Madam, - I am astonished by Tony Allwright's view of human rights as some kind of trading game (September 20th). His suggestion that, as Israeli laws respect gay rights, this should somehow blind a gay person to their flagrant abuse of the rights of others (eg Palestinians, Bedouin) displays a shockingly consumerist approach to an issue of principle.
By analogy, this attitude could be used to argue that, as the Irish Government has put in place progressive legislation ensuring me legal equality as a gay person, I should therefore remain silent about human rights abuses they may commit with regard to travellers or foreign nationals, for example.
I am confident that my fellow gays, and your readers, will reject such shallow thinking.
However, Mr Allwright's view does reflect an attitude I have encountered among Israelis - namely, that they are different from their neighbours, that they are "civilised", European. I have seen this reflected at the most ridiculous level in the pride they take in their country's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, which they see as clear political endorsement by Europeans of the state of Israel and its repressive policies.
It is for this reason that I wish to propose - in all seriousness - that any boycott of Israel should include a ban on its participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2007.
Finally, I would like to bring to Tony Allwright's attention something Senator David Norris said in the Civil Partnership Bill debate (March 16th, 2005): "Daniel O'Connell. . .made the point that. . .human rights and dignity were not a finite resource, which were diminished by being handed out to other people; rather, they were enhanced and multiplied the more people in the country had such advantages." - Yours, etc,
CATHAL KERRIGAN, Strawberry Hill, Cork.