Hiya!

Thanks for your response.

The UN partition (adopted by the UN as Resolution 181 (ii)) recommended the creation of independent states for the Arabs and the Jews. This was of course, rejected by the Arabs who, understandably, were unwilling to siphon half of their land to people who had been the long term victims of European racism, and who had a religious claim on their land; as to whether that claim was valid/legal or otherwise is another story.

I do not deny the right of Jews to have a state, and I cannot bow to shock rhetoric just for effect. There is too much hate in this world already, and adding to that and stirring up violent emotions is not something I see as constructive in any way.

That said, I try to present the facts (backed up with references when at all possible) as I see them, based on the reading and research I have done for each post; if someone disagrees or takes issue with my interpretation then that is their right. What I will not do is resort to name-calling or social media style rants just to increase readership, gain fans/followers/clappers. I write to put my point of view based on facts as I see them. If I do offer an opinion, then I try to be clear that this what 'I think,' and is not the opinion or view of a journalist or expert.

There was no ideal solution for the Jews in the wake of the Holocaust; when I read tales of the 1947-48 Arab-Israeli war and the Nakba, my overwhelming feeling is that had those first settlers and early Zionists been more conciliatory and empathetic towards the concerns and situations of the Palestinians then things may well have turned out differently. But I am not a Holocaust survivor, and I have no comprehension of the fears and traumas that Jews at the end of the war must have been feeling. Reading about something and attempting to empathise is not the same as having experienced something directly, and so for me to pass moral, emotional or political opinions onto the actions of those early Zionists is not only unwarranted, it is uninformed. What I can do however, is to relate the writings, thoughts, ideas and opinions of those who were present, who did experience those days, and allow people to draw their own conclusions based on that.

I do believe the Zionist project was always a colonial endeavour, by any other name, and that the early settlers came in with a Euro-colonial mindset that imbued them a sense of moral, technological and genetic superiority, that was, and is, wholly mistaken, wrong and is the root of much of the troubles we have today.

Okay, I always go on far too long with my replies. Thanks again for your interest, Have a great weekend.

Peter