MICHAEL CORFIN
Edgware, Middx

Sir, Unfortunately for Lebanon, when terrorists form part of your Government, you can’t disclaim responsibility for their military invasion of a neighbour country to kill and kidnap.

That’s an act of war and in war it is often necessary, and certainly legitimate, for the country that you attacked to bomb roads, bridges, airports, power stations and armaments storage that your side is using to wage war against them.

If your side’s rocket-launchers and gun factories are located in homes and residential areas, then they too are a legitimate target. If you don’t like it, stop it.

JUDITH RONA
Bondi, Australia

Sir, It is clear that Israel’s aims are much wider than the return of the soldiers and are being pursued with ruthlessness. The indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas has already caused more than 100 deaths, and the destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure has no possible justification other than to destroy its economy.

Apologists for Israel will say that this is no more than a response to Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel. But this ignores the far greater destructive force available to Israel, and severely undermines its claims to be a civilised nation that refrains from using the tactics of its terrorist opponents. Israel also has previous form in this area in its treatment of the Palestinians over the past few years.

Israel’s recent willingness to resort to casual violence at the slightest provocation, and its obvious belief in the principle that might is right, has dismayed many of us who for years supported its struggle to survive against its enemies.

RICHARD HOARE
East Lavant, W Sussex

Sir, Why are Hezbollah and Hamas dubbed terrorists by our leaders when they kill randomly, but Israel, when it does the same, is seen as acting in self-defence?

Since Israel clearly holds Syria and Iran primarily responsible for attacks on its people, why does it not respond to them, instead of loosing its aggession on the less threatening Lebanon and Gaza?

When Israeli deaths — hideous, unjustifed, terrible as they too are — are outnumbered by deaths in Lebanon and Gaza, is it not obscene to talk of “proportion” and “restraint”?

GILLIAN BARGERY
St Leonards, E Sussex

Sir, Britain and Europe have a role in supporting the survival of Israel and the nurturing of a new Palestinian state and promoting peace and reconciliation in the region. The current priority must be to restrain Israel from its wholly disproportionate actions.

It is very sad that the good work of Ariel Sharon in his later years has, since his departure from government, almost collapsed. We are back in the tit-for-tat violence and aggression — children killed on a beach; soldier kidnapped; destruction of public buildings; more soldiers captured; escalation of the violence against the innocent people of Lebanon; and so it goes on.

Surely history teaches us that peace and reconciliation only come when former adversaries sit down and talk. We learnt that lesson in India, in Kenya and more recently in Northern Ireland; and brave men in the Middle East, such as Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat, King Hussein and ultimately Mr Sharon have also seen that to be the way forward. Israel must pull back and then Hezbollah and Hamas must respond in kind and then perhaps no more innocents on all sides will die before peace is preferred to aggression.

JOHN BOWIS
Conservative MEP for London
New Malden

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