That clear distinction between those who are willing to kill others and those who are willing to sacrifice themselves isn't so clear as all that. The IRA hunger strikers who gave their lives were not pacifists.

Yes there may be those who favour non-violence because of what GUEST 21-May-02 - 02:49 PM calls "narcissicistic humanitarian impulses". But there are others who recognise it as potentially the most effective way of fighting in many situations.

Incidentally Gandhi was one such; he once said that if he thought guns would be a better way of achieving what was needed, in the circumstances in which he was involved, he'd be the first to use them. But they wouldn't.

Maybe there are circumstances where guns and bombs are the best way and the only way, maybe there are not - that's a theoretical discussion. But in the Holy Land as present guns and bombs are definitely not any kind of way for the Palestinians to win a more just and tolerable future. And the same is true for the Israelis in a less obvious way.