OPINION

Anti-Israel bleating

Re: "Israel committing crime of apartheid," (BP, April 28).

This predictable report matters to anti-Semitic, left-wing and radical Islamic NGOs and the media. To honest people, who are used to the incessant bleating of these activists, it's just blah, blah, blah.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) hired an Arab, Omar Shakir, to skewer Israel with libels such as declaring it an "apartheid state".

Israel, in reality is the least apartheid state in the Middle East and North Africa. It is the only state where minorities, women and gays are free to pursue their dreams. Israeli Arabs are equally represented in academia and slightly over-represented in medical fields. They have members and parties in parliament. An Arab is a Supreme Court justice and another runs Israel's largest bank. Does this sound like discrimination?

If HRW is unhappy with the lives of those living under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, maybe they should get Omar Shakir to write another report, but then again, Palestinian on Palestinian misdeeds would hardly make news.

Re: "Israel committing crime of apartheid," (BP, April 28).

Not surprisingly Israel responded to Human Rights Watch's (HRW) report about Israel's apartheid, racist policies by claiming that HRW is based against them. But why? HRW has also in the past frequently condemned human rights abuses in Muslim countries as well. Meanwhile, B'Tselem which has long condemned Israeli persecution of the Palestinians is an Israeli Jewish organisation. As a Jew myself I want to know how much longer are we going to allow Israel to play "the Jewish card" in order to get away with their atrocities.

Private hospitals have been complaining that despite the prime minister publicly supporting their acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines the government has made that task impossible. The usual red tape and lack of communication with government officials have effectively blocked all attempts by private hospitals to secure the much-needed vaccines for both Thai and foreign patients.

The situation is now dire and whoever is blocking private hospitals from simply ordering medicine through their established channels is either negligent or incompetent, or both. Thailand has been touted in the past as a tourism medical hub. How can this be if private hospitals are prevented from ordering Covid-19 vaccine? I suggest a criminal investigation be launched as soon as possible to find out who is responsible for blocking life-saving vaccines from private patients.

Re: "Asean in Myanmar crisis driver's seat," (Opinion, April 27).

Yes, of course, Asean is the driver's seat of its luxury policy van with flat tyres. What influence does it have when the Myanmar junta leader is also sitting in the front seat with his gun?

After returning to Myanmar, the general should have made a good-faith gesture by ordering the release of elected officials. Instead, the trial of the main leader Aung San Suu Kyi was postponed to a later date. Other elected officials are still in prison and there is increasing agitation inside the country and along the border with Thailand.

Mr Kavi should know that those who rule by the gun have no regard for diplomacy. Thomas Schelling, the American scholar put it rightly: "Military strategy has become the diplomacy of violence".