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The Herald Scotland

Want to protest Israel's slaughter? Careful, you might be arrested

Not content with supporting Israeli terror in the Holy Land, the UK Government now apparently supports the de facto declaration of war against Iran by Israel and the US (which unlike Israel, does not appear to have the right of self defence). So far 'only' hundreds of civilians have been killed but the value of their lives is clearly as worthless to this government as the tens of thousands who have been murdered in Palestine. Don't be too hasty in protesting about it though; you might just be held to account as a terrorist. Chris Ewing, Cairneyhill. • Wow! This really is one of those defining moments in history. The UK Labour Government is proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation while it continues to fund Israel's ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Palestinians, and stays more or less silent on Donald Trump's attack on Iran. My door is open: come and arrest me now for continuing to support the Palestinians. The authorities will be busy. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of like-minded people in the UK, and particularly in Scotland. This UK Government has gone so far right it should be called Tory-Labour, or remembering a former occupant of No 10, Tony-Blair- Labour. Don't forget the lies over Iraq. The Labour Party used to stand for democracy, which I understood included the right to protest. Not any more. Keir Starmer's autocratic stamp is all over this. He's in good company with his good friends Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. I accept Iran has one too, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but it looks like the US has plans to deal with him. Andy Stenton, Glasgow. Read more letters Britain is an abject puppet Has there ever been a time when the calibre of UK politicians has been so abysmally low or steeped in such craven hypocrisy? This thought is prompted after listening to a lengthy interview involving David Lammy, the British Foreign Secretary. This holder of "one of the great offices of state" was chronically incapable of answering even the most basic questions arising from the latest US adventure in the Middle East. Asked whether he thought the American bombing of Iran was legal and in accordance with international law he could not or would not answer. It is difficult to envisage that this individual would be regarded as other than a laughing stock in the world's capitals, including Washington and Tel Aviv. No matter; anyone who cares to think objectively about the question will readily see the true situation: Britain as an abject puppet of US foreign policy, a Labour Government gutless and afraid to stand up for what is right. The only puzzling feature of the situation is whether Israel is a lackey of America or whether America is a lackey of Israel. The response of His Majesty's Government to what is unfolding in the Middle East represents yet another disgraceful episode in this country's history. Brian Harvey, Hamilton. Where the war started What sort of people would have an Israel Annihilation Clock, which counts down the days till Israel is wiped off the map? The Iranian regime does, or at least it did until the Israeli Defense Force bombed it this week. The war between Iran and Israel started with the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Otto Inglis, Crossgates, Fife. SNP should stay out of it Why are John Swinney and indeed Humza Yousaf pontificating about the situation in Iran? Foreign affairs are wholly retained by Westminster and, as per the Scotland Act, are explicitly outwith the jurisdiction of Holyrood. Mr Yousaf is yesterday's man, and few care what he thinks, but Mr Swinney, like it or not, heads up a devolved administration. The taxpayer employs MPs at Westminster to address international affairs while we pay Mr Swinney and Mr Yousaf to focus on such crucially important areas as the NHS, education, housing and roads. But perhaps this is simply too dreary for them? SNP politicians seemingly imagine that speaking out on international conflicts bigs them up in our eyes, yet the opposite is very much the case. It draws attention to their dismal performance in managing a vitally important raft of public services that the people of Scotland rely on each and every day. Martin Redfern, Melrose. This is a sad day Listening to Donald Trump after the bombing raid on Iran reminded me of an incident during my service about 50 years ago. I was on duty in the ops room of 2ATAF (Allied Tactical Air Force) during an exercise. Part of my duties was to collect the info on bombing raids. While waiting for the latest info I was asked by a Belgian general for the results of the raids. I answered that the aircraft had not reached their targets. He came back shortly afterwards with the same question. When I gave him the same answer he became furious and said if he was a Group Captain in the RAF I would give him the results. I had been on shift for 12 hours and I replied that if he was Jesus Christ I could not give him the answer. He reported me and I got a bit of a telling-off. Donald Trump did the same thing. You have to be patient until you get the feedback. It may be quite a time before we know how successful the raid was. Whatever the outcome it is a sad day that we are being dragged into another conflict. Jim McAdam, Maidens. Some help Blair will be Yet more shock and awe with the news that Sir Tony Blair's think tank is to help Labour with its campaign for next May's Scottish Parliament elections; sounds to me like another dodgy dossier is on its way ("Tony Blair team 'helping' Scottish Labour with Holyrood election bid", The Herald, June 23). Subjects Sir Tony excels at include "How to make millions" and "How to follow a US President into an immoral, illegal war, never have to face justice for it, and after unleashing misery and destruction on countless numbers of innocent people, be awarded a knighthood". Shocking and awful indeed. Ruth Marr, Stirling. Tony Blair (Image: PA) We are a nation of bullies I'm over 70 years old and, believe it or not, grew up in a diverse British society. I attended primary school with children from Italian, Polish, Irish, Canadian and even German parentage. I can also remember the first Asian pupil we had in the early 1960s. We thought nothing of it. All of these fellow pupils were integrated and accepted yet at home they tended to honour their parents' language, religion and culture. This is the way of immigrants across the world, none more so than us Scots. I can remember going to Wembley to play the Auld Enemy about 10 years after the war. My pal's dad took us and we met up with his English ex-Army pal and they enjoyed what we used to call banter. We were unionists yet all the Scots had Saltires and Lion Rampants, not a Union Flag for us that day. I read Mark Smith's article on the nonsense spouted by a headteacher about the flag of our country, the Union Flag ("Are you 'upset'? The dangers of flags in schools", The Herald, June 21). Like most of the drivel spoken by many today I found it deeply offensive, so what does that make me? It makes me, according to the current mob bullying me relentlessly about my beliefs, some kind of bigot or right-wing zealot. What a load of cheeky, disrespectful, ignorant tosh. We've created a nation of intellectual bullies, lacking in humour or any sense of reality who are unable to separate personal responsibility and choice from the horrendous self-entitlement they pollute us with. I genuinely fear for us all if this goes on much longer. John Gilligan, Ayr.