Published Date: 05 January 2009
I realise rational thought has never been the anti-war/Israel/America lobby's strong point but, even by their poor standards, Saturday's boorish shoe-throwing, flag-burning street protests (and bonkers press conference) plumbed new depths of inanity and wrongheadedness – "Stop the Massacre!" and "World's #1 Terrorist!" banners, chants about Israeli "slaughters" and "genocide", endless condemnation of Israel's "disproportionate" response.
Well, since when has targeting a few hundred Islamist militants, guilty of rocketing Israeli towns and villages, been considered "slaughter" or "genocide"? Since when has "terrorist" been a reasonable description of a military response that ensures every effort is made to minimise civilian casualties? And since when has being "proportionate" been considered a good way to eliminate an enemy notorious for targeting innocent civilians on your side (while cynically using ordinary Palestinians as human shields/sacrifices on its own) and who, by the way, refuses even to recognise the Jewish homeland's right to exist?
Hamas cannot be reasoned with – they must be crushed.
KEITH GILMOUR
Balmoral Drive
Bearsden, Glasgow
and another letter there - but since she's a lady and a friend from England, we needn't look too far for her tartan pattern:
While you report on the day of protest against Israel (3 January), I wonder why there is not similar condemnation and protests about the terrible massacre, torture and mutilation taking place in the Congo. More than 400 innocent people have been brutally murdered, yet hardly a peep from the international community, UN or EU.
Where are the protests and street demonstrations from Annie Lennox, Bianca Jagger, George Galloway, Ken Livingstone and many of the Scottish MPs and MEPs?
Maybe the clue lies in your story when you say the protests we are witnessing are against the Jewish state of Israel. It's hard not to question the motivation for the anti-Israel protests when the hideous behaviour and denial of human rights in so many countries goes without a peep of protest.
JOY WOLFE
Marchbank Drive
Cheadle, Cheshire
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