"Cestmoi, you need to look into your heart and see that there is no moral justification for what Israel does. Seizing land, bulldozing homes, collective punishment. These are illegal and immoral acts and nothing justifies it. The lobsided nature of the casualties speak for themselves. I will never defend acts of terrorism. I consider it wrong whether the victim is a Palastinian or Israeli civilian. I am shocked that so many people are able to twist themselves into incredible contortions of logic in order to justify unspeakable acts of brutality. We are all children of one God and no life is more important than another. Sometimes the greatest courage is the courage to admit that maybe your own side isn't always right."

Pancho - What is most alarming about what you've written is that there are so many others who share your viewpoint: You condemn terrorism, yet you are shocked when victims of terror retaliate in self-defense? Such a view is dangerously naive, simplistic, and downright illogical given the historical pattern of offensives launched against the jewish state. As long as the groups who pray and long for the destruction of the Jews - be they Hamas or any other group - continue to toil away towards this goal, how can you possibly ask for Israel to sit idly by? Quick tip: it is impossible to successfully negotiate a 2-state solution if one of the "states" in question is not-so-secretly praying for the destruction of the other.

"Any critique of israel should never neglect to specify the oppressive state of affairs endured by the citizens of syria (religious persecution), iran (persecution of homosexuals), egypt (persecution of homosexuals), lebanon (manipulation by minority) and saudi arabia (repression of women); otherwise, one risks the accusation of anti-jewish bias."

- Jude Folly

Jude,

While I am very critical of these Arab countries, and of Iran, I think all your suggestion would do is dilute any attempt to change the heinous policies of Israel. Just think about it: Had all criticism of the apartheid government of South Africa been preconditioned on being voiced only in the context of criticizing the human rights violations prevalent in many African countries, apartheid would still be with us today.

As a Palestinian, I can tell you that the evil the Zionist movement has unleashed on my people since the start of the twentieth century has been nothing short of incredible. Europe (and America) stood by, or assisted Israel, out of guilt or as a result of the power of the Israel Lobby.

While the world looked the other way, my people have been ethnically cleansed to create a pure Jewish state in a country where Jews were less than 3% of the population in 1917. Today Israeli leaders speak openly of Palestinians as a "demographic threat" (imagine being born a "demographic threat" in your own country). The Zionist movement continues to take over Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, cynically manipulating the peace "process" and further reducing any future Palestinian state to disjointed bantustans. The collective punishment of Gaza, where 1.5 million people are kept in the world's largest open door prison and murdered at will by the Israeli army is an absolute disgrace to all humanity in the 21st century.

The persecution the Jews endured is not an excuse for all these atrocities. In fact, "never again" should apply to today's victims as opposed to serving as an excuse to protect the perpetrators.

move - eh, stupid name. I'm not saying they should go with "Jews for Hitler" (that was a joke, folks), but "J Steet"?

But again - very gutsy move. It is indeed a huge taboo to say anything remotely critical of Israel and that is not benefiting anyone.

I was born in Israel, but didn't grow up there. My father is an Israeli Jew, my mother a Christian non-Israeli. My father's parents emigrated from Eastern Europe to Palestine in the 1920s but other relatives who stayed behind perished in the Holocaust. He has many relatives in Israel and I have met many of them on visits. I still hold Israel dear, but as I became an adult and began understanding the complex history of Palestine/Israel I began to feel very conflicted. I have tried to discuss the issue with my parents, but it is too big a taboo. My mother is in fact more millitant than my father - love can indeed be blind and her marriage to my father has made her fiercely protective and paranoid, feeling that everyone is out to get the Jews.

My first (non-Jewish) husband once made the mistake of speaking on the subject of the Holocaust during a dinner - things escalated and he and I were asked to leave. On Xmas Eve no less. (my father is an atheist, but we always celebrated Xmas - no wonder I was confused!) Since then I've basically kept my mouth shut on the subject of Israel or Jews or the Holocaust. If my parents read this letter they would most likely disown me or at least not speak to me for months.

Israel is a chilling example of the abused becoming the abuser. The Palestinians are no saints, but as a people they have become "the Jews" and the Israeli government has become "the Nazis" in terms of oppression. Refugee camps are not concentration camps, but they breed understandable hate in every new generation which only makes life worse for both the Israelis and the Palestinians and is a constant Third World War Hot Spot.

Warren Beatty (an American Jew) made a gutsy and brilliant film a decade ago: "Bulworth". In it are many priceless scenes, incl. one in which Beatty's CA Senator character offends his wealthy Jewish-American hosts at a Beverly Hills fundraiser - although Israel is not mentioned (as far as I recall) it is clear that the guests at the event are very hawkish on anything relating to Israel.

I applaud J Street and wish them success, but sadly I believe they are up against forces so powerful that they may never make much of a difference. But then again, that's what they said about David when he was up against Goliath.