"There is a clear distinction, in my view, between the actions of the government of a country, and the individuals within or without that country. The one is not the other, and there may be many thousands of people who form part of the nationals of that country who disagree to a greater or lesser extent with their government's policies. To criticise the government is therefore not to criticise, or be prejudiced against the whole of the people themselves. The two are distinct and separate."

The opinions of individuals without the country, unless of course they still maintain and use voting rights in that country's elections are totally irrelevant - living as they do in peace and security elsewhere they have absolutely no stake in the matter.

The opinions of those who live in the country itself, provided that country is run on democratic lines, get the opportunity to vote and change their governments at regular intervals (Something that has been denied Palestinian voters for some time now). The electorate of Israel (Who on the other hand have never missed a single election since the country was founded) have democratically elected their current Government, so they therefore cannot distance themselves from the policies of the Government that they themselves elected.

The 15,000+ missiles that have been fired into Israel since they unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, indiscriminately targeting the civilian population have not been fired at the Government of Israel, they have been fired with the express intention of killing the people of Israel and strange though it may seem to some on this forum it is the responsibility of the elected Government of Israel to ensure that that sort of behaviour is discouraged in the strongest possible manner.

The case of Israel and the Jewish people is unique. Anybody can make threats of annihilation against any other race or creed in this world and it would be laughed off as a sick joke. That can never be true of any such threat made to a Jew, because history shows there has been a precedent, and quite rightly the Jews take it very seriously, make a threat about annihilating the Jews - as all Israel's Arab neighbours have done repeatedly since 1948 - you bet they are not going to laugh that off or dismiss it - they will act on it and behave in such a manner as to make sure that it never has even the remotest chance of success. And guess what? They are acting and behaving completely and perfectly within their rights to do so.

I take it Will that your Jewish friend of 50 years lives here in the UK? He can opine whatever he wishes because should things go pear shaped he knows that he and his family will not have to pick up the tab. Israel is a sovereign state recognised by the United Nations - NO-ONE on this earth has the right to threaten it, or attack it. And those who do, or allow such attacks to mounted from their territory should fully accept the responsibility for any retaliatory action that results from those attacks.