Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:27-28,31) ‘

This is certainly a positive approach to take in any aspect of life. Indeed, it is the basis of most, if not all religions. But, when such a belief is tested by events, there can be times when it is difficult to know exactly how to apply such a concept in the circumstances that have arisen.

What would the Israelis and the Palestinians want us to do for them? What is their
expectation of us and is it something we would welcome if the situation were reversed; if we were them and they were us?

They need our help; that much is obvious. But how is it we can help them?

Providing real assistance in this matter is not as straightforward as might first be imagined; sixty four years of continuous conflict and struggle have already demonstrated that much. Although we have offered advice and sought to resolve the various issues by diplomatic, financial and a string of other methods, none of these have prevailed and the delay in finding an acceptable solution has only contributed to a crisis that becomes ever deeper by the day.

Helping to extricate people from a position to which they themselves have grown accustomed over the years is sometimes a tricky business. They may not like the situation in which they find themselves but, being only human, they soon come to resent all external attempts at rescuing them from their somewhat self-imposed predicament. Therein lies the problem.

It seems we must take such reticence into account and proceed in such a manner that those rescued have a vital and indispensable part to play in their own salvation. To do otherwise is to insult them and render whatever assistance we might give much less than it could be.

Http://yorketowers.blogspot.com

Sometimes the answer can be so simple that it fails to register with any of us.

Are we helping the overall position here by thinking that relatively minor incidents such as this will soon be forgotten and can thus be safely ignored for the time being? Do they represent so small a concern that pursuing them with any great fervour or diligence seems hardly worth the effort?

This may, indeed, be the case but, as echoes of the larger problems dominating this region, these petty crimes are not without significance. Although they appear to be of far less magnitude than many other matters, they nevertheless convey a broader message; that of the inability of so volatile a mixture of religion, politics and national obsession to coexist within this pressure cooker of such huge racial and cultural diversity.

Unless the ‘small’ stuff can be addressed in much the same manner as with the larger issues, this constant interplay of violent behaviour demonstrates just how difficult it will be to contain a situation that could already be well beyond the limits of retrieval.

It will therefore require the installation of a program that can cast its net far and wide, one that’s quite able to haul in the bigger fish and yet still retain the capacity to tackle the smaller fry as well.

Http://yorketowers.blogspot.com

Maybe, where this business is concerned, we do have to start helping ourselves.
And that we can do by enlisting the most unlikeliest help of all; that of the business itself.

Accept the fact, for crying out loud, that are hateful idiots amongst your number that need to be exposed and face the law of the land and receive swift and justifiable punishment.

(p.s. Apologies to the writer of the article. I understand completely if you wish to delete this comment or alter it in any way. Ignorant comments of that ilk are just painful to read.)