Letters: Israel is fighting an enemy that wears no uniform and hides behind civilians

SIR – May I make two points to amplify last week’s Leading Article, “The UN should not be condemning Israel” (October 26). 

First, in a war enemy combatants are legitimate targets of attack, but the Hamas-provided numbers of those killed and wounded make no distinction between Hamas fighters and innocent civilians, intentionally giving the impression that most of the casualties are civilians. 

Secondly, Hamas fighters wear no uniform, so in a ground invasion by Israel the rules of war that require attacking forces to distinguish between the enemy and civilians will be almost impossible to follow. The rules surely assume that uniformed soldiers would be fighting a uniformed enemy.

Neville Teller
Beit Shemesh, Israel

SIR – Many criticise Britain’s role in the creation of the state of Israel and the continuing conflict in the Middle East. I believe that to be unfair. As has been pointed out by the present Earl Balfour (Letters, October 24), his ancestor’s declaration of November 1917, while expressing that Britain would “view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”, included the important caveat that “nothing shall be done that may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”.

At a meeting of the Imperial Cabinet in June 1921, replying to a question about the meaning of “a national home”, Winston Churchill said: “We made an equal pledge that we would not turn the Arab off his land or invade his political and social rights.” 

In 1919 Balfour wrote: “Weizmann has never put forward a claim for the Jewish Government of Palestine. Such a claim, in my opinion, is clearly inadmissible and personally I do not think we should go further.” 

Both before and after the Second World War, Britain sought to restrict Jewish entrants to Palestine, in accordance with its mandate from the League of Nations, but for which it has received much opprobrium.

Israel was created following a resolution by the United Nations in 1947, supported by 33 nations including both the United States and the USSR. Britain abstained.

Robert Ashton
Shrewsbury

Vanished Tory values

SIR – Sir Neville Trotter (Letters, October 25) fears that a vote for Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) at the next election will allow Angela Rayner to get her hands on the levers of power. However, even as a lifelong Conservative voter I agree with Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, that it is time to kick the Tories out of power. The party is now Conservative in name only and as any remaining Conservatives on the Government benches seem to have no means of changing the situation from within, the only party for which I can vote with a clear conscience is Reform.

Should Reform’s performance at the next election bring about the temporary hiatus of a Labour government, so be it. The damage that would do to the country would be a small price to pay if it helped to create a truly Conservative party, which would retake power in the future.

Having the current administration retain power would just continue with the tacitly accepted doctrine of managed decline, which has slowly but surely retaken control since the end of Thatcherism.

Dave Hartley
Maidstone, Kent

SIR – As an 87-year-old lifetime Conservative voter, it was harrowing to say the least to read the excellent article by Camilla Tominey (Comment, October 21) chronicling the abysmal record of Conservative governments over the past 13 years.

Clearly the basic tenets of true Conservatism have all been abandoned. The only hope for the return of a true Conservative government at the next general election is for the party to adopt in full the manifesto of Reform UK. 

This would also have the added benefit of avoiding the split vote between those two parties that threaten to hand the keys of Number 10 to the undeserving Labour Party.

Neville Fairclough
Bishop Auckland, Co Durham

NHS prostate lottery

SIR – It is unacceptable and farcical that men in England and Northern Ireland are being denied access to the prostate cancer drug Abiraterone on the NHS, while men in Scotland and Wales can get it (“Englishmen miss out on life-extending prostate cancer drug, report”, October 24). This is apparently due to the bureaucracy and incompetence of NHS England.

Prostate Cancer UK, which has raised concerns about this postcode lottery, says that 5,000 men with the disease are unable to get a prescription for Abiraterone, although they could benefit from it. Meanwhile, they have to wait for NHS England to approve it, which is not due to happen, if at all, until next year.

How is the Government allowing this injustice?

As a Conservative and Unionist, if a treatment is good enough for Scotsmen and Welshmen, it is clearly good enough for Englishmen and Ulstermen too. It also proves, once again, why we need a minister of men and boys, and a men’s health strategy. 

Nick Fletcher MP (Con)
London SW1 
 

Net zero realities

SIR – As our political parties argue about “net zero” targets (“Labour promises £3bn to support green steel”, report, October 24) it highlights that those who sit in Parliament, of whatever political persuasion, are utterly disconnected from the realities of our society. My talented, hardworking children would just love to own the roof over their heads. Vexing over whether to have a new EV or a traditional car is the last thing on their minds.

Thomas Le Cocq
Batcombe, Somerse

SIR – Reading the chat about net zero and air source heat pumps reminded me of old stone cottages, which had 2ft-thick walls, and kept perfectly cool in summer and warm in winter. 

