Arab nations are to blame for plight of Palestinians

Strange from a predominantly Roman Catholic party because Islam detests and, in the middle east, murders Christians, many of them Catholic, with almost as much relish as it does Israeli Jews.

Since its foundation the Arab lands surrounding Israel have desperately wanted to wipe it from the earth.

They tried variously themselves and failed, the last occasion being Egypt’s dismal defeat in the six day war in June 1967.

Having failed again by force, in September 1967 the Arab League issued the Khartoum Edict decreeing 1. No peace with Israel. 2. No Recognition of Israel. 3. No negotiation with Israel.

This is still in effect.

While Israel has repeatedly offered land for a Palestinian homeland the Arab nations have deliberately rejected the offers, or influenced the Palestinians to do so. But they have failed to offer any significant material aid to the Palestinians.

Instead the Arab nations cynically stir up the deprived Palestinians against Israel, arm them, encourage and use them as proxy attackers to do the job they could not manage themselves.

Sinn Fein’s righteous indignation that Israel dares respond to constant Palestinian rocket attacks, knifings, bus bombs, etc is as bogus, cynical and inaccurate, not to mention lacking in credibility, as their attempt to rewrite the troubles by insisting the IRA were not terrorists but freedom fighters and by constantly agitating for the persecution of those who sought to protect us, the innocent population from their violence.

This while demanding, depressingly successfully, that the real culprits go Scot free.

Davy Wight, Carrickfergus