The root causes of last year's BLM protests were the long term consequences of slavery and racial discrimination in our society. Likewise the Palestinian/Israeli conflict has its roots in the past. Dismissing the anger and frustration from either side without understanding the causes and deciding one side is right and the other is wrong, just papers over the cracks. Israel under Netanyahu and over a period of fifty years has used military force to establish its power and the right to annex lands previously occupied by Palestinians. Its aim has been to establish Jewish settlements in the West Bank and to "legally" take over East Jerusalem. It has encouraged right wing nationalistic extremism to make it a political force. For all its talk about democracy, Israel dare not extend voting rights to those in the West Bank because to do so would undermine its majority in the Knesset. Maintaining Gaza as a hotbed of Hamas extremism is in the long term political interests of the Israeli government. Israel does not want the two state solution. It doers not want peace. It's much simpler to bomb and shell Gaza which in turn justifies extreme methods to keep rebellious Palestinian Israelis powerless or in prison.

Does anyone honestly believe that Mossad and the Israeli military did not know exactly where the tunnels in Gaza were or how many missiles have been manufactured or imported secretly by Hamas? Israeli artillery and aircraft seem well equipped with the co-ordinates. The world's public and press are being played for suckers. The Israeli government is excellent at getting the message out as your editorial illustrates. Opposing voices have to be squashed. Once hostilities end, and the dead are counted, Israel can resume the same path. Hamas will replace the dead and get building again with its disaffected young men, motivated to avenge their losses and the humiliation. There will be another crisis down the road and same game plan will be followed. It is interesting to speculate that if the Palestinians had nuclear weapons how quickly would Israel come to the negotiating table and how quickly agreements would be signed safeguarding the freedom and rights of all who inhabit the area. The threat of nuclear holocaust keeps the peace. Someone should knock all the heads from all sides together. Muslims, Jews and Christians all worship the same God. They need to be forced to agree to live together in peace for their God's sake and all our sakes. "See what a scourge is laid upon your hate." WS