Last week, I said here: 'Israel's attack on Gaza is a mistake, mainly because it will probably not work, and because it will allow millions of people to start loathing Israel again. They cannot do this at the moment. As long as the memory of killers striding into peaceful villages and slaughtering unarmed civilians and even babies still lingers in the public mind, Israel will have the support of millions and most of its opponents will keep their voices down.'I did not realise how quickly my prediction would come true. As soon as Israel began its bombardment of Gaza, the superbly cynical global anti-Israel propaganda machine whirred smoothly into action. And Israel was transformed in a few hours from victim into villain. The Hamas murders are already starting to be forgotten. Yet maybe something may still be rescued. If the retaliation against Gaza cannot be undone, perhaps it can be reversed and halted. But is there any true statesmanship or political courage to be found in Israel?I do not myself join in the easy, modish condemnation of the premier, . He is an unusually intelligent and experienced man, one of the very few major figures in world politics who has actually been wounded in combat. This is perhaps the most profound form of experience available, in a world where most Western leaders have never faced anything tougher than a selection meeting or a university final exam.
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