James Cleverly Tells Pro-Palestinian Protesters to Pause.

Protests by both Palestinian and Israeli supporters have taken to the streets. To show solidarity, with which side they support. And as James Cleverly, rightly points out, each side has a right to protest and make their views known.

However, because the UK Jewish Community, feels threatened by pro-Palestinian protesters Cleverly has told them to "pause" their demonstrations. Mr. Cleverly said, "There's no need to come out and it causes distress". This is a difficult situation.....I would encourage them to pause". Cleverly said, "Hamas is a banned organisation under UK Law".

"There cannot", Cleverly went on, "be an equivalent between the actions of Hamas and the defensive measures of Israel". Hamas came across the border into Israel overtaking an army base, killing innocent civilians, driving off with IDF vehicles and kidnapping up to a hundred Israeli civilians. 5,000 missiles were fired from Gaza into Israel doing various forms of damage. Some resulting in death and injury. 900 Israelis are now dead with scores injured. Hamas has threatened to kill its Israeli hostages as Israel pounds Gaza hard.

2 million Palestinians live in Gaza ruled by Islamic fanatics Hamas. Hamas was democratically elected but it soon became a dictatorship. Israel regularly conducts bombing runs on Gaza in response to missile attacks from Gaza. Gaza has been called the greatest prison in the world. Gazans cannot leave the area, supplies are limited, food is kept to a minimum, electricity is supplied by Israel, and most people are dependent upon food aid from charities or the UN.

Frequent wars over one thing or another often happen between both sides. Gaza never really gets rebuilt as there is not the money to do it or building supplies are in short supply.

Why Hamas chose to launch the biggest attack on Israel it ever did is open to question. Iran while supporting Hamas says it has nothing to do with the current Hamas action. Hamas must have known how Israel would respond. Now as Palestinians are dying, as they are made homeless, as they are injured, Hamas, is to blame. What possible benefit is Hamas to the Gazans? Now thanks to their actions, hell, is raining down on the Gazans.

It is possible, Hamas thought, "We may be destroyed, but we'll go down fighting". Palestinians do have grievances to demonstrate and even fight. They have been occupied for years with no movement on the peace front. Once, a two-state solution, seemed to be the best way forward, but that is obviously dead now. Both Hamas and the Fatah Authority in the West Bank are corrupt and no good for the ordinary Palestinian.

Israel is now led by the most right-wing government in its history. Netanyahu leads a coalition of religious fanatics and out-and-out fascists. Netanyahu has faced protests by thousands of Israelis because he wants to control the Israeli courts. Probably because he does not want to be brought to justice for alleged irregularities he is supposed to have committed. Not all Israelis like Netanyahu or what he is doing to his people and the Palestinians. Orthodox Jews do not like or support Zionism. They frequently demonstrate in the West and in Israel for Palestine. But it seems Israeli internal security forces will keep the lid on any anti-Netanyahu protests.

Zionism has been called in the past a nationalist movement akin to Nazism. While the Jews do have a right to a country where their ancient ancestors lived, so do the Palestinians. Hamas abide by Salafism which is an extreme version of Islam. Both these ideologies are causing death, destruction and danger not only for their adherents. Also, Palestinians and Israelis, who do not share these ideologies. The Middle East is a poisonous cauldron of strife and these ideologies have made it worse. Western intervention has not helped either.

At the end of the day, however, this war plays out and when the dust has settled, will both parties negotiate? Or, will we be stuck, in this merry-go-round of tit for tate forever?