Jim,
You have always put it up as an excuse and accused uss of singling outt Israel

I have never put it up as an excuse, but I do accuse you of always and only singling out Israel for criticism while ignoring the much worse record of all its neighbours.
And not just in dicussions about Israel. This thread is not just about Israel.

Steve,
Well most thinking people would regard the people of Gaza as persecuted.

Really? Who by? They have suffered from being in a permanent state of war with their powerful neighbour, but that is the fault of their government not persecution.

The Christians who used to live there were persecuted though.