Happy 60th birthday, Israel: well done for surviving

Austin Barry

Notwithstanding the West's paradoxical position of denial and appeasement, it faces the same implacable, relentless enemy as Israel. So well done Israel, the West's unappreciated vanguard.

IamJoseph

How dare Israel still *OCCUPY* 12% of the land originally allocated in the Balfour. How dare Israel assume the name Palestinians, which we Europeans dumped on them 2000 years ago! How dare Israel refuse a deathly 3-state, which we Europeans now call a 2-state! How dare Israel refuse to concede to those who declared she has no right to still exist! But Israel's right to exist is not in the hands of the nations who want her dead - the only reason she survives today. Thus says the Lord God of Israel:

'AND I SHALL MAKE JERUSALEM AS A BURDEN UNTO THE NATIONS'

'AND I SHALL SHOW ALL THEIR ACCUSATIONS UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AS FALSE'.

Mike

Happy 60th Birthday!

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-israel-is-suppressing-a-secret-it-must-face-816661.html

Miriam Mendelson

Excellent article. Having been to the West Bank, I can attest to the misery of the people there and their sense of betrayal by both Hamas and Fatah. I quote one resident that I interviewed: "To hell with the Hamas and the Fatah, because they have both sent the people to hell!"

Paul Pugh

Well done you have stolen someones country and gotten away with

London Calling

Happy Birthday Israel

Today we sing and New Song
Called the King of Kings
And together we shall walk again
On pastures evergreen.

I shall Bring the wine my friend
And you shall break the bread
Upon the hills our hearts will sing
Remember when we fled.

Tomorrow is a new day
For Yesterday we wept
We whispered it unto the wind
Like Pearls upon a thread.

A house of stone was built within
A hidden place for thee
For Today we Sing a new Song
Oh Children King of Kings.

Roy

Well done Israel. Just as well you have a mind of your own, since the mind of the free world wishes only to appease your enemies.

Leon Poddebsky

Melanie, your journalism constantly demonstrates to those pusillanimous, foolish UK Jewish anti-Israel intellectuals what genuine intellectual honesty and rigour are.

Ray

Echoing Iam's blog, Israel's restoration and survival (and indeed, the remarkable survival over thousands of years of the Jewish people as a race) is God's ultimate testament that his Word, the Bible, is true and trustworthy.
Hence, the salvation He has wrought through our Lord Jesus Christ avails for all mankind, Jew and Gentile alike.

Tina

Oh Mike, do keep up the phoniness of Johann Hari has already been well and truly dispatched by Melanie's readers on her blog:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/638886/the-war-against-the-jews-18.thtml#comments

There'll be pockets of resistance in 60 years' time on mainland Europe where some will still be fighting off the Islamists, but Britain will be well gone by then. All's lost here.

patricia

Israel, as the FT noted yesterday, is caught in a trap of pride and prejudice.

An adolescent country, it will not reach maturity until it learns to treat its neighbours with respect and recognises that its problems are of its own making.

James

Israel may console itself that so much blood has not been spilt in vain.

By contrast, Britain insults its war dead on a daily basis by grovelling like a whipped puppy before the Islamist menace and surrendering all our futures.

Sick to the back teeth with it

Cometh the hour, cometh the warrior.

Melanie Phillips is one of the few British journalists who can see where we're headed and has the gumption to naysay the canting jaws of the appeasers.

But Britain isn't Israel, it's just the satellite office of the al-Qaeda franchise on its way for the biggest prize of all - America.

Forget the special relationship, America. Unless you've got surrender in mind, the British authorities have nothing to offer you other than instructions in how to kneel.

patricia

James, please can you clarify,
when you say;

Britain insults its war dead on a daily basis by grovelling like a whipped puppy before the Islamist menace and surrendering all our futures.

Are you referring to the futures of British people of British Jews?

roGER

Mad Mel at her comedic best!

THANK YOU for the biggest laugh I've had all week.

Frank Pulley

A comprehensive rout of all your detractors. Bravo, Melanie!
Bravo Israel!

James

If you're too dhimm to get it, Patricia, it's the future of the British people.

I know warped people like you seem to think that the only people who Melanie speaks for is Jews, but I'm afraid it isn't so.

If you wish me to declare my disinterest in exclusively Jewish affairs, I'm happy to reveal I am a north London Paddy with no Jewish/Israeli blood in me and with no Jewish connections whatsoever.

The facts of what Israel is standing up to and of what we are falling prostrate before are staring at you, but you don't want to know.

Don't take my word for it that they want me and everyone else grovelling on the floor. Here's "oppressed" Hamas MP Yunis al-Astal smugly predicting what I've spelt out when he talks about "the Islamic conquests which will spread through Europe in its entirety".

Notice he didn't restrict himself to the Jews, my dear, that's the whole lot of us.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/638886/the-war-against-the-jews-18.thtml#comments

Got the message?

libertyni

Ray...agree entirely. Well said. Israel bears the brunt of the enmity of man's sinful nature. She will exist as long as God exists.

Ben Disraeli

Happy Birthday Israel, don't let the bastards (anti-Semites, Islamists, lefties &c.) grind you down.

john doe

Paul Pugh and Patricia......You're MSM parrots.You know nothing. And your hatred of Jews and bigotry will go on. Brick walls. Your wilful ignorance is ugly and profoundly offensive. You do not deserve the freedom you spit on.

Frank Pulley

The presence of a handful of trolls on this blog merely indicates the importance of Melanie's work. Keep it up patricia, roGER, Mike, et al. You are in fact useful idiots here, too. Must be galling to be exploited by both sides of the East-West divide (loosely speaking, of course, when the compass gets a little dodgy in the Near East as Israel bravely strives to keep its own pointing West). Your own disorientation (or perhaps disoccidentation) and treachery are both palpable.

Leslie

Happy Birthday,Israel.

God bless you.

Peter

A very strange, simplistic article. It's sad to see that so many people believe her take on events.
I had thought a magazine like the Spectator might provide a bit more balance on the issue.

Richard

A very good article that gets to the heart of the matter. Happy birthday Israel and may the Palestinians realise what a great neighbour they actually have and dump their terrorist leaders.

