TYPICAL of those who refuse to acknowledge Israel's crimes against the Palestinians, vividly described by Stuart Hill (Echo, June 7), Mrs P Springer (HAS, June 12) makes unfounded accusations of anti- Semitism.

She says "the land of Israel belongs to the Jews". That is a moot point - as a Jewish state, Israel presents the same problems for non- Jews as an Islamic state does for non-Muslims.

Arabs living in Israel are very much second-class citizens. From an Arab perspective, it is an illegitimate state built on stolen land. Nevertheless, all Arab governments, including Hamas, have accepted its de facto existence within the pre-1967 borders, and have offered peace if Israel ends the occupation of Palestinian land, withdraws its illegal settlements, and gives up the land it has stolen since 1967. This would leave Israel with 78 per cent of historic Palestine, but Israel refuses.

The fighting between rival factions in Gaza is inexcusable, and a tragedy for a population brutalised by decades of violent repression, but it could have been avoided if the international community had respected the democratic will of the people, and facilitated negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli government, instead of imposing cruel sanctions.

Pete Winstanley, Durham.