Madam, - In another effort to demonise Israel, Raymond Deane (November 20th) trundles out the absurd reference to apartheid, as if separating two hostile populations has any resemblance to the situation in South Africa.
Israelis, like residents of certain parts of Belfast, realise that physical separation provides the most realistic option for reducing the vulnerability to attack. They have learned that pledges of peace, when they are heard, are ephemeral, but the construction of a fence has a very visible and immediate impact. Already there has been a sharp decline in infiltration and terror attacks where the barrier has been completed.
Completion of a barrier between the two populations is necessary for the security and survival of Israel. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID SOWBY, Dublin 18.