Dan

Vigorous polemic,if (a weakness)intemperate. MP is very cavalier with her notions of the just inheritors of present-day bible lands. When Britain and France took the area from the Turks, so-called'Palestine', that we revived from a Roman slur, consisted of the Sanjak of Al Kuds, and parts of the Vilayet of Beirut and the Vilayet of Ash-Shams - West Bank,Western Jordan and Syria. Churchill did not "give Palestine away" to what we then went on to call TransJordan. The Arab then inhabitants had legal and moral entitlement to it. Israeli landgrab is nothing to be proud of, even if the dispossed Palestinians have been unwisely aggressive and (understandably)resentful and, with hindsight, should have come to a settlement earlier if they had had the boon of intelligent leradership.

thecomebackid

Happy Birthday Israel, but let's hope Melanie Phillips manages to compose herself after all the excitement dies down a bit.

"...It is beginning to turn education round, with a new awareness dawning among high school principals of the need to teach Jewish history, identity and values...."

Well, with 40 kids in each class and teachers working 4 hours a day, the public education system has enough to worry about just controlling the unruly kids and motivating the lazy teachers; it's a shambles.

As for the secular Israelis leaving in 'unprecedented numbers', part of the reason is that we're sick and tired of not only supporting the huge number of the religious orthodox trumpeted in the article, but also being bullied into observing religious strictures by an increasingly intolerant militant minority hell bent on turning this country into another Middle Eastern style theocracy.

There's a saying here: 1/3 of the population work, 1/3 of pay tax, 1/3 serve in the military…and it's always the same 1/3!

In the great debate regarding Israel and the Palestinians, it's easy to lose perspective, which Melanie Philips has done in this particular article.

If you think that the religious orthodox are the future here, then we really are lost!

YA

some 20 years ago I've first seen Israeli girl soldiers with large M16s in their thin arms, boarding inter city buses, and I thought somehting like "what a joke". Couple of years since, one of such buses was ambushed, hit a landmine, and armed terrorists rushed to finish the passengers. But they were stopped by two such girls with M16s. Girls acted diligently, as they were tought, and held out until help arrived. Those clumsy chicks. Defenders.

Tarek Arab

Melanie Philip's powers of self delusion, generalisation and ability to ignore those facts that weaken her assertions is truly breathtaking; that her powers grow with each passing week is astonishing, that she claims to be a serious journalist instead of an apologist truly mind-boggling

Riaz Ahmad

The crdeibility of the artical has been distroyed by the shameless bias with which it is written. The author is myopic by intent, with a rather childish persuit of objective.

Adam B.

Another excellent article which hits the nail yet again on the loony left head. The fact that the detractors merely insult without offering any substance shows the hollowness of their "arguments." Israel is going from strength to strength. Many happy returns!

Mike

'Remaining silent is no longer an option for Jews of the world. We can no longer let our trauma, or deep fear of anti-Jewish hatred implanted in us through generations of persecution, make us remain quiet at the expense of truth.

Our continued silence perpetuates the fiction that all Jews are of one mind when it comes to Israel - that we think we can do no wrong; that we believe the Israeli government is innocent of war crimes; that we believe US military support for Israel's illegal occupation is a sign of our special relationship, and not a cynical use of Jewish suffering to provide moral cover for strategic interests in an oil-rich region.

We see one of the world's greatest armies cry self-defence as it uses tanks, bulldozers and missiles against a poverty stricken cvilian population, and we cry inside as another brick is dislodged from the edifice of 5,000 years of Jewish values, ethics and justice.

We cry inside for the callous manipulation of Jewish fear for the sake of expansionism; the unspeakable wrongness of Israel's pursuit of land over peace.

If we don't 'come out' about Israel now, speaking openly and clearly about our heartache and outrage, about the injustices we see...then in the future there won't be a Jewish tradition left to defend. It will have become an empty shell, and all of the infinite good work done every day by Jews throughout time and place will be rendered meaningless by the actions of a state that claims to be a light to the Jewish people, but has become accustomed to co-creating death and chaos.

We are famous for speaking our minds when we perceive an injustice is taking place. That isn't true when the perpetrator is Israel. Suddenly, we allow our fears of being ostracised from our communities and families to silence us. And as a result, history will show that much of the mainstream Jewish leadership has failed us, and failed us profoundly. Perhaps we have failed ourselves'.

Not the words of this Anglo-Saxon Gentile.....Guess who?

Andy Dyer, London

Missing from this revisionist essay is the fact that the apartheid regime of Israel has run out of puff. Immigration figures have been meaningless for years, but in 2007, Israel finally admitted that emigration exceeds immigration.

And the problem is systemic - Israel could never have stayed better armed than its neighbours for ever. Its enormous military advantage has been recently nullified by a cheap and easy device, and the writing is on the wall. (The rockets themselves more likely come from China and Russia than Iran).

I predict that the 70th anniversary of Israel will remember the horror of the Nakba more than it will remember the atrocity of Independence. Melanie - you should be applying your skills to getting the incorrible racists and war-criminals out of Israel, and trying to make sure that the decent people are able to live on in safety.

Asad Siddiqi

Melanie Philips is totally removed from reality. Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, wrote in 1937: "The Arabs will have to go, but one needs an opportune moment for making it happen, such as a war."

So, for when the moment arrived, he helped draw up Plan Dalit. It was - as Israeli historian Ilan Pappe puts it – "a detailed description of the methods to be used to forcibly evict the people: large-scale intimidation; and laying siege to and bombarding population centres". In 1948, before the Arab armies invaded, this began to be implemented: some 800,000 people were ethnically cleansed, and Israel was built on the ruins.
Today the Israelis are trying to drown the Palestinians in their shit as raw untreated sewage from the occupiued West Bank is piped to Palestine and is poisoning the water reservoirs.
The shit that Melanie is spouting belongs there as well.

Charles Smyth

Excellent article. Let's hope the intelligentsia underpinning the insanity of EU policy making vis-à-vis the threat from the likes of Hamas, etc., wake up to its truths.

Harvey

To all the trolls Islamists and lefties etc who frequent this site.

Mark well the freedom of speech afforded you in order that you may vent your lies ,distortions and prejudices. You would have the same opportunity on the various Israeli media sites .Pity the same cannot be said of Islamists websites such as MPAC which play to a captive audience and screen any dissenting voices including mine. I am sure you would feel far more at home with your friends on these sites then posturing here.

