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The Middle East
How can we stand by and watch murder after murder in Israel and Palestine. Surely it is obvious that the world needs to do something truly new to change the situation.
Is it not time to insist on a UN Peace enforcement army to be sent to Palestine to stop the killing now?
With a fair and neutral UN security force there might be a change of establishing the borders of the Palestinian and Israeli states.
Why are there no new bold ideas? Why are Britain and Blair so timid?
John Rhodes
And do all those (including MPs) who felt that the House of Commons should have discussed events in the Middle East yesterday, rather than the tributes to the late Queen Mother, feel that anything said there would have made the slightest difference to the protagonists and victims?
Tony King
It would be fascinating to know what would be the effect of OPEC declaring a cut of production to twenty five percent of current levels if the Israelis did not withdraw to the pre-1967 border within two weeks. The potentially devastating effect on the world economy might well prove salutary and jerk the major powers of the USA and Europe into putting genuine pressure on Israel, and remove the justifications on both sides of the parties to the conflict to continue. International involvement in maintaining the resulting (comparative) peace should then be implemented.
Ray Warrington
As the Middle East slides into war and a humanitarian disaster builds up in the
occupied Palestinian towns and villages, it is incumbent on the USA and UK to
use all the tools available to them to prevent a repeat of the type of massacres
that Ariel Sharon was associated with at the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila.
Given that the USA is the chief financial supporter of Israel with $3billion of
aid annually, including $1billion of military aid, failure to prevent the
atrocities that are now taking place by a rampant Israeli army, will make the
USA culpable and guilty of supporting Israeli terror. American F-16s, Apaches
and heavy arms are being used to oppress and occupy a civilian population. Far
from suppressing terror it is supporting terrorism against Palestinians. The
USA has lost the moral high ground it placed itself on after Sept 11th, and if
the Israeli army continues to commit its terror, the USA will soon find itself
in the firing line once again.
As for the UK, it has been established that Israel is using British Challenger
tanks in the occupied territories, in contravention of promises Israel has made.
It is time the UK imposed an arms embargo on a regime which continues to defy
UN resolutions through its illegal occupation.
Jawaid Yakoob
It was good to hear on the PM programme at long last some balanced views from Chris Patten, Jeremy Corbyn and Ben Bradshaw on the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. I hope their views will help to instruct Nick Clarke and Eddie Mair.
I look forward to better informed discussions in future programmes.
P. Watts,
At last it is clear. The 'window of opportunity' which Sharon referred to was agreed in advance with Washington.
It was agreed that Israel would be allowed to commit its state sponsored acts of terror under the guise of a war on terror.
It was known that the international community would take days to build up a head of steam against Israel - in that time, the Israelis could kill or kidnap and torture thousands of young Palestinian men.
Now that Israel has had the time to do this, Bush has decided it is now time to speak out.
The whole affair is so cynical it beggars belief. And Blair? The puppet has been silent.
Peter Devlin
I just finished listening to your broadcast interview with Fr.Turner about the use by terrorists of the church of the nativity in Bethlehem and his defence of the practice of harbouring anybody who feels threatened. It is not the first time that the catholic church defends this practice. It happened time and time again during the troubles in Northern Ireland.
As a catholic myself I always felt disgusted that the Irish clergy shielded terrorists even going as far as giving them a church funeral and burying them in a sacred plot. A terrorist is a terrorist wherever he comes from but why are so many people anti-Semitic or anti-Israel. I have never forgotten about the fate of my Jewish neighbours during the war when their property was confiscated and they never returned from the concentration camps.
The Jews have every right to defend themselves and I would finish by saying: destroy terrorism whether it is in the US, Israel or wherever. It could happen here too.
JMVD
Just a comment about the interview this afternoon with the Catholic Priest.I felt the interviewer was blatantly taking a partisan viewpoint, that is pro-Israeli. I thought the BBC was supposed to be unbiased!
