Ghetto talk provocative

Published: 24 September, 2010

• TOM Gooding makes an exaggerated  and provocative analogy between Gaza today and the Nazi ghettos (From Blitz to Gaza. September 10). Life in Gaza, despite all the hardships and blockade, is in no way comparable to, for example, the Warsaw Ghetto.  

If the children of Gaza can draw parallels between their recent experiences and the bombings of Guernica, then Israelis and  the UK Jewish community (many of Mr Gooding’s generation) will almost certainly draw point to the virulent anti-semitism espoused in Gaza schools, broadcasts and religious sermons, all sanctioned and encouraged by Hamas and conveniently ignored by Mr Gooding.

If we are to support and encourage Israelis and Palestinians to find a new modus vivendi with more trust, respect and recognition of each other’s pain and history, the analogies and language used in our discourse, especially by casual observers like Mr Gooding, needs to be expressed in ways that do not provoke, tease and hurt. 
Claude Coopersmith
Gerrard Road, N1