My thoughts about going to Egypt and Jordan at the beginning of the year was because I always wanted to go, and another reason was that it seemed to be the right time to go because it had been relatively peaceful in the neighbourhood.

I’m glad that I went.

Hamas attacked Israel the other day and everybody is shocked and is standing in solidarity behind Israel publicly at least. Questions are being asked,

“Why did they do it?”

The answer is so clear that even a blind person can see clearly. There are many reasons why the Palestinians as a nation of people are angry and frustrated, although nobody wants the current situation.

In recent years Israel has persecuted the Palestinians, continued to steal and build new illegal settlements on their limited land and the international community has more or less ignored it. It’s more like an Apartheid situation and all the while Israel antagonises the Palestinians and the Israelis can do no wrong. And no one can say anything against the Jewish Community or you are seen as anti semitic and it signals a death sentence for your career or life as you know it.

America has the back of Israel, which seems to make it think it has carte blanche to do what it wants and it usually does. The right wing government run by Netanyahu is one of the most racist governments in years and has made life more and more difficult for Palestinians and I think has led to the current situation and he is enjoying every moment.

Israel has set siege to the Gaza strip, the people there will be like fish in a barrel. The Israeli government could not give a rats about the civilians, as far as they are concerned everyone belongs to Hamas. They have told civilians to leave the area but how can they when borders are sealed. The images coming out of there are horrendous as too are the accounts of what has happened to innocent Israelis massacred by Hamas.

I don’t support Hamas and never will and I don’t condone the violence. I don’t think war solves much, although it does make a few people very rich at the expense of the innocent.

Their is no easy answer, but when this war is over there needs to be a discussion on the future of how Palestinians can have a future without having Israel having so much control over their destiny.

I’m sure most folk won’t agree with my thoughts but I think it’s about time the international community calls out Israel when it does something wrong and hold it accountable so that life in that part of the world can change for the better for everyone.