Madam, - Monty Ross (September 26th) makes a spurious comparison between Israel's separation barrier (or apartheid wall, or security fence, or whatever you're having yourself) and the so-called "peace wall" in Belfast .
The wall in Belfast was built between communities by their common consent, and leaves their respective territories intact. Israel's wall is built mostly within the illegally Occupied Territories, is designed to annexe up to 10 per cent more Palestinian territory, and - a minor detail Mr Ross and others never mention - has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice.
Mr Ross further informs us that "until the emergence of suicide bombers there was free movement for residents of the West Bank into Israel". This is also untrue. The first suicide bombing took place in April 1993, in response to the murder of 29 Muslim worshippers in Hebron by a Jewish extremist. With the start of the first (unarmed) Intifada in 1987, Israel increasingly restricted Palestinians' freedom of movement by implementing a permit system.
In 1988, it began preventing Palestinians from travelling between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. With the advent of the "peace process" represented by the Madrid and Oslo agreements, Israel massively increased the number of checkpoints restricting free movement for Palestinians both within the Territories and between them and Israel.
According to the Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem, such restrictions are in violation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which was ratified by Israel in 1991. As usual, such petty legalities are of no interest to Mr Ross and all those who believe that Israel should be exempt from international law. - Yours, etc,
RAYMOND DEANE, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Dublin 2.