Thank you to all those who came along to my discussion at the Shoreham Methodist Church about the Israel/Palestine situation. It was a very well attended meeting and predictably a lively one at that. I reported back on my recent trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank including some photos of the Bedouin settlement and school at Khan al Ahmar which has subsequently been bulldozed.
Whilst there were strong feelings on both sides of the argument my aim was to concentrate not on taking sides but to take common cause with ordinary Israelis and Palestinians who are more interested in a lasting peace than their respective leaders who have led them badly for too many years. I have promised to organise a follow up meeting if I return to Israel from the perspective of the Israeli Government. We are never going to solve this age old conflict in a church in Shoreham-by-Sea but being better informed and engaging in respectful debate can only be a good thing.