ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS
Transcripts of three letters published in the (subscription only) Irish Times
Madam, - Comparisons are odious to those who would dispute their validity. Let us consider some; My Lai; Makr al-Deeb; Sabra and Shatila; Rafah. These are massacres by any definition, but they differ from other atrocities in that they were carried out by the armed forces of supposedly democratic states: the first two by the United States, the others by Israel.
These champions of peace and democracy, under their current administrations, are not promoting peace or democracy but denying it to all but those who follow their own dogma. The majority of free-thinking Americans and Israelis must be appalled by what their governments are doing in their names. Even some members of their armed forces are disgusted by the treatment of civilians and US-styled illegal combatants.
In all of this the US flouts the Geneva Conventions and ignores the UN and world opinion while Israel flouts the Geneva Conventions and countless UN resolutions. In continuing their actions in Gaza, Israel ignores the condemnation of all UN members except the US, which lacked the moral courage to vote on the issue.
That this should be happening is sickening in the extreme. That the so-called leader of the free world cannot condemn these actions because its own armed forces are committing similar atrocities is deeply worrying. - Yours, etc.,
RORY O'GRADY, Corbawn Lane, Shankill, Dublin 18.
Madam, - It's fine to criticise Israel's behaviour, but not to invent facts to bolster your arguments.
Rory O'Grady (May 22nd) accuses Israel of carrying out massacres at Sabra, Shatila and Rafah. The facts are that hate-filled Lebanese Christian militias perpetrated the first two. Rafah was a battle between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters who got the worse end of it - and yes, sadly, some civilians were also killed. But it was no massacre.
I'm surprised Mr O'Grady didn't also invoke Jenin, another invented non-massacre by Israel. - Yours, etc.,
TONY ALLWRIGHT, Killiney, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Tony Allwright (May 25th) should study the principles of the Nuremberg Tribunal (1950), in particular Principle VII: "Complicity in the commission of a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity. . . is a crime under international law".
To claim that it was "hate-filled Lebanese Christian militias" that perpetrated the Sabra and Shatila massacre and that Israel therefore bears no responsibility overlooks the fact that these militias were Israel's allies and that the slaughter was supervised by the Israeli army.
At the time the Kahan Commission found the then defence minister, Ariel Sharon, "indirectly responsible" for the massacre. He was stripped of his ministry and deemed "unfit for public office" - a judgment repeatedly vindicated by his subsequent conduct as prime minister as exemplified by - yes - the massacres at Jenin and Rafah.
The Nuremberg Tribunal was established in the wake of the Nazi horror to ensure that henceforth neither those "merely obeying orders" nor those "merely giving orders" could escape responsibility. It is darkly ironic that neither an unconditional defender of Israel like Mr Allwright nor the state that he defends is prepared to learn such lessons. - Yours, etc.,
RAYMOND DEANE, Chairman, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Dublin 1.
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