IN even the grimmest of situations there can be humour, and I found it today in the letter (November 1) from Tim Cox . He writes: “Israel… is developing mature coexistence with her more serious neighbours.” Really? By committing genocide on their doorsteps and insisting that might is right?

Israel’s near neighbours have condemned its barbarity and hopes of a rapprochement with Saudi Arabia have long gone. Israel will have to live with the consequences of the Netanyahu government’s terrorism, and one of those is hostility from nations the world over. Her supporters are few, with only the US and UK dependable allies among the major powers.

Of course the US itself has form on barbarity in relatively recent times. I’m old enough to remember their carpet bombing of Cambodia, which killed an estimated 600,000 civilians and set that country up for the nightmare that was the Khmer Rouge. At least Harold Wilson had the sense to tell the Americans the UK wasn’t going to get involved in Vietnam; it’s a pity the current occupant of No 10 is content to turn us back to being America’s poodle.

Doug Maughan, Dunblane.

Innocents are being murdered

IN response to Tim Cox’s robust response to my letter of October 31 on David Lammy I can only wonder why he ignored my main point, which was the effect that the pressure groups in Westminster, the Friends of Israel and the existence of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) in Washington are having on the “war” in the Middle East.

As regards what life is like in Iran I wonder has he actually spent any time there or does he use the mainstream media to keep his finger on the pulse of the situation there as well as here in the UK?

He states “negligence left their country open to attack [on October 7]" when we know that Israel had forewarning of the event three days beforehand yet let it happen. As regards “fighting to survive... since 1948” I assume he recalls that the State of Israel was created by violence and it has used violence to expand its borders ever since. Present members of the Knesset are on record citing plans they have to expand their borders further. Bearing in mind the genocide taking place in Gaza, how Mr Cox can state “they do not stalk and kill innocent people” defies comprehension. Are all the people they are murdering in neighbouring Lebanon terrorists?

Does he remember when we and the USA invaded Iraq and half a million civilians were killed? That happened next door to Iran. Bearing that in mind, if Mr Cox was Iranian and saw what is happening in Palestine and Lebanon in a one-sided contest principally funded by the USA I wonder how he would feel.

David J Crawford, Glasgow.

• IF by stating "Israel... is developing mature coexistence with her more mature neighbours" he means the brutal mass murder of children, Tim Cox is right.

Kevin Orr, Bishopbriggs.

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Taxing education is ominous sign

AFTER a Conservative and Unionist administration that imposed a high tax burden partly to fund a variety of socialist policies, it is little surprise, though still disappointing, that the current Labour Government offers even more of the same.

Its first Budget spoke to a mindset that is greedy, cynical and ridden by old school class envy.

To take but one example, what good will come of imposing value added tax on private school fees? The burdens on an already-stretched state sector will be increased, along with costs. Hard-working parents who already pay tax through the nose will need to pay yet more, for no benefit. Some private schools will inevitably close, reducing the breadth of educational choice in certain areas.

On top of that, the Labour Government sets a precedent of taxing education. That bodes ill for everyone from the fresh undergraduate to a manual labourer trying to better himself through the laudable work of a local WEA branch.

Christopher Ruane, Lanark.

The pot and the kettle

I WATCHED with interest First Minister's Questions yesterday ("FM ‘is open to talks’ over free school meals ahead of Budget", The Herald, November 1). Russell Findlay had the audacity to slam Labour's Budget despite the economic shambles his Conservative government left the country in. He called for the Scottish Government to reduce taxes in north of the Border, while demanding more is spent on our public services. Where is the money coming, from, Mr Findlay, if Scotland reduces taxation? Scotland rightly has a progressive taxation system, asking those who earn more to pay more.

Anas Sarwar unsurprisingly defended the UK Labour Government, thus endorsing slashing the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners, and as John Swinney pointed out, backing the two-child cap on benefits which keeps children in poverty.

Catriona C Clark, Falkirk.

Swinney should sit on fence

JOHN Swinney just can't see he is meant to be First Minister for all of Scotland, not just pushing the SNP line.

