RAYMOND DEANE,
Sir, - "There's more to life than business", in the words of Brian O'Shea of Killarney Lakeland Cottages (The Irish Times, October 3rd). The sentiment is clearly not shared by the Irish Ambassador to Israel, Mr Pat Hennessy, who, at a nod from Bord Fáilte, obediently trotted from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to "extend the hand of friendship to Mr Arik Bender, the Israeli citizen refused holiday accommodation" by Mr O'Shea (The Irish Times, October 4th).
Would that our diplomats were equally businesslike when it comes (for example) to protesting against the illegal deportation by Israel of Irish citizens from the Occupied Territories!
Whatever one's view of his stance, it is important that Mr O'Shea's gesture should be seen in context. Tourism is undeniably a form of trade, and throughout the world human rights activists are encouraging governments (in vain) and ordinary citizens (with growing success) to impose a complete trade, cultural, academic and sporting boycott on the state of Israel until it ends its brutal and illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories. This campaign has the support of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who has spoken out about the parallels between South Africa's apartheid system and the Israeli occupation. That civil society often feels impelled to resort to such unpalatable options testifies to the deep sense of frustration and indignation felt by many decent people at the inaction of our politicians in the face of Israel's appalling crimes against the Palestinian people.
Mr Bender, parliamentary correspondent of a right-wing Israeli newspaper, has seen fit to drag the Holocaust into this debate and to hint ominously that "it reminds us of some dark days in Europe". It should be noted that, if anything, Israeli citizens benefit from positive discrimination throughout the European Union, which in 1995 signed an association agreement granting Israel favourable trading relations on the explicit basis of respect for human rights, a condition that has been consistently violated. Israelis may enter this country without a visa, whereas Palestinians - in the by no means certain eventuality of the illegal occupiers allowing them to travel freely - may well find themselves denied an entry visa without benefit of an explanation. Now it appears that "a large number of private operators had contacted [Bord Fáilte\] with offers of accommodation" and a "céad míle fáilte" postcard campaign is being organised on Mr Bender's behalf.
Perhaps these operators and campaigners might balance their concern for comfortably-off Israelis with an offer of holiday accommodation to some of those Palestinians whose homes have been demolished by the Israeli occupying forces. This might at least bring an element of reality into this futile and farcical debate. - Yours, etc.,
RAYMOND DEANE,
Palestine Solidarity Campaign,
Dame Street,
Dublin 2.
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Sir, - "Israeli family is refused holiday house". How far can that connection go? If I, an Irish citizen, worked on a kibbutz, would that disqualify me from a holiday home? If I am a friend of Israelis do I, as an Irish citizen, also get refused a holiday home? What, if anything, have the Bender family got to do with the policies of the Israeli government?
The whole saga is PC madness. Does Mr Brian O'Shea interrogate every prospective customer as to the policies of their particular government before he lets them rent one of his holiday homes.
I wish to thank Mr Ben Briscoe for all the public support he has given to Catholic, Baptist and Orthodox Christian prisoners of conscience over the years. - Yours, etc.,
LOUIS HEMMINGS,
Newtownpark Avenue,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.