CONOR McCARTHY,
Sir, - David Sowby (March 20th) accuses Cathal Horgan (March 15th) of pontificating from the comfort of Stillorgan, but it seems the view from Dublin 18 is not much better. He says that Israelis live in fear in their daily lives. This is only too true, but Israelis do not live under military rule, nor under curfew, nor with endless restrictions placed on their movements by illegal checkpoints where they are routinely humiliated.
Israelis do not live in fear of having their land confiscated, or their olive groves destroyed, or their homes demolished, or with fear of torture or expulsion. Israel's situation is not the same as that of the United States after September 11th, but Israel's political leaders have been very adept at mobilising the same rhetoric as the US. This ignores the fact that the US, whatever its other failings, has not been in occupation of Afghanistan, illegally, for 35 years, and has not illegally transferred hundreds of thousands of its citizens there. Mr Sowby says Israel should be allowed to defend itself, but the simple fact is that, in the form of a strikingly unjust, destructive and flagrant occupation, Israel is the aggressor.
Mr Sowby alludes to the presence of refugee camps on the West Bank. He points out, correctly, that Arab countries have cynically used the refugee issue, and have frequently done little to ease their plight. But this is very far from the savage and punitive policies Israel has inflicted on Palestinians from 1948 onwards. What is notable about the camps on the West Bank is that some of them date from 1948. What has Israel done for them, in the 35 years it has had a duty of care for them, under the terms of the Geneva Conventions?
Dr Ronit Lentin (March 20th) is to be congratulated on her brave and humane letter. - Yours, etc.,
CONOR McCARTHY,
Ireland-Palestine
Solidarity Campaign,
Dame Street,
Dublin 2.