In a moment of political ineptness he has backed Kamala Harris for President of the United States ("Swinney endorses Harris for president", The Herald, November 1). If she wins he might, just, get noticed, but if she loses he definitely will get noticed and it certainly will not be in a positive way.

Scottish politicians are not equipped for the world stage. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Whatever happened to sitting on the fence? Mr Swinney used to be quite good at that.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.

SNP the means to an end

I AGREE with Alexander McKay’s letter (November 1) on Kemi Badenoch’s statement. Scotland is indeed not the SNP, nor is the SNP independence. In fact, for at least 50% of Scots, the SNP is simply the main vehicle for achieving the goal of running all our own affairs like every other ex-Empire colony, of whatever size, which is successfully independent.

P Davidson, Falkirk.


Is imposing VAT on private school fees born out of the politics of envy? (Image: Newsquest)

The language of abortion

I AM grateful for Kristin Hay's Agenda piece ("Time to move on Women’s Health Plan", The Herald, October 30) drawing attention to the imminent expiry of the Scottish Government's Women's Health Plan 2021. At the same time, I am less grateful for her piece focusing largely on the thorny matter of abortion services in the way it did.

Perhaps unwittingly, her choice of language almost perfectly illustrates the dehumanising narrative favoured by those who champion the cause of "abortion on demand": by which I mean her choice of disingenuous phrases such as the desire for an abortion being a woman's "reproductive right" or that women should have "reproductive autonomy", as though these somehow exist in isolation. Or that provision of an abortion might be described as "healthcare".

By accident or design, such language misleads the reader by disguising or ignoring an inconvenient truth. Namely, that there are three human lives involved in any pregnancy; one of whom (as likely as not to be a newly created female) might be killed by the exercise of the "reproductive right" of their very own mother.

Only a fool would pretend that the debate around the provision of abortion services is a straightforward one. But it is plainly not the truth to paint the matter as one of import only to the would-be mother. For at least one of the human lives involved, an abortion is clearly not simply a matter of healthcare, but one of life or death.

Jim Kearns, Paisley.

Worse still is yet to come

“FLOOD of the century” is the headline for the dreadful inundation in parts of Spain. Sadly I think this is grossly misleading and many other serious storms await as more heat and energy accumulates in the global weather system.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

• PICTURES of piles of cars in Spanish streets clearly provide another story: Capitalismo v Natureleza.

Thom Cross, Carluke.

Why make Musk richer?

WITH the increasingly deranged public pronouncements of Elon Musk, you have to ask yourself why people continue to enrich him by buying his Tesla cars in the mistaken belief that they are actually green.

Teslas may be zero emissions at the tailpipe but they are certainly not green through the supply chain process. Sadly the rich gullible have bought into his green dream without consideration to either the facts or his distinctive extreme political views.

Time for a rethink.

Ian McNair, Cellardyke, Fife.

Reasons to be cheerful

NEIL Mackay ("It’s starting to feel like humanity is one giant suicide cult. I don’t have solutions. All I see is the problem", The Herald, October 31) paints a pretty apocalyptic picture of the world and it is difficult to disagree with him, particularly when television news and the media in general present us with scenes of carnage and destruction on a daily basis. This combined with reports of depraved and senseless acts of violence committed by individuals or sects paint a very bleak picture indeed.

It is increasingly difficult to find reasons to be cheerful, but sometimes very small things can go a little way to restore belief in human kindness.

For example, while walking “the Dug” recently it was blowing a hoolie and the rain was horizontal as we approached the gate to the Old Racecourse in Ayr. On entering and following the usual routine I bent down to let her off the lead when a particularly strong gust wheeched my treasured Peaky Blinders bunnet off my head and in into the heart of darkness. It was a present from the family and I had just got it broken in so I was distraught.

I ambled after it but to no avail and received little help from the Dug (… call yourself a retriever?).

Returning to the scene the next morning with Dug and daughter we approached the gate and lo and behold my cap was hanging from the gate post with hardly a mark on it. I was delighted and shared hugs and high fives with daughter and was set up for the day.

Obviously, some kind soul had spotted the cap and left it for return to owner. If the finder is amongst Herald readers many thanks and there is a glass of dry sherry on the bar of the Abbotsford with his or her or their name on it.

Keith Swinley, Ayr.