Palestinians in Israel: Smug and why the intifada? Scottish?

I AM very sorry to read the onesided posture adopted by "Children in the Shadow of the Intifada" (Catholic Herald. June 26).The article seeks to create misimpressions which will do nothing to improve interdenominational relations to help bring about a better understanding for permanent peace in the Middle East.
It makes the questionable claim that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis during the intifada but makes no mention of the fact that, according to the latest official statement issued on June 15, nearly 700 Palestinians have been murdered by other Arabs during the same intifada.
The article refers to school closures by the Israelis but does not also state that many of these closures were ordered by the authorities of the schools themselves, following ferocious fighting on the premises between the opposing factions supporting the PLO and Hezhollah.
Of even greater importance, the article does not mention that. before 1967, Palestinian education was optional (usually for no more than four years at primary school). most children left school illiterate, and there were no universities.
The article states that current unemployment in Gaza is around 40 per cent. Readers might be interested to know the unemployment in Israel is not
only higher now than at any time in its history but that, in some places, it is as high as 50 per cent, mainly due to the influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
This compares to the far smaller number of Palestinian refugees who, through successive generations since 1948, have been used as pawns by Arab states wanting them to remain as refugees for as long as Israel exists.
Mention is made of the reduced income of Palestinians since 1988 but without any reference to the fact that most Palestinians have experienced improvements in their living standards since the start of Israeli administration in 1967.
Finally, Israeli army regulations strictly forbid their personnel being involved in acts of violence in the course of any of their duties. As of June 15, 171 officers, NCOs and other ranks had been convicted by court martial of offences against Palestinians during the intifada, and 30 others are awaiting court martial.
This record of military discipline is as good as any other country in the world, and better than most and this letter gives a fairer impression of the true facts in the Administered Territbries than does the article by Mr Hugo Slim.
John B Myers Manchester
DESMOND Albrow rightly takes the Sunday and Daily Telegraph editors to task for attacking Andrew Neil of The Sunday Times for his alleged lack of good looks (Catholic Herald, June 19).
However, he then commits a sin of exactly the same order by the totally unnecessary inclusion of Andrew Neil's ethnic identity.
If Andrew Neil were black, would Desmond Albrow have said he was a "smug and sanctimonious West Indian"?
If not, why not, and why does the same principle not apply to Scottish ethnicity?
Kevin Thomas London