IT IS neither helpful nor informative to have a debate of such poor quality in your newspaper. Being Jewish, having visited Israel many times and having served briefly in the army there, I know it reasonably well. I was surprised, therefore, not to recognise anything that Julie Burchill describes.

Does she realise that there are plenty of haredi neighbourhoods in Jerusalem where she would most likely be spat upon or abused if she were dressed inappropriately? Does she realise that it is impossible to get a civil marriage in Israel? These are two relatively minor examples, which are indicative of a complete ignorance of the subject.

The reply from Ghada Karmi is equally foolish. Although the point about the disparity between Israel and the Occupied Territories is appropriate, it is only the one-eyed nature of Ms Burchill’s article that renders it worth saying at all.

What can we learn from these articles? I think only that the truth is somewhere in the middle and by choosing views so wide apart you fail to illuminate anything that is worthwhile.

Paul Mervis,
paulmervis@hotmail.com

Wrong examples

GHADA KARMI is described as a research fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. I hope she normally works on a sounder evidence base than in her claim about all those Palestinian newborns dying at Israeli checkpoints.

It would have been more truthful to mention the pregnant Palestinian at a checkpoint who was given a seat and a drink, against orders, by a kind Israeli, and who then blew everyone around her to smithereens.

Joan Freeman,
London

Blind dupe

NAIVETY or calculated propaganda? Julie Burchill’s paean to the State of Israel reminds me of the writings of certain British intellectuals in the 1930s who steadfastly defended Stalinism, while turning a blind eye to its excesses. Uncle Joe considered such people to be convenient dupes. In Israel — created by terrorism and sustained by its denial of human dignity to the Palestinian people — Ariel Sharon will doubtless view Ms Burchill in much the same way.

Robin Kempster,
Brighouse,
West Yorkshire

IT IS very unusual to read an article in the British press that is even slightly pro-Israel, never mind one written with such a feeling of empathy and understanding. But why did The Times feel the need to balance this with such an offensive article by Ghada Karmi?

David Khan,
Manchester

Unspoken truth

IT IS wonderful to read the words of somebody outside Israel who has the guts to stand up for Israel. The truth is never spoken by Israel’s opponents in English (only in Arabic) — that the dispute has nothing to do with occupation of the lands captured as a result of the 1967 war for Israel’s survival. They simply do not want peace or for Israel to continue to exist.

Peter Simpson,
PeterSimpson613@aol.com

Double standards

JULIE BURCHILL makes a living by being provocative. But this does not mean that she cannot get it right. This time she has. The double standards applied to Israeli and Muslim behaviour are notorious.

Here is proof of the real difference between the two sides: if all weapons in the hands of Arab terrorists turned into marzipan tomorrow, not a single Arab would come to any harm. If the same transformation happened in the case of Israeli weapons, Israel would cease to exist overnight.

Victor Ross,
Great Chart, Kent

Hateful stereotype

IT IS unfortunate that The Times has wasted so much paper printing Julie Burchill’s twisted vision of Israel. The utter nonsense she spewed succeeded only in perpetuating the well-established myth of Israel as a democracy amid a sea of Arabs intent on its destruction.

The reality is very much different. As a Palestinian I would like to point out that my people have never wanted the Jewish people dead. All we want is a real nation of our own. We seek the same security that all Israelis seek. We simply want an end to the occupation of our land and to start living as neighbours rather than prisoners.

Most Israelis and Palestinians are so fed up with such worthless propaganda that they are taking matters into their own hands. Organisations such as Partners for Peace, B’Tselem, and the Parents’ Circle have dedicated their work to eradicating such hateful stereotypes.

Nu’man El-Bakri,
Exeter

Good for tourism

I THOUGHT that Julie Burchill’s piece was inspirational. She is a marvel. The Israeli Tourist Board should employ her immediately as an ambassador to summon all of us lazy, complacent British Jews to visit the country immediately and boost the ailing tourist industry. I agreed with every word and want to hear more; hopefully she will write a book on the subject.

Karin Parnaby,
London

German support

JULIE BURCHILL has written a wonderful article debunking all the cant and propaganda which seems to stream forth from much of the media.

However, she is being unduly harsh on the role of Germany. The new German Government after the war had to try to draw a line under the Holocaust and was very supportive of the new State of Israel. One only had to visit various German trade fairs to see the exposure Israel and Israeli companies and trading syndicates were universally given. Surely the best way to help a young country to get on its feet. Perhaps the realpolitik of the situation does not allow this support to be trumpeted from the rooftops, but I believe that quiet support has always been the role of successive German governments, whether Socialist or Christian Democrat.

Anthony S. Norton,
London

Bluster

WHEN is The Times going to stop giving Julie Burchill column space for her peverse and ill-judged polemic? Her purblind view of Israel brings to mind that self-regarding fourth-form girl who sought to dominate the debating society every week with her poorly informed bluster.

I could, perhaps, understand her selecting the Jews as her “chosen people” if we were talking about the plucky little Israel that fought off the numerically superior, heavily armed Arab armies in the Six Day War. But the Israel that I see is the one with overwhelming military superiority, which it uses like the worst kind of bully to deprive the Palestinians of the possibility of self-determination and anything resembling a normal life.

Andy Wood,
Bebington, Wirral

No baggage

INVARIABLY, the debate becomes mired by emotional and subjective rhetoric, and by a tortured treatment of so-called facts and statistics by revisionist historians such as your correspondent Ghada Karmi.

You paper is therefore to be congratulated in providing Julie Burchill with the opportunity to set the record straight, particularly as she cannot be accused of having any axe to grind, being by her own description a non-Jewish, working-class, West Country girl with no preconceived prejudices.

David Pine,
elipine@hotmail.com

Working for peace

SADLY, your writer did not mention the countless Israeli organisations that work for peace, justice and equal rights, including Merchavim, which gives citizenship training in schools; Givat Haviva, offering training and education for Israelis — Jews, Muslims and Christians alike; Neve ShalomWahat al-Shalom, which provides opportunities for Israelis and Palestinians to meet as individuals, rather than knowing each other through stereotypes.

Rachel Montagu,
The Council of Christians and Jews,
London SE1

YOUR article reminded me of the old joke about the man who was allowed to have an early visit to Paradise during his lifetime. He came back to Earth, and was enthusiastic about the prospect of heavenly life. Eventually, he died and got there again. This time, however, things were not so great. The food was the same, the same virgins were singing the same song, the clouds had gone dirty and grey. Our man complains about the level of service, pointing out that it was much better when he was first there. An angel replies promptly: “First time, you were a tourist.”

Andrew Schonberger, Sydney