When the full horrors of the Holocaust and the Nazi treatment of millions of innocent Jews became clear after the end of the Second World War, there was a huge wave of sympathy around the world for the Jewish race. The setting up of the separate Jewish state of Israel in 1948 was supported by all free nations, particularly Britain and the US.

Over the years, however, that sympathy and support has steadily reduced and has now almost disappeared because of the way Israel has treated the Palestinian Arabs. Instead of instinctively understanding what it feels like to lose most of your traditional homeland, the new powerful state of Israel has, over the past 60 years, treated the Palestinians with contempt as if they were lesser human beings, expropriating more of their land, blockading them into two narrow areas and imposing its military will. When the Palestinians try to resist and defend themselves they are called terrorists - just as the founders of Israel themselves were before being given their own nation state.

As a result of its callous and bullying behaviour, Israel has now lost most of the sympathy and support of most decent people, as clearly shown by mass demonstrations of protest around the world. Only the US and British governments continue to give unqualified and uncritical support to the Israeli policy, and apparently see nothing wrong in the ruthless and disproportionate military action in Gaza. Politicians doing nothing but blaming Hamas and "calling for a ceasefire" are wasting their breath. International condemnation and action is now required.

Iain A D Mann, Kelvin Court, Glasgow.

Dr Lesley Morrison's sympathy for both sides of the conflict is commendable (Letters, January 6). One therefore expected her conflict resolution to be even-handed. Instead, she pushes for "pressure on Israel to cease its indiscriminate killing". Indiscriminate? It is surgical targeting of Hamas, the Islamists who are using their civilian population as human shields. The real cause of the conflict is the 8000 rockets fired at North and Eastern Negev. That is indiscriminate. Add to this Hamas's 16-year-old declared determination to wipe out Israel.

Bashir Maan's revisionism of Israeli history (Letters, January 6) precludes him from the reality. Jerusalem's negotiations with Egypt and Jordan resulted in these countries getting back territories and living in peace with the Jewish state. On the other hand, negotiations culminating in Israel pulling back from Gaza, leaving behind a wealth of economic infrastructure to build on, ended in Hamas's bloody overthrow of Fatah and use of Gaza as a terror base. Hamas's desire to wipe out Israel takes precedence over the need to create a Palestine.

A Soudry, Ayr Rd, Glasgow.

There is so, so much worthless hot air being blown by our EU leaders over the Gaza crisis. Diplomats chatter away, safely living in plush hotels in Jerusalem while Gaza is destroyed. Perhaps if they actually visited the area they would understand the problem. That, however, is like asking a worm to grow a spine.

John Scott Roy, Blenheim Court, Kilsyth.

Bashir Mann is talking nonsense when he accuses successive Israeli governments of not wanting peace. Israel has made peace with every country who genuinely wanted it. Who could forget the historic images of Sadat and Begin cementing peace between their two nations? Israel enjoys a warm relationship and close co-operation in business, science, medical and green projects with its partners in peace.

Gillian Rose, Castleton Drive, Glasgow.

It might be better for Mr Green to read the Jewish Paradox by Nahum Goldman, to whom Ben Gurion made his remark (Letters, January6). He will find the quotation in full and, of course, I am not a victim of a "nuance" of mistranslation. If so, then so, too, was Goldman, the author and proof reader, and Ben Gurion's fellow conversationalist.

There are other quotations from other Zionist leaders, all of them deeply offensive to the Palestinians, but they are too many to mention.

James A Findlay, Dundas St, Edinburgh.

The conflict in Palestine highlights a worrying aspect of the democratic process in America, Israel and the UK. The invasion of sovereign territories, most recently Iraq, Afghanistan and now Palestine again, with overwhelming force and massive civilian casualties is, I contend, initiated without the consent of the respective electorates.

The process usually starts with economic sanctions, followed by accusations of terrorism when a handful of militants eventually respond, and culminates in the loss of innocent life. It resolves nothing.

The US, formerly a shining example of how democracy should work, has allowed these principles to become corrupted by special-interest lobbies. We should join Europe as a full and ungrudging member (if they'll still have us), and Israel should offer to withdraw to its originally-agreed borders.

If every UN member state agreed to actively outlaw war as an international solution, then there is at least the possibility that America would come round to joining a more powerful and effective UN. No nation enjoys the prospect of being totally isolated.

R F Morrison, Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh.