Letters: Is it possible to criticise Israeli policies without being anti-Semitic?

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

MP Naz Shah has been suspended from the Labour party over comments she made over Israel (@NazShahBfd)

Whilst I wholeheartedly believe that comments/posts attributed to Naz Shah were foolish and distasteful, I do worry that we are inching inexorably to a point where any criticism of Israel, however measured, or valid will be held up to be anti-Semitic. This cannot be a good thing for Israel, the Middle East and the world at large.

Girdwood Anderson

Aberdeen

There’s no doubt anti-Semitism exists in the modern world against both Muslims and Jews. This is both horrible and wrong. My question is why is accusing someone of this crime is regularly used to silence any opposition when support of Palestine is expressed? It is almost impossible to state an opinion about what happens in Gaza and the West Bank these days without being tarred with this particular brush and, if in government, often being forced to retract and resign.

It would be helpful if the Government could produce guidelines about what it is permitted to say out loud on the subject of Palestine, what is forbidden, and how we may say it correctly without giving offence.

Jennifer Bell

Devon

In her full and no doubt sincere apology to the House of Commons, the Bradford West MP Naz Shah said she understood that ‘the words I used caused upset and hurt to the Jewish Community’. Equally regrettable is her inability to understand that there are many non-Jews, including Muslims, who were also offended by her comments. All prejudice, the ‘dislike of the unlike’ should be offensive to us all.

Donald Zec

London

Junior doctor’s strike

If a junior doctor's too tired

To carry out what is required

For a patient's well-being

I can't help agreeing

That Jeremy Hunt should be fired.

David Shaw-Parker

Jeremy Hunt’s justification for his actions in the NHS dispute is that 'no trade union has the right to veto a manifesto promise voted for by the British people'. According to the Associate Editor of the Conservative Home website, more than 75 per cent of the electorate did not vote for this, as only 24.3 per cent of the electorate voted Conservative at the last election. Even if Hunt were to argue that Health is a devolved matter in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, he could only truly claim the support of 27 per cent of the English electorate.

Mike Graham

Cumbria

Caring for learning disabilities

It is estimated that in England 1,191,000 people have a learning disability and the population of people with learning disabilities will grow. Even with welcome scientific discoveries [Inherited Learning Disability Could One Day Be Treated With a Pill –Independent 28.4.16] the demographics of people with a learning disability are changing, and our services must be able to adapt.

In the future, the learning disabilities sector will have to prepare for an older population of adults with learning disabilities, and more cultural variation among service users and their needs. It is predicted that around 25 per cent of new entrants to adult social care with learning disabilities will belong to minority ethnic communities; and by 2030 the number of adults aged 70+ using social care services for people with learning disabilities will more than double.

It is, therefore, essential that funding for local authority commissioned social care for adults with learning disabilities is more sustainable. Measures need to be put in place to protect care services in the community from unnecessary closure. Furthermore, we need to drive up the quality of care and opportunities for adults with learning disabilities living in social care settings, embedded in communities.

Professor Martin Green OBE

Chief Executive, Care England

London