I also feel that words like terrorist and militant only get applied to the Palestinians who are trying to liberate their country from occupation. It should be pointed out that Sharon was himself part of a terrorist group in the 1950s. I think he still behaves like one, and someone should stop him before he wreaks more damage in the Middle East
R W Edwards
There seems to be some doubt at the BBC as to whether Israeli soldiers really are
preventing Palestinian medical personnel carrying out their tasks. I received an email
from a friend in Ramallah on Tuesday, as follows:
'At 9.15 am from the window of my flat I could see on a side street (exact location given) a group of Palestinian Red Crescent medics - as the red and white jackets they were wearing indicated. They were stopped and ordered to sit on the road with their hands tied behind their backs in the pouring rain. They stayed there for over an hour and then were put in armored carriers and taken
away (around 11 am).'
Over the phone the friend told me that from where he was, looking out over a strategic
crossroads, he could see the road to the hospital was blocked (14 enormous tanks
being in the vicinity) and ambulances were being refused access.
There are far worse stories than this, all of which I know to be true. However, I include
only this one, to which I had direct access.
Anne Rodford
I would like to object to Mr. Eddie Mair (by means of provocative questions)
promoting Mr.Sharon's 'invitation' for Yasser Arafat to leave Ramallah when
Mr. Mair knows full well the implications of and the answer to his
suggestion.
James Gibson
Regarding James Reynold's report of a completely deserted Jerusalem, I would point out that Wednesday was the last day of the Passover, a national and religious holiday, a day on which the city centre in any case would be virtually totally closed down. You therefore presented a completely erroneous picture of the reality to your unknowing audience.
Unfortunately, this tends to happen all to often in your reporting from Israel, and indicates the necessity of very careful checking of facts. May I suggest that instead of spending a large part of your programme interviewing aid workers about supposed misdeeds of the IDF, you concentrate far more on discussion of Britain's primitive health and transport problems, and leave the democratic state of Israel to continue with its vital struggle against terrorist infrastructures, which will ultimately benefit all the countries of the free world.
Dr Peter Druce
You spoke to an Israeli girl holidaying in London who said
how terrible it is that Israelis are currently frightened to go to restaurants.
I'm sure this fear must be awful and has contributed to Israelis justification
to themselves for their behaviour - stealing land, bulldozing homes, and
removing simple freedoms from Palestinians.
If being frightened to go to cinemas and cafe generates such extreme behaviour by the Isreali army, then being frightened to get water and visit hospital is inevitably going to
generate equally outrageous behaviour from angry young men denied any proper
means to defend their homes and families from the Isreali bullying.
Until the Israelis realise that the things done in their name are only going to generate
more hate towards them it's hard to see a permanent end to the suicide bombings,
even if they arrest or kill everyone they currently suspect as having such
sympathies.
Emily Beatty
I have heard one of the most nauseating reports today on your programme.
After having been informed the Israelis have virtually imprisoned the whole Palestinian population in Ramallah, and Bethleham and further denied basic essentials like water by blowing water tanks, excess to hospitals and food you presented a sombre report on the deserted down town Jerusalem and empty restaurants, poor Israelis who can not enjoy a night out - a real tear jerker.
What next! Is the PM going to nominate Sharon for the Nobel Peace prize?
Ismail Patel, Leicester
It has irritated me exceedingly listening to your reporting of this war.
It has been blatantly pro-Palestinian. Yesterday we had the briefest
interview in Jerusalem after extensive reports detailing the harrowing
suffering of the Palestinians and journalists running up the streets.
Today was worse - all we got was the view of a settler. No interviews with the families of Israelis killed or businesses wrecked by bombers.
Israel has every right to defend itself and its citizens.
Mike Macneil
Coverage of the Queen Mother's death
I really have heard quite enough about the whereabouts of the Queen Mother's body. What I am interested in is the British citizens who have gone to Bethlehem to peacefully protest against violence and are being held by the Israelis, unable to get to the airport to come home.
Please report on this
Ruth Hills
Many of the letters to PM concerning the Queen Mother's death have represented two extremes of opinion. They relied on either right-wing tradition or the doctrines of republicanism and did not show the sense of proportion that the majority of people in this country have. Our monarchy has managed to be representative, just like the better elected presidents, and provides relatively harmless continuity in a world dominated by big business and those whom they sponsor. Keep royalty, in a European, 21st Century Britain, but remember that the events in the Middle East are today's main news.
