Despite Tanveer Ahmed’s thoughtful piece, I cannot help but wonder at the underlying theme: ‘The inhabitants of Israel have suffered such generational trauma so as to have sustained, almost irretrievably, deep and lasting psychological damage’. This view of ‘damaged goods’ will undoubtedly 'inspire' attitudes of Western condescension, layering further ignorance over already held misconception.

To say that, “Israel’s existence depends upon the unique classification of Jewish pain” is to not only dwell in the past but, quite ironically, to also deny it. If the ‘Jewish pain’ is to be abolished then so to must the state Israel also vanish, or so the argument goes. As Chatoul says, “The suggestion that Israel's raison d'etre is only justified when viewed through that nation's history of persecution is outdated and simplistic” is as accurate a comment as I can find.

Israel’s founding fathers had the secular vision of founding a modern democratic state - to be an expression of Jewish nationalism rather than Jewish faith. It are the religiously introverted in Israel who repudiate the creation of a Jewish state as an act of sacrilegious presumption, teaching in effect a non-separation of religion and state. There is a parallel between Ultra-Orthodox Jews and the Christian Right - they both regard modernity as a tragedy and place a question mark against the legitimacy of state institutions.

The raison d'etre of the U.N.’s existence was in the formation of Israel - implicitly understood was the shame and humiliation perpetuated by the Nazi ideology on all of human kind. Jews were not unique in this sense but bore the brunt of an extreme dogma. "Historical Israel", as distinct from "literary" or "biblical" Israel, was a subset of Canaanite culture. Canaanite immigrants, who became dominant in a great delta city, were forcibly expelled by the Egyptians around 1570 BCE. The ‘rest’ is largely the substance of myth and legend – including the idea the Egyptians may perhaps have been the first ‘colonisers.’

The author notes the following: "It is often forgotten that during World War II, many Muslims reached out to Jews fleeing the Holocaust, even though many would settle in Palestine and help create the state of Israel".

While I would question the use of the word "many" ("some" may be more appropriate, given the stance of Mohammad Amin al-Husayni during World War Two and his ties to the Axis powers), it is interesting to note that in today's online edition of Arutz Sheva (http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/129597) there is an article titled, "Exhibition Honors Muslim Holocaust Rescuers". The article concerns an exhibition commemorating Muslim Albanians who rescued Jews during World War Two. The exhibition opens next Tuesday (International Holocaust Remembrance Day), at the mixed Jewish-Arab town of Ramle, near Lod.

As the article states: "While much of Europe was willingly giving up its Jews to the Fascists, the Albanians, whose renowned hospitality is deeply steeped in their traditions and culture, went to great lengths and personal risk to shield Jews from Nazi German occupiers of Albania during World War II".

As a result, the small Jewish population of Albania was actually larger at the end of the war than at the start and 63 of the 22,000 individuals who have thus far been recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations, are/were from Albania.

It is an appalling pity then to see some pro-Palestinian protesters in recent weeks spitting out vile epithets to the effect that Jews should go back to the oven as a result of Israeli policy in Gaza. They are the ones who are forgetting history.

Just reading comments such as Relda's and Savage Pencil's, I never cease to be amazed at how so many people remain in total denial of the horror Israel is inflicting on the Palestinian people. It's like a weird psychological dyslexia that seems to automatically block any sense that Palestinians are human beings.

If in doubt that Palestinian suffering might be stealing Israel's limelight as the West's favourite victims, just bring up some uplifting little tale about Holocaust survival or some obscure Old Testament tribal victory fable. Where would Hollywood be without them?

I'm sure that to some people, it's endlessly fascinating that 'Canaanite immigrants ... were forcibly expelled by the Egyptians around 1570 BCE' and that Albanians 'went to great lengths and personal risk to shield Jews from Nazi German occupiers of Albania during World War II'.

But, really, what on earth has it got to do with the fact that a population numbering in the millions has been coralled into a series of what are effectively concentration camps, where they have been starved, crippled and demoralised by a 60-year policy of state terrorism?

If the perpetrators of this inhumanity were only limited to Israel, it might be easier to understand and to forgive. But the perpetrators are not just Israel but the West's own Middle East policy - a policy that shows no signs of developing any long overdue compassion under the Obama administration.

Keith,

Hamas rockets are not provoked by blockades or any other action of Israel. Hamas rockets are aimed at Israel because it exists. Have no doubt about that. You need only look at the Hamas charter to SEE FOR YOURSELF the truth in that statement.

Hamas rocket attacks ebb and flow in concert with logistics and strategy, not political negotiation. Much as the loony left would like to pretend that quiet periods are actually signs of Hamas seeking peace, the reality is that they meet a strategic aim on the road to total victory.

Hamas baldy state that truces and agreements with Israel cannot be lasting and should be used as cover to advance their goals. It is impossible for a REAL peace be negotiated without two parties genuinely committed to it.

You say >> “... the Israeli's seem to want to extend and continue the punishment ... indefinitely. “

The above is just self indulgent nonsense. The Israelis want security. They want peace. And until recently they had an enemy who had no intention of allowing that to happen.

The average age of a Palestinian is 15.6yrs old. The history of 1948-1967-1973 is certainly no more relevant to most Palestinians than holocaust is to the Israelis.

You say >> “Have absolutely no doubt at the end of the last truce the first provoctive action was by Israel re-enforcing the blockade”
This is the most egregious nonsense. Hamas NEVER abided the terms of the truce. Rocket attacks continued during that period, and Hamas massively stepped up their arms smuggling during that period. So this idea that Israel somehow broke the truce first is diabolical. Hamas are committed in their Charter to NEVER making peace with Israel. So this idea that Israel is derailing the peace process is truly laughable.

I feel for the Palestinian people. So do a large number of Israelis. But they are the victim of their own leaders obsession with destroying Israel. It won’t happen and the sooner they realise this the sooner real peacemaking can begin.

BTW What did Gazans vote for when they elected Hamas?

Well hello PaulL

Here's Israel's problem:

'the average age of a Palestinian is 15.6yrs old.'

What's it going to be 20 years from now?

And what will be the average age of the Jewish Israel settler?

You'd be better off encourging the Jewish Israeli's to sue for peace now, while they can, rather than trying to encourage the surpression of natural growth and ... errr ... zionist regional development.

Happy New Year PaulL

A majority of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza voted against the Israeli puppet Abbas.

They've been punished by an interfering neighbour who wounldn't accept the democratic outcome of a UN supervised election.

That's just so f..king sick, unnateral and akin to nazism that it is utterly unacceptable in the Western Liberal Democratic traditions.

Israel is making it's own Armageddon with it's present actions. Why can't you rise about the snivelling snout pushing Israeli lies and propaganda and look at the longer term view.

Today's Jewish Israeli behaviour is reminesent of the behaviour of the tribe of Moses after Moses first came down the mountain with the first tablets of the Ten Commandments.