Ms CarterAre you in anyway related to Mr Carter ?You write -'I’m beginning to wonder whether this forum has become in part a school, with Steven its head and John Hawkes his loyal deputy. It doesn’t worry me but this constant repetition of rhetorical questions and expressed annoyance when they are not answered or the answer is not to the questioner’s satisfaction , is hardly encouraging more people to contribute. John H has even given out grades to some of the responses he has received. I would politely suggest reducing the number of questions and toning down the often aggressive tone in which they are asked'.My recollection as to why comments on Israel which I assume prompted your post, have become so large in number and engendered in some of us such passion is that the majority have posted comment after comment, much of it not of their own derivation but from web trawling, virulently criticising any action taken by Israel to defend itself from attacks following its invasion by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in October 2023.These include current actions by Israel to wipe out this barbaric mob in Gaza and retrieve from them the hostages and the corpses it still holds.Such were the number of and one sided nature of these comments that one could only draw a conclusion that many already named on this Forum totally and unequivocally identified with the Palestinians and had scant concern for the plight of Israel and its Jewish citizens."The October 2023 pogrom ? Yesterday's news. Nothing to see here. Move along please".Why this latter position should be held one can only draw one's own conclusions.My position is simple and clear and explains the forcefulness with which I express it.Israel is an ally of the UK and the only civilised western style democracy with a free judiciary in the region. And to have a thriving economy.Compare this with the Islamic states of Syria, Iran, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt that surround it.Some might be described as Islamofascist.An attack on Israel is not only one of international aggression and bullying but an attack on the western world and its values.I can't stand bullies.You make a feeble attempt at humour and an even more feeble attempt at insult by obscurely saying that Mr Rose and are part of a school.Perhaps you could explain this as it is far too subtle for me.What is undoubtedly true is that he and I are the only ones on this Forum that try to rebuff anti-Israel posts by questioning their veracity and relevance.And we do admit that on occasion Israel's actions are OTT and have caused innocent civilian deaths.But this is probably understandable bearing in mind the pressure it is under and the fact Hamas deliberately imbeds civilians amongst the Palestinian civilian population.Never any admission or condemnation by other posters of the actions of Palestinian terrorists that are still putting their own civilian lives at risk.And no one, except a few on this Forum, believes 'the numbers of innocent civilians killed by the IDF' that are propagated by the 'Hamas Information Ministry' (sic).Mr Rose is more than capable of defending himself.But only the densest of readers would not acknowledge the depth of his understanding of the situation and the intellectual rigour with which he presents it.Both far exceed those of anyone else.Including if I might say so you, who seem more concerned with the tone in which views you disagree with are expressed rather than their content which you never or will not refute.You are upset by my 'repetition of rhetorical questions and expressed annoyance when they are not answered or the answer is not to the questioner’s satisfaction'.They are not rhetorical - '(of a question) asked in order to produce an effect or to make a statement rather than to elicit information'.I AM eliciting information.Thus I have asked many times at least three questions to which you and your anti-Israel and pro-Palestine clique have never given direct answers.Perhaps you would be kind enough to do so now.1) What constitutes the state of Palestine over and above Gaza and the West Bank ?(Yes I know Israel currently occupies Gaza but I am sure it has no desire to stay there once it feels it will never again be attacked from there again by Hamas).2) Do you think Israel has the right to exist as a self-governing state on the territory its citizens reside in ?(As of June 2024, the State of Israel is recognized as a sovereign state by 164 of the other 192 member states of the United Nations. The State of Israel was formally established by the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948, and was admitted to the United Nations (UN) as a full member state on 11 May 1949. It also maintains bilateral ties with all of the UNSC Permanent Five. 28 member states have either never recognized Israel or have withdrawn their recognition; others have severed diplomatic relations without explicitly withdrawing their recognition. Additionally, many non-recognizing countries have challenged Israel's existence—predominantly those in the Muslim world—due to significant animosity stemming from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Arab–Israeli conflict).3) Why do Muslim states not recognise Israel and display hatred and animosity towards it ?Racism or envy ?4) What should Israel do to cause the animosity and hatred of it to cease ?But perhaps there is nothing it can do, for today Israel has been labelled by the left and faux progressives as the most evil country in the world, whose actions are always indefensible and is only getting what it deserves.Especially, as one that as someone on this Forum said, "took its eyes of the ball"I look forward to your response.
John Hawkes ● 24d