Letters to the Editor December 7, 2020: Maradona – Not Netanyahu

• Date: 06 December 2020
• Author: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
• Published date: 06 December 2020
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Significant increases in incidences of domestic abuse have accompanied the coronavirus epidemic in Israel and throughout the world. Shelters are full, hotlines are overwhelmed and promised budgets to fight the phenomenon have not been forthcoming.

Eradication of this terrible wave of violence seems elusive. Reading Ehud Olmert's "The secret of glory" (December 4) pinpoints one of the reasons why this is so. Maradona was arguably one of the greatest footballers ever to grace the world's foremost soccer stages. He was also, reportedly, a domestic abuser. And yet three days of official mourning, glowing obituaries, minutes of silence and black armbands worldwide – the tributes could not have been greater. In the air-brushing of the unpalatable truth, domestic abuse is often overlooked or made invisible, especially if the perpetrator is an elite sportsman, a famous actor or other such influential figure.

Whilst this continual "brushing under the carpet" of abuse continues, the scourge of violence against women (for it is not exclusively, although almost always is against women) cannot be effectively fought.

The existential question, are we free to enjoy, appreciate and celebrate the artistic work, films, music, literature or sporting prowess of people who also happen to be abusers, is irrelevant to the victims of that abuse. But it is a question that we should ask ourselves.

ELLIE MORRIS

Asseret

In this article, Ehud Olmert disparages Maradona just a few days after his passing. Olmert uses some conveniently chosen statistics to argue that there existed more successful soccer players. He attributes Maradona's greatness simply to the fact that he was born in a poor neighborhood, as if he was the first and only successful athlete to have done so.

Olmert is apparently clueless as to the reason Maradona is universally adored. Maradona's greatness cannot be measured by number of goals, championships or fouls committed against. Maradona, with his magic, brought about the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. This utilitarian feat is what differentiates Maradona from the rest of the players.

How many people, apart from a few Germanophiles, shed tears of emotion watching Beckenbauer? I ask this with all due respect. And for the grandeur-complex afflicted people of Argentina he did another incomparable feat – he proved to the whole world, once and for all, what each and every Argentinian knows since he was born and the world stubbornly refused to acknowledge: that we are the best in the world.

In life, Maradona was judged by the last image of his private life spied on by the media. Dead, he has the posthumous right to be judged for his highest work.

OSCAR VOLIJ

Metar

I don't know much of anything about soccer, but Maradona must have been a giant in the sport because for the first time ever (I think) we have had the pleasure of seeing former prime minister Ehud Olmert write about something other than how despicable he thinks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is.

I...