To the panel,
Ms Tarazzi, director of the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza and one of the very small minority of Christians still left in the remnants of historic Palestine, said this to me. It is a truism of course. "Dr David. If there is no peace in Palestine, there will be no peace in the Middle East. If there is no peace in the Middle East there will be no peace in the world". I repeat her message often but preface it with "If there is no justice in Palestine, there will be no peace in Palestine .....".

If there is to be justice where none exists, truth must be heard.

It is understood that the Prime Minister has ruled out a public inquiry into the four explosions that occurred on the 7th of July. How then will the truth be established as to who perpetrated these atrocities and with whom were the guilty possibly connected?

A public enquiry could be set up for each of the four explosions using Section 17a of the 1988 Coroner's Act. This was designed for the investigation of multiple deaths when there was a common cause – for instance a train crash. Duplication is avoided and distress to relatives lessened. It has been invoked at least five times - twice for the sinking of the trawler Gaul. It was last used for the unnatural death of Dr David Kelly. An ad hoc inquiry by Lord Hutton was set up the day he was found, and the Section 17a vehicle added later and inappropriately given it was a single death.

REMEMBRANCE and HYPOCRISY

It is Remembrance Sunday here in Britain. The shorter ceremonies took place on the eleventh day. Poppy and empire are garnered in Whitehall, by the Cenotaph and a stone's throw from the seat of power at 10 Downing Street. David Dimbleby has inherited the gravitas and fluency which march impeccably through the screen of BBC 1. The Portland stone of the Cenotaph is shining in the sun and it is framed by plane trees that are still in green leaf. This stone of the Jurassic period is reaching across 450 million years to these men and women, one of whom has his finger on the instrument which can blast us back in time, and beyond those deep seams of limestone and clay. The massed bands in their immaculate grey and the bearskins play 'Flowers of the Forest', 'Nimrod' by Elgar and 'When I am laid in earth' by Edward Purcell. The emphasis is on the sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the two world wars, those who were bereaved and those who returned disabled. After the Last Post, the wreaths are laid starting with the Queen. Her uniformed relations follow, and then the actor Blair. He is followed by Howard, the leader of HM's opposition who supported his political colleague in his treacherous plans for war on that country they had disarmed and laid waste already. Post Paisley, comes Straw. He is clutching a wreath which has flowers in it from every part of the Commonwealth. How good it is to think that those folk who have felt the stamp of these boots and the flash of those bayonets, should show their dying gratitude. And how apt that he should be the bearer; the latest thespian to sell that little country down the Jordan we gained mandate over in 1922.

 

Dear Sir,

John Humphrys said on Today 01-07-05 "Palestinian terrorists .... have kidnapped two Israeli soldiers". I suspected this was a slip of the tongue made by a rational and well informed broadcaster who with forethought would have chosen a better noun. However, when I came to 'listen again' to confirm my quotation is correct, I find it printed:- '06.37 Palestinian terrorists say they have kidnapped two Israeli soldiers - a claim rejected by Israel.' This is indicative of the 'balance' in much of the BBC reporting coming out of Arab countries, and from the remnants of Palestine in particular. The Martyrs of the Al Aqsa Brigade responsible for the alleged kidnapping would not consider themselves to be terrorists* *and if they are not attacking civilians it is appropriate to call them 'resistance fighters' or 'guerillas'. These men have seen plenty of death and injury done to Palestinian civilians by the Israeli Defence/Occupation Force. Some thousands have been killed and many, many thousands maimed by all manner of weapons including flechette shells fired randomly into the jam packed refugee camps of both Gaza and the 'West Bank' in the dead of night. I cannot recall the word 'terrorist' ever being applied to any member of the ID/OF, but terrorism it is. An apt slogan circulated; a terrorist is someone with a bomb but no uniform .