Madam, - How many more suicide bombers were recruited by yesterday's events at the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza? How many more innocent Israelis will die as a result of their army's indiscriminate brutality towards homeless and stateless Palestinians. The front-page picture in yesterday's edition of a dead Arab boy being carried from the carnage was really shocking .
I am outraged that, individually and collectively, Ireland, our EU partners, the United Nations, the World Bank and, indeed, all churches of the Christian faith will not take a simple moral stand regarding Palestine. A zero-tolerance policy towards Israel encompassing trade, economic, political, military, social, cultural, sporting and other direct links should be initiated and maintained until Israel returns to the pre-1967 borders and permanently recognises the State of Palestine.
Failing its agreement to withdraw from all land illegally seized and occupied since 1967, I suggest Ireland should sever diplomatic relations with Israel. - Yours, etc.,
DECLAN COLEMAN,
Highfield Road,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Madam, - Perhaps Kevin Myers, who recently opined that "Israel runs by the rule of law" (An Irishman's Diary, May 13th,) would like to explain the legality of Wednesday's slaughter by the Israeli Defence Forces, using tanks and helicopter gunships, of 10 unarmed protesters in Rafah? Perhaps he would like to explain the legality of the dozens of house demolitions, leaving hundreds of people homeless, perpetrated by the IDF also in Rafah in the past week?
Mr Myers's commentary on Israel and Palestine has about as much credibility as the United States has as an "honest broker" in the region. - Yours, etc.,
CONOR McCARTHY,
Ireland-Palestine
Solidarity Campaign,
Dublin 1.
Madam, - The slaughter of 10 unarmed Palestinian protesters by the Israeli army in Rafah, Gaza is the latest example of Israeli State terrorism against the Palestinians.
Since the present Palestinian Intifada began in September 2000, the Israeli military have killed 3,000 Palestinians, the vast majority civilians. Israel has used its helicopter gunships, F-16 fighter aircraft and tanks to destroy Palestinian homes, schools and administrative buildings.
Israel has also deliberately targeted the Palestinian security services, killing more than 200 Palestinian policemen, and leaving most Palestinian security installations in the West Bank and Gaza in ruins.
Israel's attacks on the civil and security infrastructure of the Palestinian National Authority, and its official policy of state-sponsored assassinations, are classic examples of the actions of a terrorist state, and Israel must be treated as such by the international community. Ireland should now use its presidency of the EU to propose, in the interest of international equality and justice, that Israel is classified as such by the EU. - Yours, etc.,
MARTIN GLEESON,
llaunree Drive,
Coolough Road,
Galway.
Madam, - Your edition of May 17th reported that 100,000 demonstrators participated in a peace rally in Tel-Aviv last Saturday night calling for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the start of peace talks. Democracy is a great thing.
Tragically, there is no possibility that your paper will report a demonstration by 100,000 Palestinians calling for an end to suicide bombings and the start of peace talks nor report on 100,000 citizens of any other Arab state so behaving. The demonstrations we frequently view on our television screens from all other parts of the Middle East show frenzied, fanatical mobs calling for more bloodletting and advocating a culture of suicide, death and martyrdom.
The contrast is stunning. The failure to notice it by those who regularly criticise Israel fatally undermines the credibility of the criticisms they voice. - Yours, etc.,
ALAN SHATTER, Dublin 2.