Madam, - Your Editorial of December 21st, "Sharon's role in the push to peace", is self-contradictory, and repeats a number of misconceptions that have lately become common currency.
You suggest that Mr Sharon's re-election "can prepare the ground" for "a two-state settlement" while admitting that he has reinforced Israeli control over the West Bank "through the settlement of some 400,000 people there including East Jerusalem, by the security [ sic] barrier/wall still under active construction and the radical restrictions on Palestinians' movement. . ."
You fail to mention that this control, this settlement, this wall and these restrictions are all equally illegal under international law, and make a putative "two-state settlement" a physical impossibility.
While you concede that "a fair and balanced settlement cannot be negotiated on this basis", you fail to explain how Mr Sharon's re-election on this very basis can nonetheless contribute to "a settlement capable of resolving relations with the Palestinians".
It is also inaccurate to refer to the new Labour Party leader Amir Peretz as a "radical trade unionist". For the past decade Mr Peretz has headed the Histadrut trade union federation, a powerful arm of the Zionist state and no friend of the rights of Palestinian Arabs, even those who are citizens of Israel.
What is clear is that no resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict can be achieved by such politicians, and can only come from outside pressure forcing Israel to abide by international law.
This means ending the occupation, dismantling all settlements, and dismantling the apartheid wall. - Yours, etc,
RAYMOND DEANE,
National Executive,
Ireland Palestine
Solidarity Campaign,
Dame Street,
Dublin 2.