Bev

Excellent "state of the nation" article. Well done Melanie - and Muzletov Israel!

Roz Kadir

I am so surprised that some of the commments added demonstrate that these people haven't read the article!! Paul Pugh for example! Israel rocks! Such bravery in the face of such enemies, along with the pro arab comments by the BBC! Thank you Melanie for giving a true account.

Jak

Hmmm Mad Mel's propaganda and disinformation piece... full of distortions and emotiveness as ever. How she is allowed to remain a journalist I do not know...

Please understand Mel the majority of us are not against the Jews - what we dislike are political treachery (beginning during the Ottoman era) by the British and Zionist lobbies to misappropriate other people's lands and oppressing them for their selfish interests.

The Arab world and Muslims use the term Jews in reference to the Zionists and not according to the loaded term that historical European anti-semitism embeds in this term - why don't you address the argument sensibly instead of inflaming it with irrelevancies?

Harvey-freedom of speech? why don't you have a read of the anti-terrorism laws that have been passed - read the Rand report whereby dubious and insubstantial secular Islamist groups are to be promoted whilst those against them are to have a Mcarthy style witch hunt and propaganda drive done against them of which Mel is a part...freedom of speech like all western values is little more than a token term...

I think time is ripe for a major change in geopolitics which would address much of this injustice going on...

john doe

Mike..."Not the words of this Anglo-Saxon Gentile.....Guess who?"

Paris Hilton?

Yakov Goldberg, MD.

Excellent. I wish many Israeli peacnik dreamers would understand this, same as Europeans.

Harvey

Mike

Let me guess -could it be Ilan Pappe - talk about wheeling out the tired old revisionists.Please try to be a little more original otherwise I will have to withdraw your tickets to next weeks celebrations .No falafel for you !

Mrs. Miriam Afek

This is truly an excellent article, deep and honest. The British people should read it carefully and stop blaming Israel for the Palestinians tragedies. The British people should admire Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, for all it has achieved since the end of the British Mandate.
I would say to Melanie Phillips - well done!

Mrs. Miriam Afek

This is truly an excellent article, deep and honest. The British people should read it carefully and stop blaming Israel for the Palestinians tragedies. The British people should admire Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, for all it has achieved since the end of the British Mandate.
I would say to Melanie Phillips - well done!

richard samuelson

wonderful article. she's RIGHT ON. the WEST had better wake up SOON

Shalom Freedman

This piece cuts through the cliches and misconceptions presented by the media every day regarding the struggle of Israel to survival. For six decades Israel has had to struggle against a sea of enemies that have refused to make peace with it.

Allan Healy

The Zionists are out in force, as ever. The infant UN in 1948 approved the birth of Israel, under strong pressure from the US (despite George Marshall's wise misgivings), and we've had mayhem in the Middle East ever since. It is been the central factor in the radicalizing of Islam and the rise of what is baldly called terrorism. Millions of Palestinians now live as desperately poor exiles. Does that make a good record? And the claim of an "ancestral homeland" needs to be scotched: rarely can Jews prove any "ancestral" connection - sharing (more or less) a set of religious beliefs with some ancient inhabitants is irrelevant.

Eleanor

Must I, too, declare my non-Jewishness before I address Patricia and the rest of the hate mob?

For what it’s worth, Patricia, mine is the view of a south-east based Christian – just so you know I’m not part of a Zionist lobby parachuted into Britain.

As for those others who call Melanie Phillips a revisionist, what’s revisionist about Hamas MP Yunis al-Astal’s gloating in his own words over “the Islamic conquests which will spread through Europe in its entirety”? None of Melanie’s critics here want to address issues like that, though.

Let’s not talk about the truth, let’s go for ‘Mad’ Melanie instead.

Is that the ‘Mad’ Melanie who warned of the consequences of abandoning synthetic phonics in our classrooms?

Can you guess how ‘mad’ Melanie turned out to be on that?

If you’re a university admissions official or a business leader, you’ll know the answer – that’s for sure.

You might also know the answer if you’re sitting on a dole queue, although I wouldn’t ask you to spell it out in writing.

Apropos Yunis al-Astal, how typical of the Hamas viper that even when it’s busy hamming it up as the pantomime victim, it has the time to gloat over the progress of its snake in the grass cousins in Europe.

Hamas knows it needn’t fear Europe seeing through its charades because the Islamist fangs are now dug so deep into the Contient’s body politic, with venom coursing through the various countries’ veins and neutralising people who point out the truth, that they can do as they please without fear of their propaganda getting widespread exposure.

Th acid of a decadent form of Marxism has all but destroyed the UK’s immune system and so Islamism now meets hardly almost resistance at all on these shores.

Poor old Britain may be a docile victim but she is far from harmless to others. For with the lifeblood of her traditional values poisoned beyond repair, what follows will be a dangerous zombie, bashing at the doors of America and ready to assist the Islamists’ cause of making the global house come tumbling down in readiness for the Caliphate prison.

Happy birthday, Israel, and long may your freedom remain.

Forget the zombies left behind. If they can’t fight their own battles, that’s their hard cheddar.

James Burke

Nothing new that the Jewish people are despised by both right and left leaning peoples of Euro descent BUT what shocks me is that both Jewish and Israeli intellegentsia seem so feeble in the face of it.

1) Israel takes back Sinai and its oil and sells oil at discount prices
2) Israel destroys all homes of arabs in west bank and gaza
3) forced deportations of terrorists to egypt and jordan and syria

the above 3 will be very effective

Harald Kvam

I think Melanie Phillips in her praise of Israel misses the point that occupy many people in the Western World. We are concerned with our security. As long as the US give unconditional support to almost every single Israeli action we cannot but expect that the muslim world will perceive us all as pro Israel and against the muslims. We have to be seen to be impartial and contribute much more actively to support the Paelstinian cause. Billions of dollars spent on the military of the US, UK and other wetern countries could be put to good use in a programme of reconsiliation and rebuilding of this troubled part of the world.
Let me just emphasise that I have nothing against the Israelis in particular or the Jews in general.

Adam B.

Mr Healy, your comments are utterly absurd. You think the Jews have no historic link to the area? On what historical source do you base your disguting comments? And what gives you the right to live in the UK - after all, do you know where your ancestors were 3000 years ago?

Adam B.