Nick Rabson
So the Palace & the tabloids are disappointed with the BBC's reporting of the death of the Queen Mother.
On the contrary, we would like to commend your coverage which was most respectful, but not obsequious. Black ties and the hushed reverential tones of the late Richard Dimbleby are no longer appropriate.
Most people will feel sympathy for the Queen, but we see no evidence that the whole country has been plunged into mourning as claimed by the sales-seeking tabloids.
The Queen Mother's demise is a sad but not earth-shattering event for a !0! year old lady, and the BBC has reacted entirely appropriately.
Dilys & Charles Went
My wife died two weeks ago from breast cancer leaving two young children (8, 10). How do I explain to them that the death of very old, privileged lady warrants so much public attention above their tragedy. I had hoped that as nation we had grown up and left such grotesque, sycophantic deference behind.
Andrew Stefaniszyn
Only two topics on the news this week. The late Queen Mum and Peter Sissons' tie and ethnic cleansing of the Arab territories of Israel. Millions are dying of famine as a result of wars fought in central Africa using western arms and aid and an Education Bill which will be the biggest shake-up of education since the 19th Century is winding its way through parliament totally unreported. It is clear the royals are as usual seeking to maximise their popularity ratings on the back of the late Queen Mum and the BBC rolls over like a puppy instead of reporting the NEWS. It's a sad state of affairs and I feel sorry for the Queen for I recently lost my mother, but all this shunting about of the coffin etc. is too much. They are making what we in the north call a 'pippi show' and demeaning the undoubted dignity of the queen mum. The royals are just a bunch of publicity hungry celebs who are long past their sell by date. I'd call for a Republic now if weren't for the horrible thought of being landed with President Tony Blair.
N Gardner
Other stories
While I feel sorry for the ordinary Iraqis who are allegedly suffering following the use of uranium-tipped missiles, let us not forget who caused the war - and hence their suffering - Saddam Hussein. The sooner he is removed from power the safer Iraq's people - and the rest of us - will be.
David Gatehouse
Rageh Omaar's report from Iraq was a typical piece of BBC naivety.
There's a very easy way of verifying the issue of the putative role of depleted uranium in the claimed excess of cancers in Southern Iraq - ie whether it's a real effect, or propaganda.
Southern Iraq was not the only place where DU was used in the Gulf War. In fact, it was used far more heavily in Kuwait itself - as would be expected in weaponry designed mainly for anti-armour attacks.
And yet, Kuwait reports no such rise in cancer incidence - as can be verified via the World Health Organisation.
Do you not think your reporter, or the commentators in the studio should have researched, and mentioned this? Or would that have just killed a good, if questionable, story.
Andon Dawson
I listened with interest to the item on the destruction of rainforests which was typically hypocritical. We in the rich industrial west, who are responsible for climate change and have already chopped down all of our own forests complain about the same economic exploitation of forests in developing countries.
Britain, which was once mainly covered in forest, now has less than 10% woodland cover and a surplus of agricultural land. If we are concerned about global warming we should be planting forests to absorb CO2 in the UK. We have the wealth to do this and would reap great environmental, social and economic benefits. Better this than subsidising farmers to produce sheep (which no-one wants to eat) that are responsible for the loss of so much woodland habitat from the UK
I am involved in the Millennium Commission funded Forest of Burnley project which aims to double woodland cover in Burnley (from 3.5 to 7%) by planting 1 million trees. So far we have planted 700,000. Ironically we have fought long battles with English Nature which has prevented us from planting trees on land which was forested until as recently as 1945.
Simon Goff
Indonesia is not the only country supplying logs which do not have a true history to them. Much of the garden furniture in this country now uses hard wood from Burma. It is not from managed forests and because of the Burmese governments urge for foreign currency the prices are cheap which attracts the manufacturers. God knows what the working conditions of the people who work the wood into planks etc for this furniture are like. Should not all such woods be labelled so that the public can make a more informed decision.
Phillip Evans
Setting off to work on Tuesday after the Bank Holiday
it was rather irritating to hear the teachers still
complaining about how hard they work knowing that they
are currently enjoying a two week holiday - part of
the 13 weeks they get annually compared to the 4 weeks
that other workers get.
