Hamas and Gaza celebrates

Sorry, I mean the apartheid Israel enact in the OPT, I thought that was obvious especially since the recent court case but clearly not.

The same question stands. Do you think apartheid is 'defensive'? Do you think living under apartheid plays a role in Palestinians feeling towards Israel?

There is no apartheid. Israeli citizens have the same rights irrespective of race, religion, gender, sexuality etc. Non-citizens have fewer rights, just like in every other country in the world.

You wrote a lot but didn't answer the question. Do you think apartheid is 'defensive'?

I think the reason Israel has been defensive from the word go is because they have been surrounded by countries determined to destroy them since before their formation. On the day the British withdrew, the surrounding Arab states allied to try to wipe Israel off the map. Their stated aim was to destroy the Jewish state and kill all the Jews. Luckily they failed!
There could have been peace as the British empire collapsed if the Arab states hadn’t been so overwhelmed by racism and hatred that they stated a war. There could have been peace since then if they accepted they lost the war and moved on. Instead they’re still trying for a second go at a war they lost decades ago and Israel is left with no options. You can’t make peace with someone who will keep fighting until you’re dead.

Do you not agree then that Israels treatment of Palestinians plays a part? Would you like the country who kept you living under apartheid or who protected the people kicking you out of your home or who prevented you from studying or from receiving cancer treatment or visiting a dying relative or travelling with your seriously ill child? And that's before we get into the killings and the bombings. It's a bit simplistic to say it's antisemitism, the end, don't you think?

This is so true. It is a fact that is conveniently ignored by the 'from the Rivers to the Sea' brigade, but it is the stone cold truth and the reason I would never go on any kind of pro-Palestine march. Not because I hate people who live in Palestine, but because I am all too aware of this unsavoury element, even though people try to be ahistorical and pretend none of that happened.

Their antisemitism predates the existence of the modern Israeli state. Arabs opposed Jews living there under Ottoman and British rule, but were historically somewhat more tolerant of Jews they could oppress and treat as second class citizens. When it became apparent that there would be a Jewish state, they allied with the Nazis. There was genocidal intent long before there was an Israeli state.

The “root cause” of Hamas, Hezbollah etc attacking is antisemitism.

It's wrong to think that antisemitism is the root cause. I'm not denying that antisemitism is used to play a part and if you ask me where would you find antisemitism at it's most virulent, I would direct you towards the Palestinians. But that's not the cause of the problem, it's just a symptom.

It's the fact that what the Palestinians see as oppressing them is a Jewish state, full of Jews. That's why they hate Jews.

Had that land been overtaken over the past 150 years by evangelical christians who then treated the inhabitants in an identical way, then today the Palestinians would not be antisemites, but antievangelites.

The “root cause” of Hamas, Hezbollah etc attacking is antisemitism. There is no version on a Jewish state that they will ever accept. There have been generations of attempts. What do you imagine the Israelis could do about that? All commit suicide to appease the jihadis?

You accused Israel of stalling the negotiations this weekend, making no reference to the reasons why. Now you're misdirecting the conversation, talking about missed ceasefire opportunities from the past 15 months.

Shall we get back on track. What you can't seem to comprehend is they want the hostages returned alive this weekend. Not given false hope of a reunion and to be handed over a corpse.

For once stop with the Israel rhetoric and look at this objectively.

added as the last comment was cut short and can’t extend it

i don’t think asking politicians to come with an plan is a crazy idea.

Of course it’s easy for me to talk about it from my comfy sofa. However, many of the hostage families have criticised the government and campaigned for a ceasefire in the last 15 months. Not all, but many of them have

i don’t think asking politicians , and this doesn’t only apply to Israel but to any government whose citizens have been kidnapped, to come up with a plan that would make sure my relatives would be back home alive ASAP.

The uncertainty of not knowing if someone you love is alive or dead, of not knowing if they are being hurt or neglected by people who took them, of not knowing where they are... It's torture in itself.

It's also frightening to have the prospect of an end to it, to have the potential to have an answer, one way or the other. Because in the pain of that uncertainty, there is still a flicker of hope, and that could be extinguished. When hope is all you have left, it's hard when you risk losing it too.

If my child’s name was on the list I’d have campaigned for months for a ceasefire that would get my child alive. Like many of the relatives have done. Every day, every hour matters so I’d be demanding the politicians to met and agreed to a ceasefire ASAP.

I don't understand how you have such a poor grasp of what's happening. True to their cruel tactics, Hamas has refused to disclose which hostages are alive or dead.

Israel has demanded only living hostages be returned first in exchange for prisoners who are alive. Too much you think?

Personally I would have demanded the release of all hostages. Enough is enough!

I don't want to see 33 Israelis or other foreign nationals returning in body bags. So, if this was the guarantee the Israel government wanted why would you question it.

Can you for once, drop the anti Israel campaign and imagine your child's name was on that list, and the absolute devastation you'd feel being handed back a corpse.

It's not done until it's done, until the bombs and rockets and gunfire stop, until innocent people reach safety. Hope is a fragile thing and I'm almost scared to let myself hold on to it. I can only imagine how difficult it is for the families of the innocent people abducted and taken hostage.

Since the ceasefire was announced over 100 people have been killed.

It is desperately sad that civilians, especially children, are still being killed as this deal is getting finalised. Feels so cruel.

For avoidance of doubt @Whydoeseveryonewanttoargue I was absolutely agreeing with you.

That's not what the said. They were giving an opinion on the process. It's funny how many ways there are to twist posters words to suit your narrative.

It is funny how many ways there are to criticise & blame Israel. Now its democratic processes are at fault.

Not if there are faults in the process which might give one side or the other an excuse to renege. This is absolutely normal in a democracy and absolutely normal in a negotiating process.

I think the opposite, hostages and civilians are still at risk of being killed so both parties need to work to start the ceasefire as soon as possible. Since the ceasefire was announced over 100 people have been killed. The sooner the ceasefire starts the sooner people will stop being killed

To be honest I think a delay of one day (yes I understand every day is tortuous and horrendous) if the ceasefire deal has to be approved by the Israeli parliament is a good thing. Times like this I am glad for democracy, discussion and decision and not a dictatorship or unilateral thinking.