Jak, you write that "The Arab world and Muslims use the term Jews in reference to the Zionists and not according to the loaded term that historical European anti-semitism embeds in this term". Sorry Jak, but that's garbage. Nasrallah of Hizbollah state that "It is good that the Jews gather in Israel - it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide." Clearly he was not using the term "Jew" in the sense that you think. And why is it that Islamic terrorists have regularly targeted Jewish people and buildings - the synagogue in Istanbul, the jewish cultural centre in Buenos Aires, the synagogue in Vienna, a Jewish restaurant in Paris, Daniel Pearl, a Jew, not an Israeli, forced to say "I am a Jew" before being murdered? I don't think the islamists have a problem targeting Jews - it's you who misunderstands. The charters of Hamas and Hizbollah both advocate the genocide of the Jews. If you don't believe me, read them. And it may interest you to learn of the history of anti-semitism in the Arab and Muslim world - it is not just a European phenomenon.

Mike

Harvey: Not quite Illan Pappe, but since questioning and dissent is encoded in Jewish DNA, think more along the lines of those remarkable outspoken Jews whose willingness to stand up for what is right, and to question the status quo made history, but also made them enemies.

sebastian

It's depressingly fashionable to blame Israel for the "suffering" of the Palestinian people. The "Palestinian" people? What does that really mean? It means, surely, a group of discontented and often islamist Jordanians and Egyptians (citizens of the former "occupiers" of the West Bank and Gaza respectively) who wish utterly to destroy the Jewish State: first by forcing it back to its original borders; then from there it may more easily be destroyed either by an overwhelming, combined Arab assault with forces vastly outnumbering the IDF, or by a nuclear strike. Hamas in particular, has declared its hand to that effect. Iran likewise; Syria too, though furtively; the Jew-despising wahhabists seek an entirely muslim Arabian peninsula as ordained by the quran; the ikhwan muslimin currently repressed in Egypt but ever present under the surface, share a similar totalitarian sentiment. All of this vile hatred, however, is projected as merely a territorial quarrel over land "stolen" by the detested Zionists as aided by the "wicked" and one-sided US. It's all about innocent orange groves; water-melon patches; small, profitable factories; children's playgrounds; and "rights", they would have us believe. But it isn't is it? It's more. It's about demonising the Jews and ethnically cleansing them. About islamic triumphalism.
Accordingly, Palestinian and other schoolbooks present a highly distorted history of the present difficulties and both there and elsewhere, pour forth a torrent of the most biased and hateful anti-Jewish propaganda.
For sure, the "Palestinians" are suffering - but because their twisted leaders see to it that they do. Bring prosperity and tranquillity - as is possible - and the "struggle" fuelled by incited grievances and self-aggravated deprivation, would peter out. Accept the Israelis as having as much rights to land - a place - in that region, and they'd concede by logical implication that other faiths who were driven out (as many are being even today) or forced into dhimmitude, should too, be restored. That might mean churches, as there once were, all over. That might mean that Christians and Jews would share equal rights and political influence with muslims; and have land too. This, for the islamists generating this potent conflict, is unthinkable.
But Israel will never permit another holocaust on its own people on its own tiny land. And neither should it.

john doe

Healy: "It is been the central factor in the radicalizing of Islam and the rise of what is baldly called terrorism."

An old worn out canard that only...and I repeat... only an antisemite could spew out. You are required to read and read and read the history of Islam. It IS radical by nature. Have you read the koran, mohammed's biography, the hadith, Hamas charter? I doubt it. Shame on you and all the rest of the small minded Jew haters who are poisoning and murdering what goodness remains in the UK.

john doe

Mike: Amy Winehouse?

yolo

I have yet to meet a poor palestinian in the states. I know many. Most of course fled for their lives because they are christians. But I do know that they along with the Turks and most Arabs hate the Jews,wherever they may be. The reason is the koran. I suggest that everyone read the koran as I have. It is a wake up call.

Jak

Adam B

Anti-semitism historically is a Europeans phenomena, embedded in Christianity blaming Jews (religiously!) for their involvement in the killing of Christ.

Muslims have no such inherent problem in their religion - as such they have co-existed with Jews and Christians through their long hsitory in the Middle East. Even the anit-semitism of Europe meant tens of thousands fled to Muslim lands.

Thus the current view amongst Muslims when they look at Jews is their support and association with Israel and her supporter the Americans. It is not an inherent dislike of Jews for any other reason - as such it is preferable they use terms like Zionists or Israel supporters, however, in current times terminology gets forgotten... However people like Mel should be more careful as she is deemed to be writing "civilised and considered" peaces and should not be guilty of scaremongering and sloppy writing...

Milt Bishop

The movement in advertising on either side of the article text is very disconcerting and difficult on the eyes. Far from attracting attention it is off-putting.

Anglican Friends of Israel

Happy Diamond Jubilee Israel!

We at Anglican Friends of Israel have celebrated the 60th anniversary Israel's Independence by producing a booklet about the events leading up to her restoration in 1948.

It can be read or downloaded at http://www.anglicanfriendsofisrael.com/files/israel60.pdf

Am yisrael chai!

Adam B.

Jak,

If there’s any sloppy writing, it’s from you I’m afraid… Firstly, you ignore the incidents of anti-semitic terrorism I have provided, the whole point of which was to disprove your previous theory that the Islamists don’t really mean Jews when they say Jews. Instead, you try to justify such atrocities, saying that they only occur because Islamists associate Jews with Israel, and that’s the only reason they are targeted (well, that’s OK then isn’t it?) Did it ever occur to you that you may have it the wrong way round – that the Islamists hate Israel BECAUSE it’s Jewish? Islamic societies, in case you haven’t noticed, are not very pluralistic, and minorities tend to live as second class citizens, if indeed they are allowed to live there at all (you don’t hear of any minorities in Saudi Arabia, do you?) Whilst it is true that Christian societies persecuted the Jews for religious reasons, it is also true that Jews suffered persecution in Islamic societies, (the Jews had rejected Islam and did not convert to it, for which they were indeed persecuted on religious grounds). Indeed, they were forced to live as dhimmis, second class citizens, restricted in where they could live, what jobs they could do etc. Nowadays, this would be called apartheid. In addition, are you aware of the anti-semitic pogroms which occurred in Iraq, Morocco and elsewhere (in which scores of Jews were butchered) BEFORE Israel even existed? Where does this leave your theory? In the bin, where it belongs.

john doe

I totally agree with Milt Bishop about the distracting ads which pull ones attention from the text and cause some strain.

john doe

Jak: enough of this ignorance and propaganda. Read this and learn. let Islam speak for itself. These are primary core texts. Enough said. And YOU should be more careful, not Melanie. She knows exactly where a Jew stands in the Islamic worldview.

http://www.prophetofdoom.net/quotes.aspx?g=405&i=4527

Harvey

Jak

I hate to rain on your 'peace,love and harmony towards Jews 'parade but you are seriously mistaken if you believe that Muslim hostility is only directed at Zionist Jews.

