YOUR LETTERS

I would like to congratulate Mr McGaughey on his reply (July 4th) to Mr David Lee's recent letter. I was tempted to reply to Mr Lee myself but Mr McGaughey did it far more elegantly and accurately than I ever could have hoped, plus I knew I would have to endure Mr Lee's predictable personal assault in his inevitable reply. When I see Mr Lee's name in my local paper I sigh audibly as I know it will be a one-sided, hate filled vent of Zionist rhetoric in defense of a state who, far from being the only democracy in the Middle East, is in fact a state born of terrorist acts and actively sponsors state terrorism to this very day, I refer Mr Lee to Gaza, possibly the biggest open prison in the world.

It seems to speak out against Israel at all is to be labeled an anti Semitic yet I think it is a risk worth taking in this case.
Yours sincerely

Steve Humphries, Magalluf

Dear Sir,

Again the British public shows its stupidity in opposing identity cards (irrationally opposed in the words of Ray Fleming Viewpoint Thursday 2 July). He also finds them lacking in appreciation of the new EEC constitution. In this they are equally short sighted like all the countries that have been allowed to vote on the issue - France, Holland and Ireland. Sensibly most European Governments have decided not to let their populations give their opinion and have approved the EEC line. France and Holland have overruled the popular vote and gone ahead anyway. Ireland could not due its idiotic constitution obliging it (irrationally?) to take account of voters preference. This is a small hurdle as they will represent the referendum again and again until, eventually, they vote correctly.

Ray Fleming believes the ID card is opposed due toI would add its ineffectiveness in

Identifying illegal immigrants – Spain has hundreds of thousands despite ID cards

Identifying terrorists – both the attackers of the twin towers and London tube had all necessary papers in order

Cost

Loss of privacy.

Proof of identity – I continue to use my out of date ID card here without anyone noticing plus in the UK and the Internet I purchase without card and without problem.

I have no trouble with a loss of privacy but the card was sold on the false merits above which I dispute.

Mike Lillico