Palestinians treated me far better as a woman than Israel ever did

When Desmond Fitzgerald (Letters, November 2) refers to “people like Zoe Lawlor”, who could he mean? Women, feminists, people interested in social justice, advocates for equality regardless of ethnicity?

Fitzgerald uses the phrase “we already know” repeatedly to express his opinions, not facts. He states there is not one area of Palestinian society that gives hope, this is not only untrue but must be based on zero contact with Palestinians .

I have met and work in solidarity with many strong Palestinian women. They too are leaders in the resistance to Israeli apartheid. Palestinian women are fully aware of their rights and equality, they don’t need to be lectured to by men in the “West”. When they are forced to give birth at checkpoints or any of the myriad punishments meted out to the occupied, the women of Palestine are fully cognisant of being oppressed - by Israel.