Here is a taster of what Jews have had to put up with from their 'cousins'

From the Koran

The last hour will not come until the Muslims fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or tree and the stone or tree would say Muslim or the Servant of Allah there is a Jew behind me ,come kill him but the tree Gharkad would not say for it is a tree of the Jews .

Sahih Muslim Book 40 No 6985

Jews and for that matter Christians were only ever afforded a lesser status or Dhimmi and were forced to pay a special tax .

In contemporary times the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem travelled to Berlin and met with Hitler in order to discuss his 'Jewish problem and went on to form a Muslim division as part of Hitlers force in Bosnia.

Later Nasser spoke of driving the Jews into the sea and a river of blood running through Tel Aviv.

Today we have Ahmadinejaad denying the holocaust and calling for the annhiliation of the state of Israel .For good measure Sheik Nazrallah welcomes the return of Jews to Israel in order that Muslims may deal with the Jews in one go

Egyptian TV has recently broadcast a soap opera depicting the Protocols of the Elders Of The Elders of Zion and the Blood Libels of Passover.

Mein Kampf is on open display on Islamic websites and Mosques

Here in the UK every Synagogue .Community center ,Jewish school etc is subject to stringent security measures and the threat comes from Islamists .

Please do not lecture us on the causes of antisemitism .

It is there in the Koran and is acted upon through the teachings of heinous Imams and assorted elders within the Muslim community.

Jardel

I am very sorry for ordinary Israeli and Palestinian people who live in an atmosphere heated by politics and articles like this. I guess another Holocaust is not very far if the only conclusion people draw form the experince of the past 60 years is that one party is hero whereas the other is to blame for what happens. The article for me reflects the level of an early 19th century east European pamphlet on national identity and pride... continental Europe has suffered much until it found ways of cohabitation and fruitful social and economic co-operation and mutual hatred of 100-150 years diminished. It would be a pitty if this lesson is not used somehow in the Near East and debate on the situation completely ignores that what happens in the NE is not very different from what happened in Europe not very long ago (not mentioning the balkans: the same prejudices, the same single-minded arguments, the same shameful political interst of the few, the same stones thrown and bullets shot...)I would have expected something more from a magazine like the Spectator.

tvus

"demonisation of Israel is based on a false set of beliefs" that "as a result of Holocaust guilt, Israel was created". The facts should be clarified and emphasized: the Holocaust could have been avoided, certainly minimized, had Britain not put off the establishment of Israel.

Michael Grave

I salute the courage of this brave and beautiful country. Thank you Melanie.

Mike

The Zionists waited 2000 years before stealing Palestine we can wait 200 before taking it back.

Brad

I have learned to have the utmost respect for Israel and the Jewish people. Surrounded by a people whom are devoted to their destruction, whose holy book inspires hatred of them (whether there was an Israel or not), they have turned a wasteland into a flourishing country of achievers; the most successful people and country in the region in just a few decades, and they have shown incredible restraint considering the terrorism they are faced with daily and the ideological mindset of the Muslims that suuround them. Long live Israel!

Yehuda Erdman

Melanie Phillips likes to choose her facts when she makes bold, striking statements. I am a left Zionist and also rejoice in the survival of the State of Israel at 60 years. In fact I was born in Jerusalem on 14th May 1948 and have more reason than Melanie Phillips to wellcome not just the survival of Israel but also my own. My late father served in the Hagannah and later in Zahal as a junior officer, and at one point he came to my mother in Jerusalem saying the situation there in the War of Independence was hopeless and they should try and move to Tel Aviv. He was not a defeatist but a realist because the situation WAS hopeless. My mother replied they should wait as she felt the situation would get better. Indeed shortly after the Palmach built the "Burma" road and relieved the total siege of Jerusalem where the Jewish population of West Jerusalem had no food, water, fuel or medicine.
Coming back to Melanie Phillips she should tune down the hyperbole and see the Middle-East through a normal pair of spectacles not her blue-tinted ones.
In the next 60 years Israel MUST move fast to repair her fences with the Arab neighbours including the Palestinians. We don't have the luxury of slapping each other on the back and saying "Hey, aren't we the clever ones and the Arabs are just dumb, wild beasts".

ToM

MP and many posters in this forum apparently lump together two issues that are completely unconnected: 1) the questions surrounding the establishment and behavior on the international stage of Israel, and 2) the threat posed by militant Islamism to our freedom and secular western way of life.
Israel:
Given all the unpleasant and disturbing news that has emerged from, about, and in connection with this country ever since its foundation, even in the generally pro-Israel Western mainstream media, I feel little desire to celebrate its 60th birthday (I would rather celebrate the independence of Burkina Faso), and the last thing I need is a six(!)-page paean and apologia for this peace-loving member of the international community.
Islamist threat:
I couldn't agree more with MP and many posters that this threat is real and needs to be addressed lest one day in the not too distant future we wake up finding our womenfolk stumbling around with blinkered vision because they're wrapped up in burqas.

maddar

ur article is full of lies as all zionist are famous for,the israeli are the most criminal creatures lives in this earth ;they committed all kind of crimes. and u should be ashamed of ur self to defend those criminals except if u r one of them

worldly

At last, wise comments by Jardel. These political interst arguments and the the original articale by MP are pointless. There are plenty of inteligent and informed people all over the world and they can judge these arguments and make up their own minds. Enough of this brainwashing attemp and bickerning and live & let live.

Elvira King

Once again Melanie explains and argues competently issues relating to Israel. As a Christian, I would like to express deep joy that God has preserved this tiny and brave state all these decades. Prophet Isaiah (58: 12-14)declared:"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations;you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings... then you will find joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the hights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAS SPOKEN."

