With the tragic madness of the Russian invasion and continuing war in Ukraine, the present Middle East war sadly compounds mankind’s insensitivity, having learned little in millennia on beautiful planet Earth.

Isreal’s war on Hamas has become a blatant aggression on Palestinian civilians that threatens to engulf the entire region. In never forgetting the horrendous Hamas war crimes, it is now the Israeli military that is committing further war crimes by continuing to besiege Gaza, cutting off power, food and water, medicine and fuel.

Cutting through the fanatical minority on both sides, the only obvious solution for the majority is to work towards the establishment of a free and independent Palestinian state, which recognises the reality of the state of Isreal. Only then will peace and respect prevail and age-old hatreds cease between two ancient Arab peoples.

Palestinians salvage their belonging after an Israeli strike in Rafah yesterday. (Picture: AP Photo/Hatem Ali)

Grant Frazer, Newtonmore, Highland

Reserved matter

Why is Holyrood wasting its time and our money discussing the horrific conflict in the Middle East (Scotsman, 22 November)?

As per the Scotland Act, all international matters are strictly reserved to Westminster. We elect MPs to speak and act on our behalf on such matters. We elect MSPs to manage such vitally important domestic issues as education, the NHS, roads, and public transport.

Many MSPs hold strong opinions on what's going on in Israel and Gaza, but they must not use Holyrood, with its wholly domestic remit, to air their views on the conflict.

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Scottish Borders

Iron Duke

In recent years British history in general and the British Empire in particular have come in for relentless criticism. However, it should be noted that the behaviour of British soldiers serving under the Duke of Wellington more than 200 years ago was usually considerably better than that of among others Russian soldiers and Hamas terrorists today.

Wellington was a strict disciplinarian who court-martialed and executed murders, rapists and looters in the ranks. By contrast, for the Russian army terror is a tool, and for Hamas it is an end in itself.

Otto Inglis, Crossgates, Fife

Ageing population

How can Amanda Croft (interim chief exec NHS Forth Valley) and other health leaders be surprised by the number of older people, of which I am one, now apparently thoughtlessly expecting the NHS to take care of them (Scotsman, 21 November)? Having paid in since the age of 16 I feel I should be able to access what I need.

The ageing population have not appeared out of nowhere, we have been in full sight, they should have seen us coming and been planning long term for our health needs.

On our way we have been encouraged to stop smoking, improve our diets, take exercise as well as being jagged and screened regularly to prevent us developing serious conditions. No wonder we are living longer and needing care, it’s not our fault.

Rather than moaning about us they should be providing what we need.

Mary Douglas, Galashiels, Scottish Borders

Stopes plaque

Given the disturbing rise in incidents of Islamophobia and antisemitism in Britain it is surely unacceptable for a plaque to be fixed to a building in Edinburgh New Town celebrating the eugenicist Marie Stopes as a “Woman of Achievement”. An unqualified admirer of National Socialism, Stopes sent her poetry book Love Songs for Young Lovers to Adolf Hitler and disowned her son for falling in love with a girl who was short-sighted. Her promotion of birth control had rather more to do with class-based social engineering than with the reproductive rights of women.

There are many far more appropriate candidates deserving of such an accolade, such as Britain’s first registered female architect, Edith Burnett Hughes, who was born in Circus Place, Stockbridge, or Mary Hill Burton, the Suffragette and educationalist who persuaded the Watt Institution to admit women students on equal terms to men in 1869, and became the first woman governor of Heriot-Watt College.

The words “social reformer” have already been erased from the Stopes plaque. The next step should be its complete removal as soon as possible.

David Black, Edinburgh

Customer service

Why do so many organisations, when called, insist on spending valuable time telling us in recorded messages what we can do with their app, or their online services? When oh when will they realise that the vast majority of us know we can use online services and are calling because we have not been able to do what we wish with their online service or their app?

I had an issue with RBS yesterday. I called and was yet again told how I can use the app, or chatbot (which is also worse than useless); I was placed in a queue and told the expected wait time was 100 minutes. Almost two hours before I could speak to a customer banking representative.

Customer service is becoming an oxymoron at far too many companies. It’s time the executives in these organisations tried their own service to see just how poor it is. Then we might see change. Until then, please don’t hold your breath – or if you do, not for as long as the call wait times!

Brian Barbour, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Brexit vote

E Campbell (Letters, 21 November) states “the Tory Bill of 2019 to remain within the EU Customs Union was not a chance for Scotland to remain in the EU on the same terms as Norway”.

However, if the 35 SNP politicians at Westminster had supported the Bill, then, instead of the legislation falling by only six votes, surely the democratic rules at Westminster would have ensured the legislation would have become part of UK law. That means Scotland retaining membership of the EU Customs Union, ensuring no Scottish goods facing customs hurdles at Cairn Ryan, Calais, Dover or Larne. Nicola Sturgeon MSP is an honours graduate in law (Glasgow University) so perhaps she could adjudicate as to which claim is correct!

Note also that the letter does not address whether Norway, as a member of the EU Single Market, would have had any advantage over a Scotland retaining membership of the EU Customs Union. Perhaps the SNP Finance Secretary could provide an answer to such a conundrum and explain why, in 2019, the SNP did not listen to the people of Scotland and accept that half a loaf would have been better than no bread.

Ian Moir, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

Northern exposure

The Hinge and Bracket of British Nationalism are at it again!

Jill Stephenson wants to close Holyrood down (Letters, 22 November), something she shares with us several times a week, but this time it’s about the beleagured Michael Matheson and his roaming charges. I have never seen her utter a peep about the gargantuan misuse of funds, either on failed and cancelled projects, or on personal expenses and profiteering by the members of the Commons or Lords.

Alexander McKay thinks MSPs should not have bothered making their views on the nine-week bloodbath in Palestine known and says their desire to do so is a laughable matter; but his real point is in his reference to a “devolved assembly in the northern sector of the UK” (Letters, 22 November) Has he no pride in his heritage, his community or his history? Is there nothing he loves about his culture or anything that makes “the northern sector of the UK” something special?

How very, very sad, even tragic. My grandparents didn’t say their parents came from “the northern sector of the UK”. They believed that their Scottishness was one of the most important things about them and that it showed in their approach to family, work and worship. I cannot understand the unfathomable devotion Mr McKay and Ms Stephenson have to an artificial construct which will not last beyond our lifetimes.

I have every confidence that Ireland will be reunited and that Scotland and Wales – which have endured for centuries – will find freedom.

Marjorie Ellis Thompson, Edinburgh

New territory

The SNP apparatchiks have entered new territory for them and they just don’t know how to deal with it. Never before have SNP politicians been “hounded” by the media wanting answers.

Nicola Sturgeon, when her house was searched, managed to go to ground until it suited her to make an appearance. Michael Matheson doesn’t have that luxury. He would like us to believe that he is fully focused on his brief, the minor matter of the nation’s health service.

When you become the story, when you are not able to do your job any more because of some other matter, it is time to go. The SNP PR machine have for so long been able to call the shots. The Scottish media seem to have woken up and are holding them to account.

Humza Yousaf is a weak leader who seems incapable of reading the room and realising that Matheson’s resignation/sacking is inevitable. The longer it goes on, the more it will show that Yousaf is not leadership material.

Jane Lax, Aberlour, Moray

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Readers' letters: Two-state solution remains the only hope for peace

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