Why should Israel’s neighbours be forced to take in Palestinian refugees?

Donald Trump’s proposal to “lift and shift” up to one and a half million traumatised and dispossessed men, women and children from the ruins of Gaza and onto the shoulders of already refugee-saturated neighbouring Arab states must surely be called out by the international community ("Trump’s proposal to clean out Gaza is a ‘frightening trick’, locals warn", Monday 27 January).

The idea is banal in its callousness.

To suggest it at the very same time the world is reminded of the appalling atrocities committed during the Holocaust has even shocked members inside his own Republican Party.

Not only do Trump’s ill-thought-out ideas play into the hands of far-right elements within Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet – who wish to see the entire Gaza and Palestinian population removed from Israel – but it drives a coach and horse through the two-state solution that his predecessors have sought to achieve since the 1970s.

Paul Dolan

Northwich, Cheshire

It’s interesting – and extremely disturbing – that Trump sees Gaza as not so much a humanitarian disaster, but as a development opportunity.

Antony Robson

Westbury, Wiltshire

The world is right to be horrified when Donald Trump proposes the ethnic cleansing of Gaza (“Trump’s suggestion to ‘clean out’ Gaza is extreme and dangerous”, Sunday 26 January).

But he has already shown contempt for US law by pardoning criminals who attempted an insurrection after he lost the previous election.

No doubt, the final act of his current four-year term will be to ensure he is elected for life.

Andrew McLauchlin

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

A proportion of Israelis and diaspora Jews appear to think that the correct response to the Holocaust is to act belligerently. This includes establishing a homeland in Palestine and beyond by ethnically cleansing the indigenous populations.

For a people chosen to serve God, many appear to believe that they are chosen to rule over mankind. This will not do, and will only lead to increased antisemitism (“As we mark Holocaust Memorial Day, it’s time to stop using the word ‘antisemitism’”, Sunday 26 January).

John Hall

Shipley, West Yorkshire

In reference to Anthony Seldon’s passionate defence of democracy, Generation Z are not the only ones who see that it is now a system that disempowers the population ("If Gen Z has given up on democracy, we’re in even more trouble than we thought", Tuesday 28 January).

Democracy has been wholly manipulated by planet-plunderers who control all social and most of the legacy media. That is why we have ended up where we are – with powerless left-wing activists and abusive right-wing governments, and a world in thrall to Donald Trump and his goons.

Alan Ereira

London N2

I was shocked that the government is considering loosening the rules around company pension funds (“Reeves plans £160 billion business boost by changing pension fund rules”, Tuesday 28 January). It put me in mind of characters like Robert Maxwell.

Was it not after a similar approach from Gordon Brown that we ended up with companies going bust and discovering a large hole in the pension fund?

The pension fund should be run as an independent trust, totally protected from any raiding by company bosses. Any surplus could then be held for when the fund performs less well, due to stock market falls, or simply divided up among the members.

Geoff Forward

Stirling

Britain has several ambitious construction projects which have been started and then abandoned or delayed, such as HS2 and the restoration of Hammersmith Bridge.

Before we embark on building an extremely expensive third runway at Heathrow, could we complete those half-finished projects first? ("Reeves all but confirms backing for third Heathrow runway", Monday 27 January)

Penelope Smith

London SW14

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