it is easy to focus in on this or that settlement, and one can write reams on the suffering of unarmed civilians, whether they be Arab or Jewish. Ultimately, though, this is a clash of civilisations; both lay claim to the same piece of land, and there is no way out until one side attains its goal.

Contemporary Arab practice is to deny any ancient Jewish settlement (Jesus was presumably a muslim), although it is striking how many Arab settlements have names derived from the older Jewish ones. From a Jewish perspective, the (ancient) tradition records that after the destruction of the temple and the exile of the Jews, the Arabs will be given control of the holy land for a limited time period. As the exile draws to a close, and the Jews return to the holy land, the Arabs will oppose them. This continues until their alloted time span runs out. So here we are.