Adam B.

Mike, your comment is anti-semitic, I repeat, anti-semitic, and for this reason: there was no Zionism 2000 years ago, so what you mean is the Jews. A classic example of someone using the term "Zionist" when they mean Jews. The Jews waited 2000 years before "stealing" their own land back from a colonial power, Britain. How exactly were they "stealing" it when the UN had voted for its existence? You are a bigoted ignoramus, but that doesn't stop you pontificating about a subject you know nothing about. Get a history lesson, you hateful imbecile.

john doe

That same land which has been 'stolen' by the Romans, the Arabs, the Turks, the British....and now reclaimed

Adam B.

Mad by name, maddar by nature.

Jardel

>>> Wordly : thank you!
>>> ad ToM - I also think that the arabic/islamic therat is somewhat exaggerated or not dealt with at its right place. Many fail to recognise that Arabic scoieties are also very complex and different from each other. Indeed, there is only littel more reason to speak about arabic or islamic unity and therat than for instance regarding Spain, Portugal, Italy and France as a monolitic latin block... Thus, I doubt that Israel is a bastion of Europe, a 2nd Crusade, a fulfillment of Biblical books or smoething like this. It is a country just like the others and I do believe that it should attempt to better understand the feelings and motivation of local arabic population and establish normal relations. There has to be another party on the other side of course (sometimes difficulty to find) but I had the impression that militant islamism is a good pretext for many in Isreal to avoid serious changes in behaviour. Absolutely like the age of nation states in Europe.

Mike

Adam B. There are now TWO Mike's on this thread. I'm the Mike who wrote May 01 08:41 and
May 02 11:07, also I replied to Harvey on May 02 05:09. I'm definitely not the same Mike who wrote on May 03 03:25. I'm the Mike of the 'Phil/Mike Show' of earlier threads. You may have noted that I neither do nor respond to invective!!!

Guitta

Melanie Phillips argues that 'the Jews' - presumably Israel-'are entitled to claim (the West Bank) under iternational law', and she questions the notion that Israel's occupation is illegal. All this makes me less sceptical of the claims of a Jewish friend of mine that some Irsraelis deliberately provoke conflicts with neighbouring Palestinians when peace seems closer, for fear that they may be made to end what the UN regards as their illegal occupation of the West Bank.

Mervyn

I find it unusual that nobody who has been expressing concern about the residents of Gaza has researched the quality of life before 1967.For the uneducated,Egypt controlled Gaza and the conditions that prevailed were disgraceful,but,nobody cared as it was one Arab country dealing with its own people.The people of Gaza will never have the opportunity to develop whilst they are led by those whose only ideals are to destoy Israel.When Israel left Gaza,funds were provided by benefactors to enable Gazan citizens to buy all the greenhouses and crops developed by the Israelis.This would give them a start in developing their agricltural system .What happened,in 3 weeks the Gaza citizens destroyed all that had been given to them.Now,I could understand that if they were going to achieve greater skills and productivity by themselves.But no,their skills are to produce rockets ,to confront civilians in the firing line.We now have the quartet worried about humanitarian needs.Is one solution to let Egypt have control as it did prior to 1967.You can imagine the response.
Having just come back from Spain
they have concern as Islamists claim that having been in Spain prior to 1492 that country must be returned to Islam.The Jews have there own problems,the Christians/Catholics fail to recognise theirs at their peril.
Happy anniversary Israel-102 largest country in the World with the 15th most successful economy.What an achievement in 60 years.

Jake Livni

While Melanie Phillips often says important things that explain the oh-so-confounding Middle East, here she is somewhat fanciful. "At least Israel knows it has to fight to survive. As a result, in 60 years’ time it will still be there." Really??? This may have been true of the Israel of the Six Day War in 1967 but that was fully two generations ago!

Israel today is retreating from it's borders as fast as it's crooked politicians can enact legislation in the anti-democratic Knesset. Israel's culture czars in the 'Branzha' have succeded in removing from Israel's youth all identification with Judaism to the extent that even non-religious Jews in the Diaspora are embarassed at the ignorance displayed by young Israeli visitors of anything Jewish. 20% of the Israeli population today is Arab and identifies with Arab nationalism - and is growing at a dramatic pace.

Indeed, people who care about a Jewish state have grave concerns over whether a recognizably Jewish state named Israel will exist to celebrate it's 100th birthday.

Sure, Israel has survived thus far. The question is: does it have the will to continue to survive and can it maintain a proud Jewish identity? If Israel continues on it's current path, it may turn out to be a gallant, but failed experiment, in Jewish independence.

NickC

Tremendous and powerful article Melanie. Well said.

I know its impossible but I'd actually like to use Islams most powerful weapon against it. If somehow people of the West (in particular the Left) actually sat down and read the Koran I think they would be pretty shocked by its content. Not enough Westerners have any idea of the hate it contains and merely wave it away with a naive comment about interpretation.

'The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.'

- Zuheir Mohsen, Palestinian leader of the Syria-controlled as-Sa'iqa faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization, 1977

Ellien

To Asad Siddiqi: "In 1948, before the Arab armies invaded, this began to be implemented: some 800,000 people were ethnically cleansed and Israel was built on the ruins". Ethnically cleansed - who were? Your claim has no basis in reality and is intended to mislead. Do you mean those Arabs who fled Israeli territory fearing a massacre, fears which were whipped up by a frenzied Arab media propaganda machine? Those Arabs who remained were neither massacred nor evicted. In fact they enjoy human rights and democratic privileges enjoyed by few elsewhere in the Arab world.
The figure of 800,000 is exactly the number of Jews who were evicted and displaced from Arab countries. You conveniently turn the truth on its head, in order to perpetuate the same old lies and distortions about the Jews that are so tedious but so dangerous.
So, Maddar, will this make you madder?

Steve Edward

It brought tears to my eyes to see a non-jew bring forth so much honesty and truth in analyzing the real dynamics between jews in israel and the muslims in the middle east.

I couldn't possibly add more than you already have said.

May God Bless You Melanie Phillips, and may you live a long life full of joy and happiness.

