I didn't say "Terrorism has been disastrous for everyone, except the Israelis" - that would indeed have been ridiculous.

How about:

Terrorism has been disastrous for everyone, except Sharon. And Sharon has been disastrous for everyone.

It does seem to me that there is a kind of symbiotic relationship between extremists on both sides on internecine conficts. Of course, that in no way excludes murdering each other. In fact that is a key part of the dynamic process.

...........................

To get back to casting around for solutions, we keep on getting claims about how the Camp David Summit offered the Palestinians everything they could have wanted for a viable sovereign state, and that refusing to accept it on the spot could only be seen as totally unreasonable. If that is actually true, it is obviously important.

But nowhere have I seen a map showing what was actually on offer. The only maps which have turned up show something which is very much less than a "viable sovereign state" - for example. If Israel had been offered a state looking like that, fragmented and enclose, I do not think anyone would suggest that it could have been described in such terms.