YOUR LETTERS

Official translations of Mr. Ahmadinejad's statement, including a description of it on his website, refer to wiping Israel away. His other option was to call for the Jewish state to be relocated to Europe, and the official Iranian news agency reported the following quote from Ahmadinajad referring to Israel's 60th birthday, “Today the reason for the Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation”.

So even if Ray Fleming is correct in his questioning of whether the actual words “wiped off the map” were used, there can be no doubt about Iran's president's attitude regarding the existence of Israel.

And does he seriously believe that Iran does not have any nuclear weapons programme when he criticises Gordon Brown for referring to it.
As for his claim that the UK Prime Minister's speech was so “pro Palestinian” and that Brown had called for the Palestinians to do more to ensure that Israel can live in peace, why did he completely ignore his demand that Israel must be prepared to compromise for peace, something which in fact they have already clearly demonstrated they are willing to do.

The phrase that so clearly reflects Ray Fleming's anti-Israel stance was his comment that the Palestinians are “displaced, hemmed in and strangled by their neighbour”.

Anyone familiar with a map of the Middle East will know that Israel is a tiny sliver of land, the size of Wales, hemmed in on all sides by either hostile or at best unfriendly Arab neighbours. If anyone is hemmed in it is Israel itself, and under actual threat from Hamas in the south and Hizbollah in the north.

For years the Israelis have tried to make peace with the Palestinians, constantly being rejected. Successive Palestinian leaders have denied their people an opportunity of a better quality of life and have misappropriated international money that should have benefited the people.

Ray Fleming does nothing to help the Palestinian cause by being so blatantly biased that he cannot be taken seriously.
Joy Wolfe
Cheadle, UK

Dear Sir,
I totally agree with Monro Bryce's sentiments. For eight years I, as a Thomson guide, accompanied guests to the Real Mallorca games and without exception their comments would be about the lack of atmosphere at the ONO stadium. From the Son Alta seating it is impossible to recognise the players or indeed read the names on the shirts.

The souvenir shop is a disgrace; for a team in La Liga the range of merchandise is sadly lacking. The Thomson guests wished to spend money on souvenirs, but struggled to find anything worth buying. It is also time to produce a match programme of the quality seen in the English Premier League...the fans will be willing to spend their money if they receive something worthwhile in return.

“Visca Mallorca”
Simon Peters, Capdella