I'm sorry you read those kinds of ideas into what I have written here from time to time, musicmic. I won't accuse you of lying, because I am sure you believe what you say, but you are mistaken.

If you've ever seen anything in what I have written which looks like antagonism to Jews, that's not what I was intending to convey, because it wouldn't in any way represent my feelings.

Anti-Semitism is a horrible thing and it has to be challenged wherever it crops up. But branding people as anti-Semitic falsely does not in any way help in that process.

My comment that terrorist acts were carried out by Jewish militants in the course of the struggle to establish Israel is not a lie. It isn't even a matter of controversy. Saying that it happened is in no way an indication of anti-Semitism.

Terrorist acts have been carried out in the course of the struggle for Irish independence and Irish unity. Saying that does not indicate any anti-Irish prejudice on my part.

My point was, the fact that terrorist acts have been carried out has not and shouild not rule out the possibility of negotiating with people who share the political objectives of the people who have carried out such acts, or even with people who have been responsible for such acts. Nor does it mean that those political objectives should be rejected out of hand.

The link I gave, to the story about the Israeli authorities moving against the soldier who has admitted that he had lied about the circumstances in which he shot an unarmed peace activist, was a recognition of what appears to be a positive move on their part, which should be welcomed.

As I've several times said, I do not believe that "one man's resistance movement is another man's terrorism". Terrorism is deliberate targeting of civilians as a way of exerting political pressure. It is illegitimate whoever carries it out.