IN complete contrast with other European countries condemning the Israeli siege of the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw put the onus mainly on the Palestinians.

He drew comparison between Britain facing IRA bombings and Israel under siege from suicide bombings. But even though the mainland was subjected to cowardly terrorist attacks, Britain had not bombed Belfast or Dublin as a result of the carnage perpetrated by those responsible.

Mr Straw pointed out that the mounting cycle of suicide bombings which in one week took 45 Israelis' lives and injured 235 and said proportionately equivalent figures in UK terms would be 450 killed and 2,500 injured.

But when asked about the higher Palestinian death toll over the last 12 months, the Foreign Secretary said he did not want to get into that kind of arithmetic and added: "There is no direct moral equivalence between people who are the direct victims of terrorism or are entirely innocent and those who are taking part in conflict."

He seems to be stating that those killed on the Israel side are innocent victims and the deceased on the Palestinian side are all taking part in the conflict -- including the mothers, children and babies crushed by tanks and collapsing buildings.

It was recently suggested that Britain should temporarily recall her ambassador to Israel to demonstrate this country's displeasure at the atrocities carried out by Israel.

The response from the Foreign Secretary was that he would have to consult with his EU partners.

I would suggest that he resigns from his post and devote his time to his constituency. They have been neglected for far too long.

ARIF WAGHAT, London Road, Blackburn.