The Qibya massacre carried out by Sharon did take place. It was an appalling terrorist act against civilians of all ages. Unlike the Sabra and Shatilla massacres even, where the killings were done by third parties, Sharon was in direct command of the killers at Qibya. He claimed that when he killed 70 civilians hiding from his troops in the buildings he blew up, he didn't know they were there.

I think that prospects for peace would be far better if people on both sides refused to vote for people who have been involved in terrorism. But people have a nasty way of voting for the people they choose, and sometimes their choice isn't very pleasant, and you have to deal with them. Even Sharon, even Arafat.

I understand why people think that long articles and speeches are sometimes relevant. But if you put a short extract or summary with a link to a place where the whole thing can be read far more easily than on a Mudcat thread, it is probably a far better way of encouraging people to read the material, and it is what we have been repeatedly asked to do by the people who maintain the Mudcat. The best way to ensure that a politician gets re-elected is for an outside government to demand that they are thrown out. Maybe that's the idea.