Your views

Dear Sir,
I was very interested in Hugh Ash’s Sunday Comment on how Palestinians and the Arab world in general slanders Israel and Jews at every opportunity and have done for generations. Both are convenient scapegoats to take their people’s minds off the grinding poverty imposed on them by corrupt leaders.
 Having worked in the oil business throughout the Middle East for longer than I care to remember, I can testify to the accuracy of Mr Ash’s report and agree entirely with his proposition that the state-controlled media in most ME states spits out continuous anti-Semitic propaganda, deliberately inciting terrorism.
 The pity is too many opinion-formers of the Left persuasion in the West buy into this nonsense and deny the legality of a democrat country while supporting states whose religious ideology persecutes women, Christians, homosexuals and all non-believers.
 Like your excellent columnist I also think this hatred is a barrier to any peace between the Israel and if only the Palestinian faction which controls the West Bank. So if John Kerry manages to get even an interim agreement I think it will still take generations for Arabs to forget their hostility.
 I do not know Israel, only by reputation as an enterprising state and its knowledge has much to offer the ME’s many backward nations.
 But, as Mr Ash says, until more far-sighted and decent leaders get the opportunity take charge of the Arab world, the region will be in a perpetual state of turmoil, with hatred for Israel the only issue agreed on.
 Most of my Arab friends privately admit this and, should Mr. Kerry succeed in forging a peace, as individuals they would certainly have no problems accepting a Jewish state.
Yours sincerely,