Well, a lot has been going on since I was at the music festival. So I guess I'd better be our roving reporter on the situation here- probably inasmuch as I see it and hear it reltime- as well as how I perceive it.

We went off yesterday to stick flyers on cars, advertising our upcoming festival- which will take place if the violence does not seriously escalate- even more. We passed through pastoral Arab and Jewish towns and villages. It has been raining a lot here( for once) so all was green- the hills and valleys are beautiful now and if all can be put out of mind- one might almost be in Tuscany- or somewhere equally as beautiful and peaceful. Tha Arab towns could be Arab towns anywhere from Turkey to India- except for the fact that most shop and road signs are in Hebrew and Arabic. The shops are full of goods, car and insurance agencies abound as do electricity showrooms and bridal stores. There seemed to be many women drivers , which you don't find in many Arab countries. Of course they don't wear veils, but modern clothing, you do see some old timers in robes and keffiyas though.The population is friendly and we have no fears in stopping and asking directions. Probably a mirror of what could be - if things were normal and quiet in the West Bank.

At each venue we visited , in the music festival (held at different villages) there were cars with "Peace Now" and "End the Occupation Now" stickers . We met musician friends doing their thing at each place- and stopped to take in some wonderful classic Irish traditional music played by "Evergreen"- an excellent Israeli group. They have recently been fortified by a percussionist who was with Riverdance for 5 years. We travelled home late at night- again no problems- plenty of police cars on the roads - making random checks- though we were not stopped. For a few hours we forgot the news and tragedies.

Some of our friends have sons who have been called up and are serving in Ramallah or other Palestinian towns. I cannot imagine them or , in fact, any Israeli mother or father being proud of the fact that their sons are "killing Palestinians" Defending our population -yes- and if I could prevent any terrorist act- in any way- I too would be proud. I do believe that the only way out is to talk- but in the meantime- confiscation of hundreds of weapons and destruction of weapon workshops and bomb factories , must be helping prevent many more deaths- at least in the short term.

Guest- etc is a silly thing to use as proof of repression. Nobody is stopping them if they want to- and I mean that- nobody. Phone lines to the West Bank and Gaza are open. Plenty of people there have computers with access to the internet- There is freedom of reportage and of expression. 20 European supporters of Palestine got through to Arrafat's office. The whole thing was reported world wide. 20 got through but 40 left( ie 20 probable terrorists) Israeli soldiers did not lift a finger to stop them.

I could go into lots of comparisons here- defence of Israeli policies in this that or the other. I won't- I just want you to know that what you see on Tv is not the half of what goes on - one way or the other. Israel remains basically a decent humane society, whose governments have and have had a few bad policies( of which I am ashamed)- along with a lot of damn fine ones of which I am proud. And , Lepus Rex, in what way am I incorrect? Just for wanting to live here? Perhaps I shouldn't - perhaps I should go back where I came from. Funny, when I lived in the country in which I was born- I had that thrown at me more than once. So I'm staying here in Israel- if that's all right with you. Jack The Lad- in Israel