Madam, - Seán Gannon's robust defence of Israel's equal society (February 23rd), hot on the heels of Raymond Deane's (February 19th) - and indeed Jimmy Carter's - comparison of Israel to apartheid South Africa, is not unexpected. Rather than further Mr Deane's well-made arguments, may I suggest that the use of emotive and altogether irrelevant points of reference serves no one's cause, and allows the target of one's concern an "easy out".
This was similarly the case with President McAleese's comparison of growing up as a Catholic in the North to living under the Nazi yoke and with Fr Alex Reid's intemperate remarks in a similar vein.
In the first instance, place, time and circumstance can never equate, and therefore offer an obvious beachhead for the deflection of such comparison. Culture rarely offers solidity in the argument; and numbers (as Mr Gannon's argument expertly shows) provide only target practice.
It is a terrible tragedy that the Palestinians have had to suffer as they have at the hands of the state of Israel, and it is disappointing that inappropriately emotive arguments allow apologists for Israeli crimes an easy escape from their moral obligations. Jimmy Carter should know better. - Yours, etc,
ANTHONY BEHAN, Youghal, Co Cork.