Øystein Hansen

This article is REALLY one of the best pieces on Israel and its struggle I have ever read!! Thank you!! Here in Norway the press keep repeating themselves that to give peace a chance USA must take the lead, Hamas should be offered a place by the negiotation table and the Palestinians must be granted (even) more money. However,this will lead us all down the road to disaster. Why are so many of us so completely blind? I agree with you that Israel`s security is our security, and like you, I am worried that the West don`t realize the threat until it is too late.

ISRAEL, HAPPY 60 YEARS ANNIVERSARY!!!

Sammy Mukerji

The principal driving force for the Arab-Israeli conflict, as indeed for the Kashmir conflict, is the need to further the global Islamic state. If you ask anyone in Pakistan the real reason behind placing his rupee in the charity box for supporting the mujaheddin in Kashmir, following the Friday prayers, you will learn that this is to capture Kashmir and then Punjab and eventually Delhi, as part of the expansion of the Caliphate, following the dictates of the Koran. Afghanistan was once ruled by Kanishka the Buddhist king who built the Bamiyan Buddhas. It was forcibly Islamised. India has suffered the consequences of this for 500 years. Thanks to better worldwide communications, the whole world is now suffering the consequences of this process. Pakistan and Bangladesh have similar histories. Can you imagine what the 21st century would have been like if Afghanistan was still Buddhist and Pakistan a mixture of Hindu and Buddhist societies? The establishment of peace in the world must lie in the joining up of NATO, Russia, China and India to create a strategy for the dismantling of this crooked expansionism that goes by the name of religion. The use of nationalism to fragment Pakistan could be an important strategy as nationalism is a good, albeit short-term, antidote for Islamic globalisation. However, nationalism weakens in the face of true Wahabbi faith. Mainly Muslim Bangladesh was severed from Pakistan by nationalism but now supports Islamist terrorist camps against India. The ultimate solution - and there is little hope for this - is through the reversal of Wahabbi brainwashing that is now entrenched in the minds of 1 billion people thanks to unhindered global Saudi funding and Pakistani support for 50-odd years. And we spent billions of precious resources and thousands of lives in Iraq!

Paul

Well said Melanie. What a pity our so called govt doesn't see sense and do something about the Islamic serpent in our midst

H J Osbourne

Thanks to Melanie Phillips for her passionate, closely reasoned and persuasive wake up call. Just as Spain was the front line against fascism in the 1930s so Israel is the vanguard against militant anarchist Islamism at the commencement of the 21st century. Active defenders of democracy, of all political persuasions and any religion or none,have an absolute and proactive duty to defend the existence of Israel, by words, actions and direct force of arms if necessary. Israel cannot be allowed to fall into the night, otherwise Europe will be next.

Eliot

Wonderful article! Judging by some comments it is already aggravating some lefties, which is a sign that it hit the goal spot-on. Bravo, Melanie!

Marc

I've always thought that the only realistic solution to the Palestinian problem is a return to the "status quo ante." Israel back to the Blue Line; Golan Heights back to Syria (after recognizing Israel); West Bank back to Jordan and Gaza back to Egypt. The Egypt-Palestine-Jordan confederation outlined here seems reasonable too. Failing some similar approach, Israel continues to follow the only option available to it: building the security wall, controlling Palestinian access to Israel proper, balancing the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people with the legitimate security needs of Israel.

Gareth

Excellent article, Melanie.
Happy Birthday, Israel.

Robert Jones

The article smacks of blissful ignorance, naivety and acute amateurism. The writer is clearly 'above her station' in trying to tackle the subject. In this day and age, it's unforgivable to write such a biased piece and for being so blatantly out of touch. There is a world of independent information out there to tap into which would help form a balanced view. Some prominent people were ahead of their time:

"If it is proper to 'reconstitute' a Jewish state which has not existed for two thousand years, why not go back another thousand years and reconstitute the Canaanite state? The Canaanites, unlike the Jews, are still there." H.G. Wells, quoted in Palestine Dilemma: Arab Rights Versus Zionist Aspirations, by Frank C. Sakran, Public Affairs Press, 1948, p. 204

The Balfour Declaration was "one nation promising another nation the land of a third nation." -Arthur Koestler

At last, two professors wrote about what they really saw happening in the world with regards to Israel:

The Israel Lobby
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

Ian McGavin

I am sure it is well past time to expose the Lie which is "The Protocols of Zion" I am sure this is behind most anti-semetic behaviour today I recommend the boof "the lie tat would'nt die" by Hadassa Ben-Itto ISBN 0853035954 in case you do'nt know of it.

James NICHOLS.

I was there in 'Old Palestine' in 1948. I despaired when the Arabs willingly sold their land to the Jews for very large profit. Then declared WAR on the Jews shouting victory slogans and promised to push them all into the sea and drown them. Well to the Victor the spoils of war, and that is now called Israel.
The Palestinian Arabs declared that war, and when they lost they cried "No, No, We didn't mean it. We want our country back". Margaret Thatcher said it all when she said "It's a funny old world" Yes it is, isn't it.
Keep on writing Melanie.

Pierre Amiet

The most stupid, simplistic zionist propaganda I have ever read!
I am an absolute supporter of the state of Israel ... until 1967, despite the fact that Israel was very obviousely born through savage terrorism. Never heard of the assasination of count Bernadotte, of the blowing up of the Hotel King David in Tel Aviv, of the blowing up of the bridges over the Jordan river to prevent the British to bring in more troops, of terrorizing the British to the extent that they handed over the mandate to the UN, etc, which then by violating the right of self determination of the Palestinian people voted Israel into existence without even asking the people most concerned, the Palestinians - a farce which would never be possible today.
And the jewish terrorism went on whith such atrocities as the progrom of Deir Yazin and others ... which made flee in panic thousands of Palestinians.
Why I was and still am in a way infavor of a prospering Israel is the fact that its highly educated people who needed effectively a country of their own could have turned the middle east in an economic paradise - arabs have never been good warriors but love commerce .... But Israel, especially after 1967, a war they obviousely provoked to finally beeing able to size the wailing wall (which is ok but which they should admitt) choose otherwise and instead of helping the Palestinians to build their own state with a marshall Plan, which was very well possible then (I know, I was there), they had only disdain form them and started to systematically build illegal civil settlement in blattatnt violation of the Geneva Convention, the Hague Convention, the Balfour Declaration and later of countless UN Resolutions (Saddam greets you). This is nothing else than israeli state-terrorism, a unilateral aggression against millions of innocent, defenceless people. By now, after 40 years, this must be regarded as the biggest crime against humanity by a western civilization - committed by jews! History has never been more perverse.
If this happened to anybody else, especially the US, each citizen would voluteer to defend his homeland with even the prospect of getting a heroes burial in Arlington. But when innocent Palestinians do it, then, by a curious twist in their mind, they are terrorists!! Zionist propaganda at its ugliest.
Now Condy is urging Israel to stop builing settlements ... why only now and not 40 years ago??? Because the US government and the media are completely in the hands of Zionist lobbies (WJC, AJPAC; ADL, etc). Only the great Jimmy Carter has not surrendered and a few not so stupid Harvard professors too, and most jewish intellectuals who openly say that Israels politics foster anti-semitism - which the Zionists obviousely want, they thrive on it, like they endlessly instrumentalize the holocaust.
Here some food for thought: the palestinian people has much longer and uninteruptedly so lived in the so called 'holy land' than the jews, so they deserve a little bit respect by the newcomers.
Hamas, Hizboullah, al Quaida, etc. didn't exist for decennies after 1967.They are obviousely the product of Israeli state-terrorisme a quite legitimite self defence organizations. Again, who would act differently in their place - Melani step forward please...

