Attacking the International Shalom Festival will not bring peace

GARY Spedding’s attack on the International Shalom Festival was as intemperate as it was inaccurate (Letters, August 26).

While he seems, grudgingly, to accept that we received no money or support from the State of Israel, he falls back on the absurd charge that one of the many groups that supported the festival had been linked to the Government of Israel.

The fact remains, the Shalom Festival was a privately organised pro-peace event. Furthermore, while the combined efforts of anti-Israel activists over many years have filled countless column inches, they have neither saved a single life nor opened a single door to the dialogue and peaceful co-existence for which we yearn. Sadly, far from bringing people together, their shrill screams keep people apart.

Incidentally, there were Palestinian performers at this year’s festival. We welcomed their presence and hope that they will return next year. Last month members of the Glasgow Friends of Israel group attended a concert in Glasgow City Chambers by the Palestinian Youth Orchestra. The GFI members welcomed the young musicians to Scotland and hope that they too will return.

Although Human Rights Watch reports he Palestinian Authority arrests students and activists because they express criticism, and Hamas security forces engage in torture and ill-treatment of Palestinians, the egregious human rights record of their homeland does not compel us to demonise either Palestinian musicians in Glasgow or performers in Edinburgh. Quite the reverse: we hold out our hand to them with the promise that we will not make the arts a battlefield, but a space where we can celebrate our common humanity in peace and with mutual respect. Nigel Goodrich, Chief executive, International Shalom Festival, 58 Drumlanrig Street, Thornhill. GARY Spedding’s long tirade against the Shalom Festival is another example of intolerance shown by antiIsrael activists who refuse to accept the truth about the Israel–Palestine conflict.

It’s easy for such individuals to throw stones at efforts being made to encourage peace in the region but the real question is, what are the demonstrations and these demonstrators doing to actually help the Palestinian cause?

Free speech and the rights to demonstrate allowed Israel haters to stand at the entrance to the festival venue and criticise the State of Israel.

The demonstrators were also able to shout abuse and vile accusations at the people who were entering the building to attend the event, causing them to be frightened and distressed. But it was good to see that this “welcoming committee” had absolutely no effect on the patrons or the success of the festival.

The Confederation of Friends of Israel (Cofis) is the umbrella organisation for all the Friends of Israel groups in Scotland.

As the chairman of the Glasgow group, I can state that all of the Friends of Israel groups advocate for Peace for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

During the recent visit of the Palestinian Youth Orchestra to Scotland, members of GFI attended the reception for the PYO in Glasgow City Chambers and welcomed the young musicians to our city.

Contrast that with the aggressive and hateful welcome Israeli musicians received as they arrived at the Shalom Festival.

It’s a sad day for Scotland when both visitors and citizens are harassed as they go about their lawful activities in our capital city. Sammy Stein, Chairman, Glasgow Friends of Israel, 270 Nithsdale Road, Glasgow.