Why is the West doing more to defend Israel than Ukraine? (Credits: EPA)
In yesterday’s MetroTalk, readers observed a double standard in how Israel is being supported by the West in their conflict with Iran.
Today, they wonder why western countries aren’t offering more defense to Ukraine. Could it be, they fear retaliation from Russia but not Iran?
Meanwhile, readers discuss JK Rowling’s stance on trans rights and harmful content on social media.
Share what you think about these topics and more in the comments.
Are double standards being applied by the West?
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Why is it that US, French and UK forces are used to intercept missiles going into Israel from Iran yet Ukraine has to defend itself against constant Russian missile attacks without any direct assistance?
Israel is well defended by its Iron Dome system, while Ukraine has to make do with a few Patriot and other missile systems, for which supplies are running out.
Are double standards being applied by the West, which is terrified of Russia but not Iran, or is Israel just a higher priority in its eyes? Doddie, Hemel Hempstead
We keep hearing the mantra ‘Israel has the right to exist and the right to defend itself.’ Well, so has Ukraine! So how about the allies rush to help Ukraine, like they did with Israel? Steve, Harrow
According to Michael (MetroTalk, Tue), me saying ‘if the only way for Israel to survive is the ability to kill thousands of civilians… then frankly it shouldn’t’ was ‘tantamount to a denial of Israel’s right to exist’.
For someone who supports Israel to say it is impossible for it to exist without killing thousands of civilians, is a more effective argument against Israel’s actions than I could ever make.
Michael then compared Israel’s attacks in Gaza with Britain bombing Germany during World War II.
This ignores the existence of the Geneva Conventions, established shortly after World War II, with the goal of limiting civilian casualties. Elliott, Banstead
What is JK Rowling doing?
A reader says JK Rowling is obsessed with defending women’s rights (Credits: REX/Shutterstock)
Al (MetroTalk, Mon) either does not understand what JK Rowling is doing or failed to articulate their point.
The Harry Potter author is not ‘obsessed about trans people’s rights’, she is obsessed with defending women’s rights, which are being trampled over by the likes of LGBTQ+ groups Stonewall and Mermaids. Chris, East London
People ought to be free to live their lives how they choose but only insofar as that doesn’t harm anyone else.
Trans rights must not be allowed to impinge upon the hard-won rights of women. As it stands, an awful lot of what appears to be campaigning for equal rights starts – on closer analysis – to look like campaigning for unfair advantage and unwanted intrusion into female-only spaces. Julian Self, Wolverton
I would suggest Ian (MetroTalk, Mon) – who commends JK Rowling for her stance on the trans issue – has a read of Martin Niemoller’s famous confession/prose, ‘First they came…’
The anti-trans (and anti-abortion) movement is heavily fuelled by the US Christian right, who oppose anything but heterosexual married couples.
Trans people may be the current target but I’d warn Ian that his basic rights as an ‘ordinary homosexual’ – as he puts it – are in their sights. Lewis Gibson, Birmingham
Do we need better social media moderation?
Reading about how little social media has made changes, more than six years after the tragic death of 14-year-old Molly Russell – who took her own life after being exposed to online content about suicide and self-harming – I can’t say I’m surprised.
Even now, despite how much those in charge of social media love to claim they are ‘serious’ about dealing with harmful content, the average user’s experience will vary wildly from the imagined version of these sites the owners pretend we’re getting.
You don’t have to go far to find people leaving racist, sexist content. However, if you report it, nine times out of ten you’ll be told they couldn’t find anything that goes against their guidelines, even if you go to said guidelines and point out the exact part that shows they are. Matthew, Birmingham
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MORE : Molly Russell’s dad says social media firms ‘still pushing out harmful content’