Madam, - Tom Cooney (August 12th) argues that "appeasement in the face of sectarian terrorism" is dangerous in today's world. If he is correct, the world must now be a very dangerous place; after all the past month saw the shameful appeasement of Israel as it practised state terrorism in Lebanon.
The United States and Britain blocked any effective action by the United Nations to restrain Israel, seeking to give the Israeli army enough time to achieve a military victory in Lebanon. US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice announced that time had to be given for the birth of a "new Middle East". Judging by the events of the past month, this happy outcome was to be achieved by the indiscriminate slaughter of Lebanese civilians.
The US policy has failed miserably. Israel has belatedly decided to accept a UN resolution only because it has failed completely to defeat Hizbullah. This is certainly no cause for celebration, but it underlines the appalling futility of Israel's military campaign.
Tom Cooney is correct that a better politics on this subject is sorely needed, but it will not be provided by his simplistic slogans and false claims of prejudice against Israel. It would be useful instead if armchair warriors who support Israel's actions took the facts into account. Lebanon is the only Arab state which has succeeded in developing a viable democracy. The leaders of its government are moderate and sympathetic to the West. Bombing their country is hardly the best way to nurture Lebanese democracy. President Bush, who claims to support the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East, displayed breathtaking hypocrisy in supporting the indiscriminate Israeli attack on Lebanon. He even made the laughable offer of US aid to rebuild Lebanon once his Israeli allies had stopped their bombing campaign.
Mr Cooney says we need to hear more on the issues from our politicians, including Michael D Higgins. Perhaps the problem is that Irish cheerleaders for Israel's military action have no interest in listening to what Michael D Higgins has to say. - Yours, etc,
JOHN WALSH, Dunshaughlin Co Meath.
Madam, - It should be compulsory for letter-writers to The Irish Times to use archaic words such as "elide" in order to demonstrate their extreme cleverness in putting forth offensive ideas. Raymond Deane (August 11th), replying to Alan Shatter's letter of August 10th, himself elides to mention that Hizbullah's call for a ceasefire would suit it very well, thus allowing it to remain in positions from which it could continue to attack Israelis.
He graciously admits that Hizbullah is funded and supplied by Iran and Syria, and contrasts this aid with that from the US to what he calls the "rogue" state of Israel. Two points about that: first, Israel is not a rogue state (whatever that may mean), having been established by the United Nations.
Second, Iran's clearly and frequently expressed aim is to wipe out Israel, which is why it is supporting Hizbullah. Neither Israel nor the US has announced any intention to destroy Iran, Lebanon or Syria. - Yours, etc,
DAVID SOWBY, Knocksinna Crescent, Dublin 18.
Madam, - Whatever about the rights or wrongs of the conflict in Lebanon, the outcome is now quite clear: a major defeat for Israel. At the outset Israel had three war aims: the return of its two captured soldiers, the prevention of rocket attacks on northern Israel and the crushing of Hizbullah. None has been achieved. In addition Israel has lost the propaganda war and the myth of the invincibility of its army has been exploded.
On the other hand, Hizbullah is more popular than ever and Nazrallah is now a hero with the Arab masses. In time, the rise of Hizbullah will undermine pro-Western Arab governments.
Bush and Blair have also badly miscalculated this affair. Their policy was quite clearly to give the Israelis time to crush Hizbullah. That did not happen and now both these gentlemen must face the new reality in the Middle East. Israel has lost a war for the first time in its history and the damage this will do to the collective Israeli psyche should not be underestimated. The past five weeks may yet turn out to be the most significant in the tumultuous history of the Middle East. - Yours, etc,
ALAN McPARTLAND, Grange Court, Dublin 16.