WHILE no one can deny the tragedy of a lost innocent human life, there can be no greater act of hypocrisy and cynicism when one life is treated as though of greater value than another.

Last Thursday, the Government paid tribute to those who were killed in the attack on a Tel Aviv bar and a Foreign Ministry official laid a wreath in their memory.

However, the same official failed to even acknowledge the 12 Palestinian civilians - among whom was a girl of two - killed a few hours earlier after Israeli forces launched a missile attack on Gaza.

The British people are also yet to hear a word of condemnation or an expression of outrage regarding the killing of a British journalist on Monday in Rafah, who was filming another illegal Israeli incursion in the refugee camp.

The "road-map to peace" is nothing but another miserably failed attempt to rid the world of the headache that is the Palestinian people's internationally recognised rights, and will achieve nothing but further misery, bloodshed and injustice.

Treating Israel as though it is a country and a nation above international law is obscene.

Considering an Israeli life as far more precious and valuable than a Palestinian is inhumane and immoral.

Failing to recognise that Israel continues to contravene the most basic of UN resolutions, international law and human rights norms and stipulations, is cynical, hypocritical and indecent.

AHMED RAZA,

Worcester.