I’m not saying I’m pro Israel, however..:

[Lelophants]

Surely most people can understand that if Israel was Great Britain and Hamas came and massacred children and innocent people in early October, then Great Britain would go to war and absolutely hammer them back? You just have to look at the response to any other war we’ve had. Do you really think the British government would behave perfectly in this situation? Do you think any western nation would do anything else in response to such an attack? I can genuinely see British people screaming in the streets to murder all babies of Hamas if this was the case. (Not saying it’s right!! I just don’t think we would be better in any way!!)

Personally I find this a really complicated conflict due to the deep history and I feel deeply sorry for civilians on each side.

Yes, there was an election earlier this year and there were lots of protests.

Its not just the extreme settlers. May have posted this before but my (right wing) brother in law who eats pork and lives in Israel asked me whether I would choose between a 2bed flat in tel aviv or a 5 bed detached house in the West Bank (with giant garden). Apparently the settlement in the west bank he was referring to is within driving distance of Tel Aviv. I said tel aviv obviously, and he said I was silly. but his reasoning was similar to a mumsnetter telling me I am silly to spend £400k on a 2 bed flat in London as opposed to a 5 bedroom house in the north.

At least half the people live there because of cheap housing, similar to how Londoners buy houses in Hemel Hempstead... The fact that it is on disputed territory does not bother them as much for some reason, i guesss they have been conditioned to accept this as the price for spacious housing.

Worryingly, some settlers now say they want to move back to Gaza. They were removed in 05 and now they want to go back. For god's sake, if they move back to Gaza and Gazans only have half of gaza cos Israel annexes the other half, I don't know how the world would forgive Israel. Do they absolutely need to live there?

He’s voted in (or out) I assume.

Less than 25% of the vote at the last election so he had to cobble together a coalition. He gets voted in because he's seen as "Mr. Security" but that obviously got totally f*** up this time. I think he'll be gone after this but unfortunately I don't know how many people will be killed before it gets to that stage.

OP with all due respect but when the IRA bombed areas of the UK the British did not bomb the whole of Northern Ireland did they? Collective punishment?