AS far as Joyce Pickard and Andrew Collingwood are concerned, there is only one victim and one villain in the tragic Israel/Palestinian dispute (Letters, July 15 and 20).

There are Palestinian rights but no Palestinian responsibilities. There are Israeli responsibilities but no Israeli rights.

The security fence was built as a response to Palestinan terror which has resulted in the death of almost 1,000 Israelis since this latest campaign was launched. There is no doubt that innocent Palestinans are suffering because of the security fence. Israel's Supreme Court recognises this and is calling on the Israeli government to reroute the fence, where possible.

However, Israel now again stands in the world dock thanks to draft resolutions introduced by the bastions of democracy in the Arab world and their friends in the non-aligned movement of developing countries which have their own reasons for currying favour with the Arab world.

Could Israel ever hope for a fair hearing in such an environment where her very real security concerns are addressed?

David Lyon,

Kingfisher Close,

Huntington, York.

...DEREK M Martin is mistaken if he thinks Israel's apartheid wall is about defence (Letters, July 26). It is an illegal land grab as was recently decided in a 15-to-one decision by the International Court of Justice, the highest court of the United Nations.

For years Israel has denied that the West Bank and Gaza are occupied. The court reviewed the arguments of both sides over five months of deliberation and reached a firm conclusion: the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip are occupied territory. All Israeli settlements there are illegal and must be removed.

As occupied people, the Palestinians are protected by the Geneva Convention and the full range of human rights instruments, and they have a right of self determination that Israel must act upon. Moreover all states have a legal obligation to see that Israel now acts in accordance with international law.

We now either have to accept that Israel must conform to the law by allowing Palestinian self determination and removing the wall, or we have to reject the entire framework of international law and the United Nations.

The Sharon government has chosen the latter course.

Terry Gallogly,

Chair, York Palestine Solidarity Campaign,

Lowther Court, York.

Updated: 10:00 Thursday, July 29, 2004