And just for a reminder read A. Einsteins letter Warning Of Zionist Fascism In Israel in the NYTimes 1948 www.rense.co./general59/ein.htm - Einstein must be turning in his grave, or the wonderful Jehudi Menuhin on YouTube part 9/9, both like me not exactly anti-semites...

Melani Philips, why dont you try again?

BJ

The best way to mark the 60th anniversary is to recognise that there is a basis for a solution to the conflict. It's called the two state settlement and has been endorsed by the UN every year since 1967.

Ani

Thanks to Melanie, for her insightful comments, as always. Despite self-inflicted wounds from within, and the swirling, vociferous, ever-meddling, everthreatening voices from without, Israel WILL be with us in 60 more years time. And despite, so often, little indication of it from those daring to voice it publically, there are great numbers of people who wish the State well and have confidence in it ...its historic existence on earth and its destiny written in the very heavens. Happy Birthday Israel!

Craig James

Mike from May 3rd, 2008 4:06pm. I'm not sure what your intent was with the hyperlink to the Johann Hari garbage. I refer you to http://tinyurl.com/6evefw. While HR seems to have misrepresented Hari's words on the stench stuff, the rest of the communique appears to be right-on.

Steve Miller

What an amazing article by Melanie Phillips ! The only accurate, balanced and sensible assessment I have seen in the last 12 months on the situation in Israel in any Western publication. All credit to the Spectator for bucking the trend of unrelentless Israel bashing in favour of fair play!

Mike (the original)

Pierre Amiet: Well, that piece should stir things up a bit! So much so I guess this thread will run and run.....just like all the Zionist friends of Melanie who will be after your blood. They'll come running, for sure, with all their invective, abuse, and anything else they can pick up to throw at you. But hang-in there my friend.

Israel hasn't a hope of surviving in the long-term until such time as these supporters of Israel recognise right from wrong, admit it amd move on. But this takes a high level of moral courage which, sadly, is missing from much of this debate.

Darryl Baker

There is a very unholy alliance between the antisemite left and radical islam. The british left including the SWP, the Labour Party et.al and their media mouthpieces including the Guardian,Observer and BBC News only ever report on the side of the palestinians. One reason for this is that these organs try to inform the perceptions of Britain's ineligentsia. Another reason is any criticism of islam is equated to inequality and racism. This contrasts with the left wing radical islamic antisemitism. The left cloak their antisemitism in something they call antizionism, in this way they make common cause with radical islam. See any left wing demonstration, be it anti war, pensioners, public sector pay, you will see them, the supporters of terrorism with their palestinian flags wearing their scarves. This has been one of their tools using public dissent with the government to peddle their pernicious mistruths half lies and downright lies. Israel has been on the frontline for the last 60 years defending the very democracy that we take for granted. Defending the right of radical islam and the left to demonstrate against the right of the state of Israel to exist.

Adam B.

Mike, how charming of you to say that Zionists “will be after your blood.” A modern use of the blood libel. You like Mr Amiet because he provides the one-sided propaganda you like – no need to mention the Arab massacres of Jews, the genocidal declarations of Hamas, Hizbollah and Iran, the 800,000 Jewish refugees from Arab lands. His account of the conflict is on the level of a schoolboy; contrast this with the incisive analysis of Ms Phillips.

You use the word “Zionist” as if it was a dirty word. It simply means someone who supports the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland. One can criticize Israeli government policy (and in my view this has become a pathological pastime of the left) but to criticize Zionism means one is against a homeland for the Jews. The anti-Zionists believe the Jews alone in the world are not entitled to self-determination. As Martin Luther King pointed out, this is anti-semitism. I could respond to the many errors in Mr Amiet’s rant, but frankly can’t be bothered with writing an entire history of the conflict between Jews and Arabs (by the way, Mr Amiet, the King David Hotel is in Jerusalem, not Tel Aviv. I see you've realy looked into the conflict in detail!)

I think it is you Mike who needs to find some “moral courage,” courage not to blame the Jewish state for everything.

Lina C.

Ms. Phillips,
Finally somebody has the guts to tell the truth!!
Thank you very much for your excellent article. May G-d bless you!

Mike (the original)

Adam B. It's for Pierre Amiet to respond to you, but for me I freely admit I have neither the intellectual reach nor a blood-line of a 5000 years with which to attain the same level of writing as that of Melanie.

However, and to return to you directly, history shows that Arabs have massacred Jews in the past and both sides continue to kill each other on virtually a daily basis.

Certainly the rhetoric presently coming out of both Iran and Hamas should be condemned out of sight.

I will desist from opening yet another can of worms by discussing 'proportionality' or military v civilian; all inevitable as long as this conflict continues.

I've written on several occasions on my understanding of Zionism......you are wrong to suggest that those who criticise Israel are in any way anti-semitic.....another well trodden path.

But since Israel exists, its a fact, I believe that the only chance left for this State is to shed itself of the Zionist project, and its high-jacking of Judaism, and for Israel to find another way to justice and peace with its neighbours.

Have you ever considered an Israel without Zionism, and what it would mean for the Jewish people at large?