Inaccuracies in Kevin's diatribe
Kevin Myers believes it's "clear enough" that "if you oppose the right of Israel to exist . . . you want the Jews of Israel either dispersed or killed" (Irish Independent, August 20).
This mischievous formulation deliberately ignores the actual aims of those who support Palestinian rights: the attainment of a situation whereby Israeli Jews and Palestinians -- be they Muslim, Christian, or indeed Jewish -- can live side by side in peace and justice.
However, those expecting rational and factually-based arguments from Mr Myers should ponder the inaccuracies in his diatribe against the Irish artists who have signed a pledge to boycott Israel.
First of all, they number 164, not 150. Secondly, they are not just "daubers", but novelists, poets, playwrights, actors, sculptors, composers and performing musicians from every genre.
The fact that they "don't condemn the totalitarian Islamo-Nazism of Hamas, or the emerging Fourth Reich of Iran" is because these phenomena are figments of Mr Myers' overheated and Islamophobic imagination.
Finally, it grieves me to inform Mr Myers that my role as Cultural Boycott Officer of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) leaves me with plenty of time to write large quantities of my "music".
I must also disabuse him of his misapprehension that I am "leader" of the IPSC, a role I relinquished five years ago. However, Mr Myers has clearly gleaned this piece of misinformation from a recent article in the Israeli newspaper 'Ha'aretz'.
Perhaps he would do better to look beyond Israel for his sources.
Raymond Deane
Ireland Palestine
Solidarity Campaign,
Dublin 2
Irish Independent
