Ruth said, he had a better year. Michael Gold