LETTER : Yasser Arafat v Gerry Adams

From Mr Maurice Herman

Sir: As an Israeli here in London on a family visit, I read with both grief and interest your reports and comments on this week's tragic events in Israel, where so many innocent people lost their lives. Gorge Joffe's article (26 February) on the parallels between IRA and Hamas violence was particularly interesting but it is important to bear in mind that we are dealing with two very different situations.

To illustrate my point, it should be noted that on the same day that the terrible act of terror was perpetuated against the people of Jerusalem, tens of thousands of ordinary Irish men and women marched through the streets calling for peace. While many similar peace rallies have taken place in Israel, including the one where Yitzhak Rabin lost his life, no such peace rallies or demonstrations have been held by the Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank. On the contrary, Hamas has held large demonstrations calling for revenge and murder.

Yours faithfully,

Maurice Herman

Ilford, Essex