Sir, – It is interesting that Israeli ambassador Boaz Modai (January 12th) compares Israeli policies against those of brutal dictatorships in the Middle East and finds them better. I would have thought the ambassador would prefer to compare Israel to democracies with high standards of human rights? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Coming from a decidedly neutral position vis-a-vis the Israeli-Palestinian question, I would find Israeli ambassador Boaz Modai’s assertion that “skunk” liquid is “completely safe with the only discomfort being caused by its strong odour” (January 12th) all the more plausible if he were willing to publicly douse himself in it so as to prove his theory. After all, actions speak louder than words. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Boaz Modai, ambassador of Israel, has a point (January 12th) when he complains that with so much real pain and suffering in the Middle East it was unfortunate that The Irish Times should devote a third of a World News page on January 11th to the use of non-lethal skunk liquid against Palestinians.
On January 9th a sword-wielding Saudi Arabian executioner beheaded Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan maid accused of smothering a four-month-old Saudi boy when she was 17 years old. Ms Nafeek claimed the child had choked to death on milk during a bottle feed. She had no access to lawyers during her pre-trial interrogation (when she signed a “confession” written in Arabic, which she didn’t understand) or at her first trial.
I have searched the print editions of The Irish Times since her beheading and I can find no mention of it anywhere.
There are an estimated 50 foreign-born maids on death row in Saudi Arabia as I write. Presumably the “paper of record” will ignore them too. – Yours, etc,