David Worboys – Israel and Palestine

The horrific attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists has temporarily drawn the media´s attention from the atrocities in Ukraine. So many innocents of all ages cruelly and indiscriminately murdered and kidnapped has left the world in shock. This was pure evil. The tragedy is that it takes such an appalling atrocity to generate widespread sympathy with the Israelis and their cause.

As I write, the situation in Israel and Palestine seems insoluble. Hamas tries to avoid recrimination by hiding behind the shield of its own men, women and children whom they sacrifice as “legitimate targets” for the Israelis. Understandably, the civilised world condemns the Hamas slaughter. The Israelis have a strong, loyal but exasperated father who will stand by them, no matter what. Sadly, Israel has no real friends. Why is this? The state is surrounded by enemies and is the only country which other nations wish to see wiped from the map. Why do the enemies seek annihilation rather than a change of leadership, such as many of us wish for Russia, Iran and North Korea?

Many errors have been committed, the most serious being the location of the Jewish state created by the allies in 1948 – by annexing territory from innocent Palestinians who played no part in the holocaust leading to the resettlement.

More Jews live in the USA than in Israel and 27 percent of Israel´s population is non-Jewish, yet a majority of people wrongly regard Israel and Judaism as synonymous. But is it synonymous with Netanyahu?

The people of Israel have failed to remove this corrupt dictatorial war criminal from power, despite the fact that he is probably responsible for more anti-Jewish sentiment than anybody alive. There are sickening images of Biden embracing him. Following the example of Ariel Sharon (Sabra and Shatila in 1982), he has overseen the bombing of schools, hospitals and private homes for many years. Since 2005, the Palestinian people´s land has gradually been converted first into an open-air prison and now into an open-air grave. Their borders and coast have been sealed to prevent movement in and out. At the same time, electricity, fuel and water have been cut off, leading to a lack of food and drink, medicine, medical equipment and petrol.

The people of Gaza are as innocent as the people of Ukraine. It is to be expected that the destruction of their lives and their land provokes hatred among the victims and their regional allies.

What is wrong with this part of the world? Subjugation of women by the Taliban, Iran and Saudi Arabia; hatred and intolerance of differing beliefs, practices and races.

Israel has lived with various terrorist, militant and ideological groups on its doorstep. The Phalanges in Lebanon, the PLO, Iran-backed Hezbollah, Hamas, ISIS, Jihad…. All the result of the extraordinary 1948 decision taken by United Nations, partly for ancient historical reasons. But where should the Jewish state of Israel otherwise have been located? Probably in the USA.