The system was very simple: they had a central fireplace and a large stone chimney. When the fire was lit the chimney warmed the whole cottage – up and down – the thick walls were a heat sink, and the small windows and the thick thatched roof (Letters, October 22) kept the heat in.

Paul Milner
Sheringham, Norfolk
 

The risks to children of secondhand vaping 

SIR – My issue with vaping (“Sunak urged to ban disposable vapes”, report, October 12) is not the negative effects it has on adult vapers – people smoke at their own risk – but on secondhand vapers, especially children.

In modern society, most people who still smoke do so outside. Secondhand smoke is now frowned upon because although you are entitled to poison your own body, you aren’t entitled to expose others to it, least of all children.

Vaping, however, is often permitted in front of youngsters – in people’s homes and even in cars, despite the latter being illegal. I suppose this is because it is not considered to be as bad as smoking and does not have the same stink.

Vapes and e-cigarettes present their own set of hazards, however. There are now more than 7,000 different flavourings available – many apparently aimed at children and teenagers – the long-term effects of which are, as yet, unknown.

I don’t care if vaping is not as dangerous as smoking. If it’s dangerous at all, I don’t want it done around my nine-month-old son.

Emilie McRae
Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Wales goes slow

SIR – While many people have commented on the 20mph speed limit on Welsh roads (“Quit if you oppose 20mph speed limit in Wales, magistrates told”, report, October 26), no one appears to have mentioned the many miles of motorway where the limit is now 50mph instead of 70mph – as it is in England – or that green cameras have replaced the usual yellow ones on these stretches of motorway, supposedly to show that they are measuring speeds for air-quality purposes.

Veronica Bliss
Winchester, Hampshire

SIR – For the past two years I have spent three days playing golf in South Wales with a group of eight friends. On each occasion, we have stayed in a hotel near Swansea, and probably spent about £500 each on accommodation, meals and golf. This means that at least £4,000 has gone into the local economy.

We were planning to go again next year, but have agreed that we don’t want to risk being fined £250 for inadvertently driving at 25mph.

Mark Pettigrew
London SW12

SIR – I have just received a tourism message urging me to “fall in love 
with autumn in Wales”. 

Not at 20mph, I won’t.

John Pritchard
Ingatestone, Essex

HMRC habits

SIR – I submitted a paper tax return on October 13, sending it first class, so I assume that it arrived with HMRC the following day (Letters, October 22). 

On October 18 a brown envelope landed on my mat. Obviously I thought I had made a mistake on the return, but I found that it was actually notifying me of the amount I owed. 

There appears to be a vast difference in time scales over the underpayment of tax and the reimbursement of money owed by HMRC to taxpayers.

Jo Stables
Hope Valley, Derbyshire 

SIR – I was recently sent a letter concerning my overdue self-assessment payment, which HMRC records showed that I needed to pay immediately. The amount still overdue was listed as £0.00.

I wonder what generating and mailing this letter cost taxpayers, and how many others have been sent out.

John Prescott
Aberdeen
 

The trees of ’73

SIR – I well remember the “Plant a tree in ’73” initiative and also less serious slogans including “Plant some more in ’74” and “How many alive in ‘75?”

In fact, 1975 and 1976 were years of drought, and by the end even fully-grown trees were wilting. So, like P Russell Grant (Letters, October 22), I wonder how many of these well-meant plantings survived.

James Muirden
Thorverton, Devon 

SIR – The Plant a Tree in ‘73 campaign, to raise awareness of the threat of Dutch Elm disease, was instigated by Sydney Chapman MP. He proposed the idea in a parliamentary question to Peter Walker, environment secretary, on July 28 1971. He gave it his backing and a committee was set up to run the campaign in March 1972.

In 1974 the Tree Council was founded to act as an umbrella organisation for local groups. From its foundation through to 2008, when it became a registered charity, it estimated that over 20 million trees had been planted in the UK during its annual National Tree Weeks.

Claire Francis
Standon, Hertfordshire

SIR – In 1973 my two sons came home from primary school with six tiny twig trees planted in paper coffee cups.
There were two Scots pine, two conifers and two rowan at a cost of five pence each. I planted them in our border and all survived.

We are still in the same house and the trees are huge and a total joy.

Barbara Charlesworth
Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire

 

Green-eyed monsters?

SIR – Apparently the secret to choosing the right outfit is to match the colour to your eyes (report, October 24) – but no mention of the 2 per cent of the population who have green eyes. 

Jean Routledge
Sunderland 

The last post(card)

SIR – When did postcards go so completely out of fashion? 

I recently took one to a Post Office to send to family in Australia. After selling me a stamp, the assistant had to ask a colleague where to put it – was it on the side with the seaside view, or above the written address on the 
opposite face?

Angela Broad
Forest Row, East Sussex

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