If I told my neighbour that God promised me his house 2,000 years ago, I would probably be taken away by people with white coats. And I’d deserve to be.

But is that not the issue in Palestine today?

The Palestinians have had their land pinched, their homes destroyed, have been made refugees and ethnically cleansed from their own country.

The United Nations, as weak as it is, has several resolutions that the state of Israel should withdraw from certain areas, and allow refugees to return. But Israel blatantly flouts these with its superpower partner in crime, the US.

If they just applied international law, we would have a solution. But that has not happened.

So after a murderous 18-month blockade, where Palestinains often go for five days without water, they fire a few rockets. Nobody dies, but Israel retaliates with F-16 jets, Apache helicopters and Merkava tanks. Yeah, that’s fair!

I only hope the next US president, Barack Obama, will do something, because you can be as sure as a missile striking a family in Gaza, Israel can do nothing without getting the okay from the US.

By the way, the God promise I started this letter with was reiterated by none other than our own Prime Minister in the Israeli parliament earlier in the year. But, of course, no-one carried him away.

Meanwhile thousands die or are maimed in Gaza.

Is anybody out there concerned for the kids in this conflict?

God only knows the turmoil they must be in, and I fear many of them will grow up to hate the bully next door, and will, no doubt, be lusting for revenge.

Now that will improve security.

TIM W SIRET, Evans Road, Eynsham,