Letter: Ashamed to be Jewish

Sir: Robert Fisk's detailed description of Lebanese casualties was shocking (30 July). All civilian casualties including Israeli should shock us - but where were foreign correspondents some months back when a Hizbollah rocket exploded next to a four-year-old girl, killing her as she played outside her home in Kiryat Shmona, Israel?

If correspondents had attached more significance to the latest round of Hizbollah rocket attacks on civilian targets in Israel then maybe Lebanon, Syria and Iran would have backed down under the glare of world attention. Further bloodshed may have been averted, but rockets from Lebanon are routine, the 'drama' is the Israeli response. Israel's quiet diplomacy failed, nobody could or would restrain Hizbollah. So as Israel took military action, camera crews and journalists materialised, and condemnation followed.

Journalistic fingers were pointed at Israel charging 'an eye for an eye' or 'revenge attacks'. We would never do that. But we did not even warn the Iraqi population about round-the-clock fusillades of 'smart' bombs, unleashed on targets situated among terrified civilians. Yet not one Iraqi missile was fired at Britain. How soothing is the amnesia of self-righteousness. Widowed, orphaned and maimed Iraqis, civilian victims of our last Middle East war - not gone, just forgotten.

Yours sincerely,

ROBERT KIRK

Salford, Greater Manchester