Sir - I write to you in relation to the deteriorating situation which is developing in the Middle East. To a very large extent Israel has taken the brunt of the condemnation following its attack on the Hizbullah guerrillas which resulted in the deaths of 97 Lebanese civilians. However, simple one sided condemnation by the Irish Government - or any other government around the world is too simple, and fails to understand or approach the conflict in a way which at the end of the day will provide a lasting settlement in the region.
The Middle East has been for generations, a volatile cradle of societies which are fundamentalist in their spiritual philosophy and extreme in their assertion of their respective identities. It is the challenge of western governments, including the Irish Government, if they wish, to suggest positive ways of accommodating the numerous identities within the Middle East, rather than the knee jerk and thoughtless comments of condemnation.
Israel has had to defend itself since its establishment almost 50 years ago. Since then war and conflict has done little other than strengthen Israeli resolve to maintain and defend the Jewish homeland. The systematic extermination of some six million Jews during the second World War as well as the ongoing dispute between the Jewish people and their Arab neighbours over the existence of Israel in the first instance has had deep psychological effects on the nation as a whole.
In the midst of all the condemnation it should not be forgotten that it was the present Israeli government that negotiated the Middle East peace accord, which cost Yitzhak Rabin his life. Israel has paid a high price for peace, with the deaths of Jewish people at the hands of suicide bombers as well as the death of its Prime Minister. Solutions lie in the imagination. Success lies in the tenacity of individuals to pursue solutions with relentless vigour. Simple condemnation represents a paralysis of positive thinking in terms of required solutions. - Yours, etc.,
Moreen Road,
Sandyford,
Dublin 16.