The total amount of teaching per day is 4 hrs 40
minutes or 23 hrs per week (some of which I believe
are already allocated to marking students work) and
this for only 39 weeks of the year leaving quite a few
weeks for lesson preparation prior to the start of
term.
23 hours teaching leaves 12 hours per week for lesson
preparation and extra marking before they exceed the
35 hrs a week.
Is it possible to find a teacher who can explain how
they arrive at a figure of 58 hrs? And dare I say,
'doesn't this mean they are not working very
effectively'?
They need to explain there grievance more carefully
before they will get public support for a strike.
Paul Davies
I have just listened to your interview with Tony Toole the ex-teacher who
gives the reason for leaving as being unable to actually teach.
I am an ex-local government officer, a building surveyor, who left the local
authority in 1999 after 26 years of service. The reason for leaving was
exactly as Mr Toole. Stress, being unable to sleep, worrying that I was
achieving very little of any consequence. The cause was the frustration of
being unable to accomplish what I was employed to do because of red
tape and paperwork.
In my new employment I am totally productive, I do not attend needless
internal meetings, no stats to complete, no time sheets to fill and submit. I
am trusted, my opinion is valued and I am able to take pride and feel
fulfilled in actual useful work being carried out.
This problem is so common, it's rife in the Police, the health service and all
public services. The paperwork is often justified by "we must be
accountable." Well it costs so much and takes up so much staff time that a
little inefficiency while performing useful work for people would be far
cheaper.
Why does the Beeb not investigate this? Just a thought.
Great programme
John Haverson
I was not entirely surprised to hear Mr Toole's unfortunate experience and how the stress of mainstream teaching induced an epileptic fit. I had exactly the same unpleasant experience in 1986. I was completing my PGCE at the time. I have also left the classroom, and work as a private music teacher. It is now time for society to recognise and solutions to the problems which teachers' face, the abuse and lack of discipline which is evident in all but a very few schools. Incidentally, I hope that Mr Toole has now recovered his driving licence. This is the worst consequence of my condition.
Jonathan Jessop
I didn't entirely understand the teacher's objections on your programme
this evening. I realise there has been an extraordinary additional burden
imposed by ludicrous layers of testing and a centrally imposed curriculum.
And I can only too well understand the stress induced by pupil disturbances
of all kinds and levels. But writing reports, checking attendance, working
out scores and test/exam results (granted that the number of these has been
excessively increased) is something teachers have always done as part of
their teaching duties.
I taught for a number of years in the fifties and
sixties. That was in some ways a different world but some of today's
problems were already emerging. But I found the preparation and marking and
sheer reading in non-science subjects far more of a burden than the
administration. Dinner money and, in pre-Thatcher days, milk-money was
another matter. That sort of administration should never have been landed
on teachers.
I was not too happy about the teacher's dismissive delegation of
individual teacher's administrative burdens on to school administrators.
Many of these work part-time, are poorly paid (and in some authorities are
paid only for the hours they work - not for holidays or on an annual salary
basis as teachers are) and very much under-supported. There may be other
ways of sharing administrative burdens but not in this simplistic manner
within the education system as it exists at present.
David Handforth
Eddie Mair, you are one of my favorite presenters on Radio 4. Nevertheless, I cringed when you asked the teacher - who left his job, saying the paperwork kept him up to nearly midnight every night - "Isn't that part of the job?" The question and your tone suggested "this is the way it is supposed to be, why did you expect otherwise?" Shame on you, for you missed a good opportunity to support long overdue changes to this most honorable profession - changes that might bring a halt or at least a slowdown to the exodus of teachers from their jobs.
Several years ago I briefly considered a career change to the teaching profession. I was not willing to work every evening, as well as on weekends, after having put in a full day in the classroom each weekday, especially for the paltry pay packets then in effect. Why on earth would you or anyone else expect teachers to sacrifice their time and family life for a profession which is so under-appreciated.
Maybe I misunderstood your interview or somehow got your question out of context. I hope so because I expected you not only to be more sympathetic about this particular problem but also to see how it is so closely related to a whole host of other problems within this country's educational system. Tony Blair gives lip service to education, as do so many others. I expected more from you.
Billy Ivey
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