Israel’s right to exist

IN his column headlined ‘Can the Belfast peacemaker walk on water once more – in Jerusalem? (September 1), Steven King suggests that Hamas wants to turn Palestine into a Muslim state. I am not sure if that is the case.

However, Mr King goes on to state that “recognition of the legitimate right of the state of Israel to exist is unlikely ever to be fully accepted by the Palestinian side”. I don’t believe any Palestinian group denies the right of Israel to exist. However, they object strongly to the demand that Israel be recognised as a Jewish state. If any Palestinian organisation was willing to do that, it would have effectively ended any hopes of equality for Muslins and indeed Christians in Israel.

Jack Downey