Israel, French referendum and others

Sanctions against Israel will only encourage anti-Semitic attacks

Sir: Johann Hari writes of embargoes and sanctions against Israel as a way to promote a peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East (Opinion, 27 May). Irrespective of the intention, we know from the rise in anti-Semitic attacks in the United Kingdom that such moves give encouragement to the perpetrators of anti-Semitic attacks, and often serve to embolden those who are more interested in demonising the state of Israel than advancing peace. The effects of singling out Israel in this way must be considered by those who consider themselves advocates of peace.

JON BENJAMIN

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BOARD OF DEPUTES OF BRITISH JEWS LONDON WC1

Sir: Johann Hari suggests that "smart sanctions" are a better way of dealing with Israel than the academic boycott which was overturned last week. Certainly compared to the proponents of that boycott, Hari's suggestion is a step forward.

But it is still the wrong approach. If there is ever to be peace between Israel and the Palestinians, it will come about because both peoples have grown tired of war and more willing to make the painful concessions that peace requires. In that sense, there is very little that we in Britain can do at all.

To promote peace, we must be guided by what the moderates on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides want from us. The peace camp in Israel does not want well-meaning people in places like the UK doing things which strengthen Sharon at home, as the short-lived AUT boycott did.

The Israeli left is also acutely sensitive to the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere. Every Israeli listens attentively to criticism of the Jewish state to catch the nuances that would indicate whether this is constructive criticism coming from a friend, or whether it is tainted with hatred of all things Jewish.

I am also struck by the insistence in these debates that we must focus on positive ways to change Israel's behaviour. This is a conflict in which there are two sides. Israeli behaviour in the occupied territories is indefensible, but Palestinian suicide bombers have done their fair share of indefensible things, too. What sanctions are being proposed against them?

Sanctions and boycotts will do no one any good. We in Britain should be asking ourselves one simple question: what can we do to support those brave souls in Israel and Palestine who are struggling for peace?

ERIC LEE

LONDON N3

Lessons for Labour in French vote

Sir: Amid the hysterical jubilation of the Eurosceptics, the "Non" result of the referendum on the EU constitution in France carries more than one message for Tony Blair. As many of the polls prior to the vote and your interviews with French voters have confirmed, a significant number of people voted "no" as a way of hitting back at Jacques Chirac and the result of the presidential election in which the only alternative candidate was the unpalatable Jean-Marie Le Pen.

With the continuing personal unpopularity of Tony Blair, notwithstanding his party's re-election against the unpalatable Tories and the allegedly unelectable Liberal Democrats, the parallels for any such referendum in the UK are startlingly clear.

With Mr Blair at the helm of any putative "yes" campaign, it is highly likely that a significant number of voters will regard a referendum as a safe means by which they can provide the Prime Minister with the bloody nose he richly deserves.

PETER COGHLAN

BROADSTONE, DORSET

Sir: The rejection of the European Union constitution is not the first occasion on which France has disrupted the process of European integration. In 1954, its National Assembly refused to ratify the treaty establishing the European Defence Community, and ten years later the French government boycotted the Council of Ministers through its "empty chairs" policy until its demands were met.

However, both these apparent setbacks caused a total reappraisal of the European project, which was pursued in a much more pragmatic and consensual manner than before. It could very well be that the French have once again done Europe a good turn by making its leaders go back to the drawing board.

WALTER CAIRNS

MANCHESTER

Sir: Various people across Europe, for their own reasons, may be rejoicing but I suggest that nowhere will the rejoicing be stronger than within the financial lobbies in the United States. They will see what they regard as the stop being put on what was frightening them most: the emergence of a strong bloc capable of putting a brake on the advance of American global business interests. The French may have a lot to answer for.

DEREK BRUNDISH

HORSHAM, WEST SUSSEX

The public needs to fear the taxman

Sir: If Pat Atyeo wants to pay more tax than she has to ("Taxman turned into a bogeyman", letter, 25 May) she could make voluntary monthly donations to the Treasury, which they would doubtless be pleased to accept.

She could also pay tax unnecessarily on any expense claims she makes from her employer by declaring the reimbursement as income and not claiming a corresponding deduction for the expense she incurs. Similarly, she can choose to pay more Inheritance Tax than is required by law. It's her choice. While some may judge her to be naïve, others will find her wish to pay more tax than she has to laudable. Some will make no judgement at all and will continue quietly to give money to worthy causes.

As an aside, when I was a taxman, it helped no end to be seen as a bogeyman. While it would be nice if everyone felt the same about paying tax as Pat Atyeo, most people need a little fear to encourage them to pay their due.

N PARKES

SWANSEA

In praise of friendly policing

Sir: I support Ruth Barnett (letter, 21 May) in encouraging the media to report the best as well as the worst in the vexed field of police attitudes to racial minorities.

I happened to be close to the Uzbek embassy recently when demonstrators were being arrested for trespass. One young policeman, handcuffed to an equally young Uzbek, was chatting amiably with him as they walked together to a waiting police van. Both were smiling and as they passed I heard the policeman explain helpfully to the chap to whom he was fastened, "You see, I'm afraid what you did was illegal".

It was all a world away from the abuse of the young Kurd as reported that day, let alone from the horrors of Andijan.

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

LONDON W2

Old ID cards proved to be disposable

Sir: Janet Street-Porter is quite right to debunk the Blairite ID cards stunt (Opinion, 26 May).

At the beginning of the Second World War, I was an apprentice plumber when ID cards were introduced. It took just over one week for my card to become covered in various substances such as tallow, putty, paint, lead and copper. I soon disposed of the card and cannot recall any occasion on which I was asked to produce it, despite working in some establishments which could be described as "sensitive". The "real" ID card I had later was my Royal Navy paybook (I never lost that).

