Sir, – Surely Melvyn Wilcox (July 12th) is not serious in expecting sympathy for Israel as it defies international laws in its attacks on Gaza, leading to over 100 deaths, and with its prime minister stating that it will defy all pressure to cease these attacks? It must surely seem to the Palestinians that the state of Israel is a law until itself, as demonstrated over the years in its disregard of UN resolutions condemning the grab of Palestinian land through settlements, etc. All violence is wrong and only leads to more but it must be pointed out that there is a vast difference between that meted out by Israel and that engaged in by the Palestinians. It is time the rest of the world woke up and dealt with this so-called democratic state, which claims retaliation is an acceptable weapon in resolving disputed territories. Of course, without the support of the US, Israel would be much more amenable to reaching a civilised agreement, and the US bears a lot of responsibility for this tragic dispute. – Yours, etc,
MARY STEWART,
Ardeskin,
Donegal Town.
Sir, – The major beneficiary of the current fighting between Hamas and Israel is of course Iran – the main backer of Hamas and supplier of its weapons, ammunition and long range rockets. Not only does Iran get to fight a proxy war with Israel but the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians helps deflect the world’s attention from the ayatollahs’ treatment of their fellow citizens, especially women.
Last Tuesday, the Iranian journalist Marzieh Rasouli started a two-year sentence in the notorious Evin prison in Tehran, where she is also due to receive 50 lashes. Marzieh Rasouli mainly writes about literature but her real crime was to support the pro-democracy street protests in Iran in 2009 and post so-called “anti-state propaganda” on her blog. She joins at least 64 journalists and bloggers already serving harsh sentences in Iranian jails. – Yours, etc,
KARL MARTIN,
Bayside Walk,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – Why is it always the hallmark of western politicians and media commentary to equate Israel’s horrific assaults on civilian populations with those by the fairly insignificant efforts of Hamas to defend the people of Gaza? This is obscene.
When the two representative bodies of the Palestinian people, Hamas and Fatah, made a peaceful unity pact, the Israeli government responded in the usual way by threatening financial sanctions, walking away from the peace talks and bombing Gaza, injuring 12 civilians, including children between the ages of five and twelve.
Now, having provoked the firing of rockets by its rampage through the West Bank following the death of three Israeli teenagers (which left many Palestinians dead, injured or imprisoned), Israel is raining down terror on a practically defenceless population. Israel’s latest horrific onslaught has little to do with rocket fire from Gaza. Hysteria is being deliberately whipped up in Israel as it uses the excuse of the tragic murder of three Israeli teenagers to collectively punish the entire Palestinian population and attempt to dismantle the Fatah/Hamas unity pact.
Most western politicians and the West’s media pundits should bow their heads in shame at the lack of criticism and analysis of what is being done to Gazans. – Yours, etc,
JIM ROCHE,
Irish Anti-War
Movement,
PO Box 9260,
Dublin 1.