Sir, Reading the letter from Sir Eric Pickles and other members of Conservative Friends of Israel (Oct 14), one could be forgiven for thinking that the Israeli response to the plight of the Palestinians and their just demands for some sort of honourable settlement to the terrible, unlawful loss of their homeland, has always been reasonable, sympathetic and peaceful. Unfortunately, the attitude of Israel is none of the above, and the arrogant and provocative viciousness with which Israel has treated the legitimate demands of the Palestinians for, among other things, Israel to stop building illegal settlements and dismantle those which have been built over several decades, is at the heart of the recent, desperate upturn in violence from the Palestinians.
Only when Israel starts to accept that “those who have nothing, have nothing to lose”, will some of us (whose ancestry should make us natural allies of Israel) stop condemning their totally negative response to the undeniable Palestinian clamour for justice.
Stephen Porter
London NW6