Dear Julian,

Indeed, Israel would be better off without America - at least, Israel will then no longer be verbally attacked by people like yourself who misdirect their hate of America towards Israel.

Israel can and will continue to defend itself on its own, whether you and your "international law" like it or not.

The vast majority of Israelis were born in Israel anyway, or were brought there as small children. This BTW includes about 20% non-Jews whom you also would have liked to see kicked out to Syria, or why not state your first preference - to the depths of the Mediterranean sea. Jewish or otherwise, all Israelis would fight to the end, shoulder to shoulder, even using nukes if necessary, just as you would if internet trolls demanded that you give up your home and all and move to some unknown distant country.

Yuyutsu, I have boundless appreciation of America as the first nation to be founded on the values of the European Enlightenment. It doesn't need its racist tail in the middle of Palestine.

Could you comment on the significance of the maps at
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/mapstellstory.html ?

PS: Maps like that would apply also to Australia. Everything done to expunge all references to race in our laws, constitution and culture will help right the terrorist wrongs of our predecessors following the arrival of the British in 1788. I'm in favour of continuing to work towards seamless inclusion (a responsibility of both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians) as opposed to a racist two state solution and a treaty as in NZ.

Dear Julian,

«I have boundless appreciation of America as the first nation to be founded on the values of the European Enlightenment.»

Well, I oppose those unenlightened values which ironically you call "Enlightenment". I also despise the American materialist culture, which produces and brings us all that junk. Nevertheless, I must acknowledge and appreciate that without America's military might, Australia would have long been devoured by China, which is even worse.

«Could you comment on the significance of the maps»

What was was, the past cannot be changed - I am now concerned about the present:

1. All the living members of my family in Israel were born there.
2. They all live within Israel-proper, that is within its pre-1967 borders.
3. They were not personally involved and are not responsible for any expulsion or ill-treatment of Palestinians.
4. Members of my family were shot at several times by Palestinians, unprovoked (fortunately no one was hurt).
5. They are ready to fight as fiercely as necessary to keep their homes and stay there - so would you in their place.
6. They will never agree to share their country with others who want to kill them - nor would you.

As I am not a Zionist, I oppose the 1967 occupation and I don't care how small Israel is, so long as:
1) Its area includes the properties of my family and their places of work and study.
2) Israel remains strong enough to continue to protect my family.

I would have welcomed into Israel all Palestinians who would be genuinely happy to allow my family to live and remain on their land in peace, but how many are they and realistically, how much power do they have to oppose their violent leadership?

Re Yuyutsu: I have to share my country with people whose holy books advise them to enslave or kill me. They're called Moslems. They came as immigrants.

Expelling overlords who were not born in Israel is not relevant to your family. People born in Palestine lived in peace there before the terrorist Nakba. A couple of them are friends of mine, both Jews (who hate Israel with a passion) and I have discussed the issues with them, at great length. We agree.

The catastrophic land theft shown in those maps is something that needs to be reversed as the large amount of territory just as brutally stolen by the Huns since 1939 had to be recovered and was, hundreds of thousand-bomber raids and an orgy of righteous Russian revenge in Prussia later.

Dear Julian,

Your fear of a few Australian Muslims, negligible overall except in parts of Sydney, makes me laugh:
20% of Israelis are Muslim already, or at least counted as such because about half of them, though of Muslim ancestry, identify as secular communists.
They are happy Israelis who don't want to be anything else.
They participate in the Israeli economy, have the right to vote (about half of them use it, a pity the others don't) and their own political party. A minority of them even serves in the Israeli army, especially as skilled trackers. Some Muslim Israelis even served as officers and gave their life for Israel.
A few came as immigrants, but most simply had their ancestors born in Israel, never expelled.

Now speaking of "overlords that were not born in Israel", there are indeed a handful, most clearly Minister Avigdor Liberman, head of the extreme "Yisrael Beitenu" party. By all means, send him back to Russia, but the average Israeli is neither an overlord nor born outside, and as mentioned above, is often not even Jewish.

Some land was stolen, no doubt, other land was purchased for good money, other land remains with its original Arab owners, other land was uninhabited desert/swamp while still other land was won at war (by both sides). Reversal of the stolen parts is totally impractical: over those original primitive villages, now are built tall apartment buildings with many families, roads, bridges, industry, hospitals. Typical Arab villages before 1948 consisted mostly of mud-brick houses that had to be renewed every year after the rains or else would fall apart, with just one or two stone buildings for the wealthy Sheikh or leader/overlord. Your suggestion of reversal would create an unfair human tragedy for millions of innocents.

If all the above was true there would be no impediment to inhabitants of refugee camps outside Palestine being invited (with grovelling apologies)to return and reclaim their bit of land.