Congratulations Ron, I would also like to participate in the Viva Palestina convoy which is trying to mount a peaceful display of solidarity with the long suffering people of Gaza and at the same time take vital supplies to the people who are under siege by the Israelis with the support of Husni Mabarak in Egypt who I understand is obstructing the passage of the convoy at the behest of Benyamin Netanyahu.

I notice you have been under attack by the usual redneck brigade here on olo who have swallowed the Zionist propaganda about Israel having the right to defend themselves ( from Hamas radicals who have been firing Qassam rockets into Israeli occupied territory and so far have killed about 17 total in the whole period ) compared to the Israeli Cast Lead offensive that killed approximately 1400 innocents and wounded many more.If the Zionists participated in meaningful negotiations instead of encroaching even further to expand their settlements, perhaps Hamas who are theelected Government of Gaza, might stop firing their annoying little rockets.

Your comparison of the Palestinian and Australian Aborigines dispossession is quite apt. Aborigines have had to fight every inch of the way to establish their prior possession as though the British act of planting a flag in the name of King George meant anything to the Aborigines.

I note your mission is peaceful and intentions to further the cause of serving human suffering.

The 1948 movement by holocaust survivors to establish a home in Israel received wide spread support around the world. Where it went wrong was when Zionist influences determined to establish an exclusive Jewish State when in truth they should have established a single secular state instead of having to isolate themselves by building walls.

Like all Empires; they eventually fail. The walls will come down as they historically have in the past.

Has he gone yet?

It is obvious that Ron believes his own dogma. He writes

'For years the world watched in horror as sectarian and racist violence destroyed the lives of people in South Africa,'

I suggest Ron visit SA and see how the coloured are now discriminated against by the more coloured. Ron might also see that he is likely to be a target of violence now in SA more than ever because of the colour of his skin (especially if he is white.) Ron obviously has his head in the sand in denying that many of Israel's enemies see the Israelites as pigs and monkeys. Using human shields is no barrier to many Palestinian terrorist. I hope Ron does not become one of them.

Cont.

Again you inappropriately and cynically invoke the Holocaust – no need to respond to your fallacious comments on this one.

I’m glad you reject the notion of aliyah – should you change your mind & choose to apply it too might reject you! This is probably more wishful thinking (not sure if on my or your part!) – as a Jew, ironically (because of your views), you’d be more than welcome to relocate to Israel.

And by the way ‘bushbred’, you need to distinguish between ‘Israelies’ (i.e. Israelis) and Jews – for your information, only around half (7million) of the entire Jewish population (14 million) are indeed Israelis!

Ron Witton-< December marks the first anniversary of the Israeli invasion of Gaza which brought devastation to a civilian population already suffering years of deprivation and hardship.>

As usual people who condemn the Israelis are selective in their historical starting point. They don’t talk about the history of the Arab leaders collaborating and conspiring with Hitler in World War two. They don’t say that is why Britain was in occupation in Palestine after the war was lost.
They don’t mention the all out attack by the Arab states on the Israelis when Britain pulled out , called the six day war; when Israel defeated them and occupied the disputed land. They don’t mention the handing back of a big section of that land in the previous few years in an attempt by Israel to forge a peace deal with the Arabs to stop their rocket attacks. We all saw on the news the Israeli soldiers removing their own reluctant citizens from houses on that land so they could hand it back.
Did the Arabs keep their side of that peace deal. No; they fired more rockets into Israel. That’s when Israel again occupied the land.

<a population already suffering years of deprivation and hardship>
This is an ambiguous statement. Why had the Arabs suffered years of deprivation and hardship?
Is this not the fault of their own religious laws which deprive them of so much and force them to have many more children they can provide for?

correction of the above article:- force them to have more children they can't provide for.>