Do our leaders not care about the children of Gaza?

The Herald Scotland

23-05-2025

When things were good, you had ambitions to be a teacher or a doctor but there's no way that can happen now, after 19 months of destruction of homes, schools, universities and hospitals. Every night is torture, as you hear the explosions from bombing and shelling. What hope is there left?
Once upon a time, it seems an age ago now, you prayed that somebody would come along and help your family. For a little while they did, and at least you got enough food. But then the bombing and shelling started up once more, worse than ever. Every night you fall asleep wondering if this will be the night you'll be blown to pieces.
You've heard that a man called Yair Golan, who used to be an Israeli general and is now leader of a political party, said that 'a sane state… does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population' ('Health officials say Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 85 people', The Herald, May 21). If a man with his experience can say that, why do the world's leaders not understand what is happening – or do they just not care? Apparently the UK, which used to rule Israel, has suspended free trade negotiations with Israel. You ask yourself: will that stop the Israeli Defence Force from killing me tonight?
Doug Maughan, Dunblane.
• The Israeli government has been continuing its heinous campaign of destroying Palestine's future, its children, ever since the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following press release in April 2024: 'UN experts today expressed grave concern over the pattern of attacks on schools, universities, teachers and students in the Gaza Strip, raising serious alarm over the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system…. It may be reasonable to ask if there is an intentional effort to comprehensively destroy the Palestinian education system, an action known as 'scholasticide''….which term refers to 'the systemic obliteration of education through the arrest, detention or killing of teachers, students and staff, and the destruction of educational infrastructure'.
It is not unusual for those of us who denounce Israel for its massacre of Palestinian children to be challenged to the effect that all over the world children are suffering and dying, it being antisemitic to censure Israel in particular. Unicef for instance reveals that 'by almost every measure, 2024 was one of the worst years on record for children living in conflict zones in Unicef's history. More than one in six children globally now live in areas affected by conflict, forced to face unthinkable violations'.
It is not that Palestinian children deserve more concern than, for instance, Sudanese and Ukrainian children. The issue with Israel is the role that the UK plays in supplying the Israeli government with the means to rain down hell on Palestinian innocents. Certainly not in my name!
I acknowledge Unicef's insistence that 'citizens everywhere can begin by refusing to avert our gaze from children's suffering, or not staying silent when attacks on children occur'. No matter where. Including Palestine.
John Milne, Uddingston.
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Support the many decent Israelis
George Fergusson ("The right way to protest at Gaza blockade'', May 21) is to be applauded in condemning the endless slaughter, the neglect of the hostages and the very late condemnation of Israel by governments.
Of course it was, as he says, a barbarous attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 that began "the current chain of ghastly events". But failure to condemn Hamas without justification, which he criticises, may be associated with the fact that Israel, with adequate foreknowledge of the event, did not take appropriate action. Frontier surveillance had regularly reported the very unusual activity required for such an incursion. "Not or my watch", subsequent resignation reason of the two leading defence generals, and the head of Shin Bet, would seem to point the finger at government level. The fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu was at that time under growing personal and political scrutiny might have increased his temptation to look the other way.
Recently he cancelled permanently the long-delayed independent inquiry, required by law, perhaps as reaction to the millions of Israelis protesting at the actions being taken in their name. The current surge indicates continuing lack of interest in release of the hostages; and what is now known of October 7 culpability reveals, even worse, their initial betrayal.
That governments have somehow managed to be blind to those horrors perceived by their citizens brings to mind Eyeless in Gaza, Aldous Huxley's novel on the awful horrors of war. There are now hopeful signs of improved perception. As Mr Fergusson says, the time has come to be "in step with millions of decent Israelis". There is indeed an urgent requirement for various forms of all-nation, all-party support, with strong vision to create an enduring peace and restoration of a secure Palestine and Israel.
Murdo Grant, Rosemarkie.
Has Labour lost the plot?
Has the Labour Government completely lost the plot? It is demanding that Israel surrender to the Palestinian cause which wants to eliminate Israel's very existence and replace it with an Islamic state. Whilst doing this it is also giving the Chagos Islands away to Mauritius, an ally of China, without even consulting the inhabitants of these islands who appear to want to stay British. Not only that but the cash-strapped UK will also give Mauritius billions of pounds as well.
Is there anybody left in the Labour Government who actually considers the consequences of its actions?
Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.
A telling picture
President Trump's false attack on South Africa ("Trump uses White House meeting to confront South African president over farmers", heraldscotland, May 22) seems to be based on a video of people calling for attacks on the farmers.
If a video is the basis for condemning a country what do the videos of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building tell us?
Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia.
Donald Trump with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office on Wednesday (Image: PA) Sneaky tactics against consumers
Up from 2.6% in March, headline inflation in April rose to 3.5% annually according to the Office for National Statistics, moving it further away from the Bank of England's 2% target, thereby dampening hopes for more rapid interest rate reductions going forward ("Reeves under fire as inflation rockets to highest level in a year", The Herald, May 22). The remorseless pressure on the household budgets continues: according to the BoE the cumulative effect of general price increases post-Covid has eroded the purchasing power of consumers by 23.5%.
This is not the only factor affecting value for money for the consumer. 'Shrinkflation' (where the size or quantity of a product is reduced while the price rises marginally or remains similar) and "skimpflation" (where the quality or quantity of ingredients is reduced while the price rises marginally or remains similar) are now tactics commonly deployed by manufacturers and retailers to pass on rising production and retail costs to unwary customers in more subtle and opaque ways.
Consumer watchdogs, such as Which?, continue to highlight this blight described by some as 'exploitative' and 'sneaky'. Ongoing research shows a wide range of well-known branded products are affected: toothpaste, mouthwash, tea, coffee, crisps, confectionery, biscuits, butter, yoghurts, processed meats, ready meals etc. Never has 'caveat emptor' (buyer beware) been more appropriate. Related switching behaviour is now benefitting own-branded products and cheaper retail outlets.
Pressure is growing on supermarkets and manufacturers to become much more transparent and to ensure prominent and consistent unit pricing so consumers are better informed to make best choices. So far, the Government has shown little appetite to fight for hard-pressed consumers. Hopefully this changes, as consumers are the largest of all voting constituencies and these issues provide an obvious focus for pro-active policies designed a) to ameliorate the more subtle negative effects of a high and ever-rising cost of living and b) to better protect the value of the pound in the consumer's pocket.
Ewen Peters, Newton Mearns.