Sir, – Despite David M Abrahamson’s claim to the contrary (August 3rd), Hilary Minch (August 2nd) is quite correct in noting that no Israeli government has offered to cease settlement building as an inducement to Palestinians to enter into negotiations: The 10-month “freeze” offered in September 2009 was to exclude some 3,000 units already approved for construction in the West Bank and did not apply at all to East Jerusalem, where settlements are typically preceded by the eviction of Palestinian residents and the destruction of their homes. All such actions, it should hardly be necessary to mention, are entirely in breach of international law. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN PATTERSON,
Lower Rathmines Road,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Frank McDonald certainly pulls no punches in his attack on Israel (“Israel peace talks an exercise in deceit”, World View, August 3rd). He supports his view by quoting the UN Human Rights Council. Unfortunately, when it comes to Israel this “human rights” body is a kangaroo court comprised as it is of such human rights champions as Botswana (re. treatment of the Bushmen), Congo, Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Pakistan, Qatar, UAE, etc.
The UAE recently sentenced Norwegian woman Marte Dalelv (World News, July 22nd) to 16 months in jail for reporting that she was raped in Dubai.
Frank McDonald complains, “It’s all about maps and facts on the ground” for Israel. There are 13.7 million Jews in the world of which six million live in Israel, a tiny country that has a land area similar to that of Munster. There are 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, of which, at least 130 million live in the five countries adjacent to Israel. With so many Muslim states hostile (to put it mildly) to Israel’s very existence how can Israel not be worried about “maps and facts on the ground”? – Yours, etc,
KARL MARTIN,
Bayside Walk,
Bayside,
Dublin 13.