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This February 2006 2-part investigation by Chris McGreal of the Guardian provides interesting background:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,5392485-103552,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,5393463-103552,00.html

It is sad that so much commentary on this issue is so one-sided. A more balanced view would mention the refusal of many Palestinian organisations to recognise the legitimacy of Israel, of its right to exist, and the reciprocal rights of self-determination for both peoples. It would also mention that Israel's mind-set has been formed through being surrounded by countries calling for its physical annihalation and by the brutal reality of suicide bombers in buses and pizza parlours. If in Barenboim's words Israelis need to "accept the legitimacy of the Palestinian narration" the same could be said in reverse. Unfortunately the cause of peace and justice is not served by the scapegoating of Israel that seems to be sweeping sections of the UL academic community of late, in betrayal of norms of balance and fairness. We need to develop perspectives that take the aspirations of both communities into account.

I too had a worrying visit to Israel and witnessed the obscene imbalance in power. This is not about simple mutual state recognition. The asymmetric nature of the conflict is now morally repulsive.

Massive foreign aid from US, decades of encroachment by settlement and the truly horrific imbalance of modern weaponry, against stones, small arms and home made rockets. The Palestinians are in desperate need of international support against US sponsored bullying.

The interesting point of Ian's comment is that he feels that so much commentary is one sided when the ovwerwhelming impression on a day such as today is that the Israeli Government is not short of access to the influential western media such as the BBC and the US news channels. As the articles in the Guardian on the Suez crisis show, this week, the State of Israel has colluded with the interests of Western States from early in its existence and that raising issues of balance can be addressed as much to right wing Israeli viewpoints as to Seb's piece which recorded his experience. It is helpful that Seb gave some exposure to a range of more sophisticated views on "the problem" than proponents of the more extreme views privileged by our media.

Nigel's use of the phrase >>extreme views<< begs several questions. Unsophisticated is equated with extreme. 90% of Israelis apparently fully support their govenment's current actions - presumably because they feel under attack. It is possible to be simplistic when you want to defend your children. It requires no sophistication. The same applies on both sides.

It is sad that human rights groups and education administrators and councils only go to the Palestinian side. Go see what is happening on the Israeli side, be balanced in your approach.

Israelis are not immune to suicide attacks and rocket fire. I really don't think you understand what it feels like waking up one day and hearing that your uncle was blow up in a coffee shop with his 3 year old daughter while getting coffee before dropping her off at school. But, whatever, I have come to expect this view as mainstream today. No one cares to be balanced and argue both sides.

Something that really bugs me is the idea that the Palestinian state has become the responsibility of the Israelis. Since when? They have had their chance, they will have more chances and they should finally capitalize on an opportunity instead of simply playing a blame game and crying all the time.

If you want something to happen you take the right steps to make it happen. You don't take a piece of land finally given back to you and turn it into a civil war and use it to attack civilians (Gaza) - that is not the right move, but again, Israel's fault, right?


Michael - You comment here on a piece I wrote in 2007. I think Antony Lerman's article in the 7 March Independent provides an ample counter to the pretty disreputable line of "argument" that you put forward in your comment above. Do not get me wrong, I am with Howard Jacobson on the fact that there is a vicious strand of anti-semitism "out there" in discourse about Israel and Palestine. But the actions of present-day Zionists aggravate rather than serve to resolve the situation in Palestine, and Israel's US-financed military intervention in Gaza earlier this year was wholly disproportionate, and will set back the cause of peace. Israel still needs to yield. Seb Schmoller

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