Readers’ Letters: Israel excused from acting inhumanely

The state of Israel owes its very existence to the post-Second World War western democracies. We often hear that we must support Israel because it is an outpost of western values in a region of feudal monarchies, despots and dictatorships. But I live in a western democracy, and the values, behaviours and policies of Israel are far removed from anything I recognise as western values. The Israelis’ conduct of the campaign in Palestine is an affront to humanity.

We are told we must excuse their excesses because the history of horrific persecution suffered by the Jewish people makes them a special case. There is merit in that point, and in simplistic terms it is always a pleasure to see the underdog get a break, but there are two sides (at least) to every story, and in the case of Israel that seems to be completely ignored. The Israelis’ good fortune is the Palestinians' tragedy, and the historical victim status of Jews has created a situation in which any criticism of Israel is met with furious and totally dishonest claims of antisemitism.

In short, Israel enjoys, and ruthlessly exploits, absolute immunity from any obligation to behave in a decent, humane way. With overwhelming military superiority and seemingly endless western indulgence, the state of Israel bombs and slaughters refugees, journalists, schools, hospitals and anyone or anything else of which it disapproves. If the much-vaunted values of western democracy have any meaning in today’s shabby world, the governments of these democracies must put a stop to what is happening in Palestine.

Graham M McLeod, Kinross, Perth and Kinross

Discontent grows

Nigel Farage's comments on the small boat crossings have come at an extremely sensitive time (“Farage accused of ‘toxic’ language on immigration”, 27 August). Europe is growing increasingly restless about the real or perceived loss of cultural compatibility that arises with a rapid influx of different attitudes to that of the pre-existing local ones. Switzerland is the latest country to experience disruption but Ireland, France and the Netherlands have had recent problems too. Even here Westminster and Holyrood are perhaps not quite in tune to the feelings of residents.

This issue is obviously a difficult one but it appears our current politicians are burying their heads in the sand over this. People's real fear of local cultural dilution must be taken seriously and not just branded “right wing thuggery”. Has integration failed?

Gerald Edwards, Glasgow

Ignore Farage

When will Nigel Farage, the charlatan who sold England Brexit by focusing his party’s message for leaving the European Union around the claimed capacity of an “independent UK” to strictly control immigration, finally be held to account by the UK media? Not only has Brexit (which most Scots did not vote for) been an economic disaster for the UK, and especially for Scotland, the same snake-oil salesman, ten years later, is making similar vacuous boasts without questions being raised about his past dishonest and grossly misleading rhetoric.

Perhaps the conspiracy of silence among media commentators could actually lead to the long overdue reconstitution of the “United Kingdom”, as should the UK withdraw from the EHRC Northern Ireland could lead the way in removing overriding control from Westminster. That said, the many merits of Scotland’s independence should by now be self-evident to those with open minds to the future constitutional arrangements of the UK and it would be a sad day if it took the election of the British establishment’s stooge as Prime Minister to make people here realise that we should, indeed, be determining our own future.

Those who still insist Scotland, in spite of its immense natural resources, cannot stand on its own two feet economically should first outline a plan that demonstrates how over the next decade the UK, now £3 trillion in debt and with interest rates rising again while public services are on their knees, especially with essential migrant workers locked out of the country, is going to prosper. Perhaps they think this is not necessary as Donald Trump’s resurrected disciple will be the saviour of the UK, but personally I would rather put my trust in someone who truly is in tune with the people of an independent Scotland, even if that individual were to emerge from the Labour Party, or God forbid if still led by Russell Findlay, the Conservative Party.

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian

We need people

The spectre of illegal immigration is again haunting our media and politicians. Warnings of societal collapse are hardly far from the headlines, caused, it appears, by a relatively small number of people crossing the English Channel in flimsy inflatables. Last year, fewer than 40,000 people were recorded as crossing the Channel in small boats. However, given the way it dominates headlines, the impression is that this is a hundred times that number. This number of illegal immigrants is fewer than 4 per cent of the number of those who migrated to the UK last year, hardly the “swamping” those on the right would make you believe.

Indeed, per head of population, the UK takes far fewer refugees and asylum seekers than most comparable European countries.

The 32,000 asylum seekers housed in hotels are hardly creating a crisis. It is not they and immigrants who are to blame for NHS waiting lists, housing shortages or potholes, but the right would like to make you think it is. Immigrants, as is well documented, contribute more to the public purse than they take out.

However, the political and media obsession with immigration naturally feeds the public, who believe illegal immigration is a far bigger issue than it actually is.

The irony is that Nigel Farage delivered his speech on the same day the National Records of Scotland announced the number of births in Scotland had reached a historic low. With an ageing population and a historically low level of fertility, Scotland is a nation that needs more, not less immigration, and we must stand up to this shift to the right.

Alex Orr, Edinburgh

Hoodwinked

Research by disinformation detection company Cyabra states that 1,332 social media X profiles, all of which expressed pro-independence views, were Iranian-backed bots. These were spotted between 11 May and 28 June and were classified “inauthentic accounts”.

The question of “why would they?” is asked by those on the nationalist side but the answer is very simple. Breaking up the UK would weaken the country and anything that helps achieve that goal would please the Iranian regime presumably financing these operations.

Much as I am sure it also pleases the nationalists in a general sense, there must be at least some in the SNP simply horrified at their cause being used by terror-sponsoring Iran as a means to a long-term end.

Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

Tram waste

What is it about socialists and communal transport? Is it that they like to control where and when people travel rather than allowing the freedom of movement the private car gives? Or is it just that they love spending public money, and like headline-catching schemes?

The £3 billion new Edinburgh tram project is a case in point. While Edinburgh's roads go to hell in a hand cart, Labour's Councillor Stephen Jenkinson launches a new light railway project which will duplicate bus services in place now. And the cost? Enough to build two new super-hospitals. The flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow cost £575 million to build. Allowing for inflationary costs since then, two new general hospitals could be built for the cost of the tram project and a substantial sum left over.

William Loneskie, Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire

Safety drive

A recent Eorpa programme on BBC Alba portrayed one of the worst of many fatal accidents on the A9, the family tragedy of Chris Strong from Chicago. His wife, her brother and their mother died in a collision with a lorry, seemingly when turning right into its path, on a single carriageway section near Aviemore in August 2022. It was another reminder of the inexcusable failure of successive SNP governments to make the progress promised with dualling the road.

Chris focused on an additional issue which had a significant role – inexperienced drivers from abroad, used to driving on the right, taking a fatally wrong decision. He wanted more educational measures before a driver from overseas is allowed to drive a vehicle here, whether their own or hired, left or right-hand drive.

I am prompted to write by a similar incident, in which I was involved, thankfully without injury to anyone. I was driving straight through a traffic light-controlled junction in Edinburgh on green when I was heavily hit by a car turning right. My vehicle spun across the road onto the opposite pavement, facing the wrong way, hitting a tree, ending up at a bus stop. Luckily no-one was waiting, otherwise fatalities were possible. The driver was a US tourist who had hired the car that morning and had already forgotten to give way when turning right. My car was a complete write-off.

I suggest a compulsory “V” for visitor plate, front and rear, for drivers visiting from abroad and a guidance sticker for the steering wheel or dashboard, “Oncoming traffic is on your right” to be fixed to hire cars and those of visiting drivers at port of entry.

Bill MacDonald, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian

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