Madam, - I find Alan Shatter's letter of May 21st puzzling and illogical. What exactly is he suggesting - that because Israel allows demonstrations in Tel Aviv it should be immune from all criticism of its activities in Palestine? Mr Shatter should remember that similar demonstrations by Palestinians are often attacked by helicopter gunships by the same Israeli state. This is another stunning contrast which Mr Shatter may wish to ignore, but the rest of the world should not.
Or is he suggesting that because Israel has a different form of government to its neighbouring Arab states it should have carte blanche to confiscate the territory, destroy the homes and terrorise the people of Palestine in a despicable display of arrogance and bullying? Surely not. Mr Shatter has made many valuable and constructive contributions to this country in his time as a TD and I for one would like to see him back in the Dáil. I hope that with the loss of his Dáil seat, he has not also lost his sense of reason and logic. Trying to defend the indefensible does nothing for his reputation. - Yours, etc.,
PAT GRIFFIN, Lucan, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Some letter-writers inveigh against what they call Israeli state terrorism against Palestinians. Before jumping to simplistic conclusions we should remember that the first duty of any government is to protect its citizens. Israel has to defend itself against the continuing unwillingness of the Palestinian Authority to act against terrorist activity in Gaza, particularly weapons smuggling.
For many years Rafah, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, has been the main route for smuggling weapons into Gaza, later to be used by terrorists to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers. During the past four years the Israeli army has uncovered 90 arms-smuggling tunnels running between Egyptian and Palestinian Rafah. These tunnels were used to deliver the rifles used earlier this month to slaughter a pregnant mother and her four daughters. They were also used to smuggle the weapons and explosives used to kill 13 soldiers in just one week. Israeli intelligence has recently learned of terrorists' intentions to smuggle a number of anti-aircraft missiles into Gaza, along with anti-tank missiles and long-range rockets. Such munitions would threaten Israeli civilians far beyond the boundaries of the Gaza Strip.
The terrorists exploit their own populace and place it in danger. The arms tunnels end in private homes in the Rafah refugee camp, making them legitimate military targets under international law. Nevertheless, despite propaganda by Palestinians and their credulous supporters, the Israeli Defence Forces do their utmost to avoid harming the civilian populations.
If Palestinians were not smuggling arms into Gaza for the purpose of murdering Israelis, Israel would not have to act against them. In this, both the Egyptians and the Palestine Authority need to take responsibility. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID SOWBY, Foxrock, Dublin 18.