Forum Topic

While I cannot condone violence and the killing of innocent civilians by either side the powderkegs of both the West Bank and Gaza Strips has been ready to blow open for decades.  I witnessed it first hand when visiting Israel as a parental escort to a school party from Twyford CE High in 2000.We drove from Jerusalem to Nazareth passing through the West Bank leaving behind a well-maintianed and ostensibly affluent area we drove through two checkpoints into what could only be described as third-world squalor with open sewers and 'services' on a par with anything that I had seen in South America. From wonderfully paved roads onto surfaces that would do cart tracks a disservice in places. To see many in rags in the 21st century was shocking. Our guide explained that the average West Bank income was around one-third that of Israel but this, in turn was over twice that of those in Gaza!We exited the West bank at a checkpoint near Jalahmah back onto billiard table smooth roads and visibly maintained buildings.Another trip took us deep into the Negev. Exiting took us near Sderot less than a kilometre from Gaza and even from that distance the decay was self evident on the buildings that one could see over the enclosure walls. It was difficult to envisage how almost three million people had been coralled into an area about the size of the Isle of Wight.The resentment was self-evident in that an entire area was being surpressed on the basis of race.Definitely no solution, just observations.

N V Brooks ● 583d