JIM ARNISON

SALFORD

More support for cyclists needed

Sir: Ed Reich (letter, 26 May) can rest assured: God is on his side and cyclists in the Netherlands do not have generally the right of way over pedestrians and cars.

Perhaps your earlier correspondents are confused by the Dutch rules of the road, which differ from the Highway Code in an important aspect: in the Netherlands three distinct modes of traffic are recognised by the law: cars, cyclists and pedestrians, each with their own rules. In Britain, the rules cater for only two: wheeled traffic and pedestrians (with some special provision for horses thrown in).

Planners in the Netherlands have to cater for all three categories, with proper funding for each enshrined in the law. In this country, cyclists are mostly either lumped together with cars or with pedestrians. Facilities for cyclists are at the discretion of a benevolent council and therefore mostly absent. Cycle routes are often just white lines on the tarmac and traffic light timings are geared to what is adequate for cars.

If the Government is serious about its proclaimed intentions to promote cycling (by responsible cyclists) they could do worse than have a good look at the Highway Code and perhaps import some ideas from the near continent.

EDUARD J ZUIDERWIJK

CAMBRIDGE

Sir: Philip Nice (letter, 21 May) states that the consequence of totally absolving cyclists of the presumption of blame in collisions with motorists "is that they act totally irresponsibly". This may be true.

However, even if they did, road safety campaigners would not be as troubled by the number of motorists mown down by irresponsible cyclists as they are by the irresponsible motorists in the UK who know that the cyclist victims of a collision are unable to prove blame because they are either unconscious or dead.

CHRIS BEAZER

WIRRAL MERSEYSIDE

Our voting system encourages apathy

Sir: The evidence from the recent general election is clear. In constituencies where one party has held the seat under the first-past-the-post system for a number of years there was a very low turnout, mostly of about 50 per cent. Clearly many people in those constituencies of every political persuasion saw no point in voting. How good is that for the long-term health of democracy? How much credibility does our country really have in such circumstances when preaching the virtues of democracy to countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Zimbabwe?

Election results have been severely distorted by FPTP in the UK for many years, with large numbers of the electorate being severely under-represented or totally excluded.

Mr Blair has a historic opportunity to reform this country's voting system before the sands of time run out for him. He has been given a "bloody nose" over Iraq. Why is he so afraid of leaving a positive and lasting legacy?

JONATHAN HARRIS

CANTERBURY

Sir: Before campaigning for proportional representation it would have been wise to examine the disaster it has been in Scotland. We have a large rump of list MSPs who have no constituency duties and no direct accountability to the electorate. They have a perfectly comfortable life providing they toe the party line. What is more, we can never get rid of them because they are not going to vote themselves out of existence.

The direct personal accountability of FPTP is crude, but effective. The electorate can have who they want to represent them, and similarly remove people they don't want. The electorate is boss, not the party. Diligent constituency MPs can buck national swings by having a personal following - and a good thing too.

Would that the EU Commission were directly accountable to a constituency - we would have a much different Europe.

ROY BRADLEY

BOTHWELL, SOUTH LANARKSHIRE

Sir: Who is James Hudston (letter, 26 May) trying to kid? If FPTP is successful in removing unwanted governments then how come Blair is still in power with a substantial majority of seats but with nearly two-thirds of the voters against him?

Why do opponents of PR always quote examples of poor systems like Italy and Israel? The Republic of Ireland has used STV since the 1920s and has maintained stable government with changes of control when desired by the people. Attempts by various ruling parties to change the system to their advantage, via referenda, have always been repulsed.

KEN MILWARD

WEYMOUTH, DORSET

Single-sex classes work

Sir: With reference to your article "Single-sex classes are backed by academics" (30 May), I too, as an AS-level student, think that this would be most beneficial for education. Having attended a mixed school before attending a girls-only school, I saw how the "laddish" behaviour of boys made learning exceptionally difficult for girls and boys alike. It would be good for mixed schools to introduce more single-sex classes as a first step towards closing the gender imbalance in achievement.

JANAKI MEHTA

CROYDON, SURREY

Aircraft fuel tax

Sir: Greenpeace's campaigns director Blake Lee-Harwood's recommendation that air travel be reserved for special occasions (28 May) is wishful thinking. Recent history shows us that only terrorism is likely to deter the public's love of flying, and that fear has now receded. In normal circumstances, no prime minister is going to commit political suicide by imposing a realistic tax on aircraft fuel, but lame duck Blair now has a wonderful opportunity of getting back on the good side of the record books.

JOHN H WOOD

LYME REGIS, DORSET

Where eagles dare

Sir: I read your article on the white-tailed sea eagle with great joy ("The eagles have landed", 30 May). But the pleasure is marred by the knowledge that the Edinbane and Ben Aketil wind farms on the Isle of Skye may well kill 50 sea eagles during the next 25 years.

DR JOHN ETHERINGTON

LLANHOWELL PEMBROKESHIRE.

Tories on immigration

Sir: With regard to Alan Fisher's letter on Michael Howard's support for Liverpool (30 May), as a Conservative Party activist I am tired of it being suggested (openly or by implication) that the Conservative Party is against immigration. We are not. What we are in favour of is honesty in immigration policy.

ALEX SWANSON

MILTON KEYNES

Political bad smells

Sir: Martin Phillips states (letter, 30 May) "... many Labour supporters opted to hold their noses and vote Lib Dem...". The only thing I smell is the manure that Tony Blair has been shovelling for the past eight years.

DAVID MCNICKLE

ST ALBANS HERTFORDSHIRE