The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic

– John F Kennedy

My purpose in writing this blog is to examine several issues concerning the State of Israel

1. What I see as disproportionate and uninformed media attacks on Israel, misreporting and bias

2. International moves to delegitimise Israel

3. Israel and its relation with the Diaspora

4. Israel, anti-Zionism and its close relative anti-Semitism

5. The Israel/Palestine conflict

6. Any other issues that interest me with regard to Israel

I am a Zionist. That means I believe in a homeland for the Jewish People in their ancestral land of Israel.

I support a form of a two state solution in Israel/Palestine but only when Israel’s security can be guaranteed.

I am concerned for the welfare of all the people of the region and fervently desire that both sides live in peace and co-operation with mutual advantage and respect.

Oh, and by the way, in case you are wondering, yes, I am Jewish.

Criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitic, and saying so is vile. But singling out Israel for opprobrium and international sanction out of all proportion to any other party in the Middle East is anti-Semitic, and not saying so is dishonest.

Thomas L Friedman, journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner