Letter: Lebanon: blighted peace in Beirut; peril for Israel; drought in Galilee; double standards in the West

Sir: Water has always been a problem in Israel and since the 1970s rising population and the salination of the Sea of Galilee have led to an increasing need to acquire additional supplies, preferably from the Lebanon. Public opinion and events such as the assassination of Bashir Gemayel in 1982 prevented the installation of a Lebanese puppet government, which would have given Israel access to Lebanese water.

There is good reason to believe that the recent attack represents yet another attempt by Israel to ensure that any peace agreement with Syria and Lebanon would include provisions for access to the waters of the Litani river without significant concessions in return.

Charles Hughes

Felixstowe, Suffolk