WHAT does it take to convince the United Nations and Western governments that Netanyahu is committing war crimes and has been for several months in his directed attacks on Gaza and its people?

I am well aware that Hamas also committed war crimes in its attack on October 7. But the Israeli leadership have committed what are now considered unspeakable war crimes, ever since the Israeli Defence Force was ordered to attack Gaza.

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33,000 Gazans killed, with more women and children than men. Hospitals and educational institutions destroyed including medical staff killed. These alone are considered as war crimes.

Now we read of more killing of civilians in the last area of Gaza considered a safe area: 22 in the 24 hours, 18 of which were children. Words are becoming impossible to describe the horror created on Netanyahu’s instructions. It’s as if he has forgotten the horrors committed on his own nation during World War Two.

Israel is about to celebrate its Passover, where his early ancestors escaped from Egypt into Palestine. Yes, Palestine, belonging to the Palestinian nation and taken away by the American government. Just for the record, the following is a brief account.

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In May 1946, President Truman announced his approval of a recommendation to admit 100,000 displaced persons into Palestine and in October publicly declared his support for the creation of a Jewish state. Throughout 1947, the United Nations Special Commission on Palestine examined the Palestinian question and recommended the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. On November 29, 1947 the United Nations adopted Resolution 181 (also known as the Partition Resolution) that would divide Great Britain’s former Palestinian mandate into Jewish and Arab states in May 1948 when the British mandate was scheduled to end.

So even the United Nations was involved in the Palestinian partition. Are the UN hands still tied to that adoption?

The whole world has been watching on a daily basis. Surely there is no escape for Netanyahu and his military cohorts from being arrested to appear in the criminal courts in the Hague?

Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife

DAVID Pratt in another informative insight (Seven Days, Apr 21) poses the question “Does the West favour Israel over Ukraine?”

Why, unlike Israel, does Ukraine not have an “Iron Shield” enforced by the US and the UK, which were parties to the Budapest Memorandum of 1994? While the UK questionably maintains that it must retain and expensively upgrade its nuclear arsenal as a necessary military deterrent, it, along with the US, persuaded Ukraine to surrender its nuclear weapons following the commitment that Ukraine’s territorial security would be assured by the US and the UK in the event of any future Russian aggression. Regrettably neither the US nor the UK sought to honour that commitment when Russian forces effectively annexed Crimea in 2014.

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Today Russian and Israeli missiles and bombs rain down on innocent civilians in Ukraine and Gaza while neither the US nor the UK makes any effort to build “Iron Shields” to protect the citizens of either state and thus prevent the wanton death and destruction from continuing. The UK Government appears more intent on military grandstanding on the world stage rather than honouring international commitments, except seemingly when commitments involve Israel.

An independent Scotland can end the unwilling role of the Scottish people in apparently condoning such devastating hypocrisy.

Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian

I DECIDED to write a response to Neil Mackay’s letter (Apr 19). Then I read page three’s item regarding Business in Scotland’s activities based on 4466 supporters’ answers (New billboards appear ahead of indy march and rally).

Can any indy supporters claim that what they are doing doesn’t assist our drive for self-determination within the overall context?

I learnt in the 70s that the more diversity in a fight or struggle by people on any issue (provided it’s peaceful), the greater the amount of ideas generated.

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With regards to unity, it is sniping and unjust criticism from other organisations claiming to have the sole rights to lead any campaign for the same aim that undermines efforts to unite.

I recognise that All Under One Banner (whose demons/rallies I have attended) have contributed excellent work over the past years for independence, but that does not give them greater rights than other elements of our Yes movement and their supporters.

I think the parts about Lesley Riddoch in Mr Mackay’s letter are insulting to her. Ms Riddoch is one (among others) of the finest advocates of self-determination that we have in print, TV, activism and analysis. OK, criticise her if you feel you must, but don’t stoop to divisive insult. What Mr Mackay writes regarding Believe in Scotland I also consider to be divisive insult.

Bobby Brennan
Glasgow

JINGS, crivvens! Help ma boab. Is it beyond Scots to see the large picture instead of the plethora of reasons why MY WAY is more important than THE WAY?! For years now the various factions have presented their hopes for an independent Scotland. All of them are valid ... yes, let’s have all these. But FIRST and foremost let’s get independence. It won’t happen unless there is a united front; a cohesive push by ALL the differing opinions on how to get there. ONE AIM ONLY. Let’s get it, then we can negotiate just what an independent Scotland will be. Til then, haud yer wheesht and let’s get together and ensure that the mark is in the right place on the ballot paper for independence!

E Ahern
East Kilbride