ISRAEL AND LEBANON

Sir - In regard to the letters of ambassador Zvi Gabay (April 17th) and the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring…

Sir - In regard to the letters of ambassador Zvi Gabay (April 17th) and the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring (April 18th) I would like to point out to Mr Gabay that if he renamed the Israeli operation against Hezbollah "Night and Fog", he would be closer to the truth.

The continual shelling and air strikes of Lebanese people is both a ploy in your elections and a policy of terror. The destruction of electricity supplies is mere vandalism, worse is, the murder of innocent men, women and children, whose only crime is that of being your neighbours. The tactics employed by the IDF since its occupation of parts of Lebanon has often resembled those used 52 years ago in Europe. There is simply no justification for what is occurring in Lebanon now and to quote a great American "don't piss down my back and tell me that it's raining", because we both know, Mr Gabay, who is terrorising who. Mr Spring's "quieter and more subtle approach" is both ill judged and timid, but the next time he does ask to see the Israeli ambassador, he might ask for the handing over to the Irish Government of one "Abu Shawki", a shinbet officer, who in April 1980 was involved in the murder of Irish soldiers, Privates Barret and Smallhorn. - Yours, etc.,

Letterfrack,

Co Galway.