It takes two to tango

PAUL Hayes’ portrayal of the Middle East situation (Irish Examiner letters, March 29) is very selective. When he writes about UN resolutions he forgets to mention that all those relating to the situation in Israel are dependent on both sides agreeing to keep their side of the bargain.

He neglects to mention that in September 2000, Yasser Arafat turned away from the most amenable Israeli government he is ever likely to have to negotiate with and gave his approval to a campaign of violence the result of which has been disaster for his people. Have we forgotten how far the Palestinian Authority was developing towards the first ever Arab state in the history of Palestine?

While it is now fashionable in these islands to be anti-American and to criticise Bush, have we forgotten the many years of effort by President Clinton to secure a peace settlement which the Palestinian Authority, led by Arafat, rejected out of hand.