The letter argues that while airstrikes in Gaza have devastating impacts, the situation in the West Bank is different. It notes that unlike in Gaza, where Hamas locates military positions in civilian areas, leading to collateral deaths, there have been no airstrikes or bombardments in the West Bank for years. This is because rockets are not launched from the West Bank into Israel. The letter also argues that boycotts of West Bank settlements would hurt the thousands of Palestinians employed there and seeking to support their families. It claims the Palestinian Authority and Israel are working to build the West Bank economy, in contrast to Gaza.

1. Readers' Letters : THE IRISH TIMES
Sir
Brendan Archbold(letter of Wednesday 5th December) is quite
right to point out that airstrikes, artillery bombardments and
cluster bombs also have a devastating impact on the Palestinian
economy although he does undermine his argument somewhat
and show his true colours by wildly claiming that the Israeli
government 'authorizes the slaughter of Palestinian men, women
and children on an all too frequent basis'.
It doesn't. It authorizes strikes against military positions such as
rocket launch pads and munitions stores; and since many of
these are located - deliberately - in civilian and residential
areas, the collateral deaths of innocent men, women and
children is, unfortunately, virtually inevitable.
In the case of Gaza, Hamas knows this: which is why they locate
them there; which is why they refuse to let civilians leave areas
which the Israelis are about to or likely to attack; which is why
they don't build shelters for their civilian population (although the
leaders of Hamas have plenty of places to shelter). Indeed, they
proudly boast that they use their own people as human shields
because this allows them to participate in the war against Israel
and the Jews and guarantees them a place in heaven.
But by using the all-encompassing term 'Palestinians', Mr
Archbold fails to differentiate between the situation in Gaza and
that in the West Bank. Whether this is intentional or based on a
lack of awareness only he can tell us.
I cannot remember the last time there was an airstrike on or
artillery bombardment of any of the West Bank, and the reason
for this is quite simple: rockets and mortars are not being
launched into Israel from the West Bank on a daily basis so there
is no need for Israel to take military action to defend its citizens
from such attacks. Should he dispute this, perhaps Mr Archbold
could provide us with a list of airstrikes and bombardments on
the West Bank and the number of civilian casualties over, say,
the past 5 years.
And of course the 'settlements' whose produce he and the ICTU
and others say we should all boycott are all located in the West

2. Bank and provide employment for thousands of West Bank
Palestinians. So the boycotters all want to deprive many West
Bank Palestinians of their livelihood because Israel takes action to
try and protect its citizens from attack from Gaza. That just
doesn't make sense and seems incredibly unfair to those West
Bank Palestinians seeking to feed their families and build a future
for themselves.
The Palestinian Authority - with the help and cooperation of
Israel, despite disagreements over the ownership of the Disputed
Territories - are trying to build an economy in the West Bank,
and they are succeeding: compare the living standard of the
average West Bank Palestinian with that of any other Arab
country and you'll see just how well they doing. I think there are
two reasons for this: a relatively peaceful co-existence with Israel
despite the problems, and a PA Prime Minister (not President)
who prefers to spend international aid money on trying to create
a future for his people rather than on rockets.
The whole BDS campaign - promoted and supported by the
Jihadists who call for the destruction of Israel and death to all
Jews - is futile and ill-conceived. It will not have any effect on
Israel's policies: only open, free and frank negotiations can do
that. But if it is successful, it will harm the living standards and
future well-being of thousands of West Bank Arabs.
Is that what the BDSers want?