Historic enemies: Letters, 22 December 2011

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.

Traffic light notion 'ridiculous'

I would like a representative of Tauranga City Council to either confirm or deny that they are, or are not, still considering the ridiculous notion of installing traffic lights at the junction of Cameron and Chadwick Rds at Greerton.

I am guessing that it is in attempt to force us to consider using Route K.

I live at lower Pyes Pa and find here is everything I need in either Greerton, Gate Pa or Fraser Cove. The parking meters in the city totally put me off venturing that far. If I want, or need, more variety in shopping, there is Bayfair and Fashion Island, both of which are un-metered.

Therefore to have traffic lights in Greerton will not make me use Route K.

Robin Bishop, Pyes Pa

Tauranga City Council responds:

Yes, council is considering putting traffic lights at the intersection of Cameron and Chadwick Rds in Greerton. However, a final decision has not been made and will not be made for some time. If it is decided that traffic signals are required at this intersection they won't be installed until at least 2017/18.

Route K will have nothing to do with any future decision to install traffic signals (or not) at the intersection of Chadwick and Cameron Rds.

The decision to replace a roundabout with traffic signals at an intersection like this one is not made lightly. Many factors are taken into consideration including safety at the intersection, the severity of any crashes, how best to provide a safe and convenient route for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists and the best way to provide adequate and fair capacity for vehicle traffic entering the intersection.

Truth exposed

I can understand the terror M Brooks senses as she realises at last the truth has been exposed (Letters, Dec 19).

I was principal nurse instructor in St John's Eye Hospital Jerusalem for three years and my students told me their families came from Syria and other countries surrounding Israel. They agreed with the Arab Member of Israeli Knesset MK Azmi Bishara, who said in 1994 when asked about Palestine: "I think there is an Arab nation. I do not think there is a Palestinian nation. I think it is a colonialist invention ... When were Palestinians? ... until the 19th century Palestine was the south of greater Syria."

Newt Gingrich was only stating what no one else dared to say.

The late Yasser Arafat called the people officially "Palestinians" in 1993; I was living in Jerusalem when that happened.

The word Palestinian in Arabic is "Philistine', the historic enemies of the Jewish people who came from Crete and are no longer a people.

I suggest that M Brooks do more research and not just react to her apparent personal antagonism to Israel the only Jewish State in the world. There has been no dissenting Arab voice to Mr Gingrich's declaration.

Dorothy Finlay, Brookfield