EDITOR – Nick Turner‘s analysis of Israel’s ‘legality’ (Southern Star, August 3rd) touches only one of the three crucial events which ultimately led to the current lawless holocaust in Gaza.
The first of these was the Zionist Congress of 1897, when ambitious Jewish intellectuals convened to plan a colonial adventure. Their discussion took its bearings from the Berlin Conference of a few years earlier, when Europe’s imperial powers agreed to carve up Africa between them (like vultures descending on an elephant’s corpse).
Palestine was merely one of several possible places, (mostly African), considered for colonisation, and Jewish religious leaders denounced the whole project.
The second event was the Balfour Declaration, when Britain effectively promised to hand over Palestine to the Zionists – without reference to its inhabitants, and violating promises made to Arab leaders.
The motivation was no high-minded concern for Jewish welfare but determination to gain control of territory dangerously close to the Suez Canal – the main artery of Empire; that ambition was made feasible by the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Great War. Legality was not a consideration.
The third disastrous event was the ‘League of Nations Mandate’ of 1922 which gave Britain control of Palestine, supposedly to lead the inhabitants to self-government. In fact, the terms of the Mandate were drawn up by the British to suit their own imperial motives, and the struggling league was then bullied into rubber-stamping the document.
The brutal reality behind the pseudo-legal facade was made clear by the first of Britain’s Palestine gauleiters, one Ronald Storrs.
He privately defined his mission as creating ‘a little loyal Jewish Ulster’ as a British redoubt in the unfavourable Arab sea. (Thus the newly-created Northern Ireland ‘Protestant parliament for a Protestant people’ left its ominous mark on the Middle East). Zionists were increasingly important allies in the task of crushing Palestinian hopes by whatever degree of brutality seemed necessary. Current scenes of devastation in Gaza recall the dynamiting of much of the ancient city of Jaffa by the British in 1936, intended to show insurgent Palestinians that might is always right, whatever any law might say. The Zionists (soon to become Israelis) took that lesson to heart.
Israel is thus the illegitimate offspring of British imperialism – though no modern British politician of any political colour seems brave enough to admit it. Brazen contempt for international law is an essential part of its colonial inheritance.
S O’Mahony,
Gurteenakilla,
Ballydehob.
Well done, Skibbereen, on all the lovely flowers
EDITOR – I was recently in Skibbereen visiting relations.
I’m writing to say how impressed I was with Skibbereen’s good shops and nice cafés. I was, however, most impressed by the wonderful flowers on display in the town and its outskirts.
Well done, Skibbereen – keep it up. What a wonderful display.
Margarita McCarthy,
Munich,
Germany.
A poetry tribute to the medal-winning rowers
‘Skibb Row’
Hail the boys from Skibbereen,
the greatest rowers we have seen.
Emotions we just couldn’t hide,
our hearts met every stride with pride!
Another worthy West Cork jewel,
the unsurpassed rowing school.
The coaching staff deserve our praise,
for every time our flag’s been raised.
Established 50 years and more,
such great successes from that shore.
It has become Ireland’s hub,
The Skibbereen Rowing Club.
Jim Williamson,
Montenotte,
Cork city.
Our relationship with plastic is very toxic
EDITOR – The Plastic Free July event organised by Ballydehob Tidy Towns with more than 70 guests shows that many people are concerned about the rising pollution of the sea.
Guest speakers like David Puttnam, Nic Slocum of Whale Watch West Cork and Stephen Redmond, the first person to complete the Oceans Seven swim challenge, pointed out how marine life is suffering. This also happens in our beautiful West Cork. The short film, Our Toxic Romance with Plastic, made by the West Cork artist Chris O’Connor, was screened. The filmmaker was also present.
Everybody who is interested in the film can watch it on YouTube. Steve Redmond said he had to swim sometimes through garbage for hours and that the English Channel was one of rhe worst locations. Let’s face this problem together and reduce plastic wherever possible.
Peter Hermle,
Ballydehob Tidy Towns.
*****
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