A scrap I wrote years ago about the Arab-Israeli quarrel - and did not post, probably intending to add to it

It is hard for a conservative - no let me correct that - hard for a nostalgic reactionary-aesthete-fogey - not to love the Arabs, who are so very much less modern than the Jews. Looking at the history of the country between 1917 and 1948 my sympathies lie with the Arabs because they were the ones squeezed out of their land, but at least since Arafat spurned Barak's in many ways overgenerous peace offer and Hamas came along things are more balanced. 

With the recent war in Gaza I think both sides are to blame but Hamas much more so. Hamas throw away the innocent lives of their own people in order to make war. I suppose it's comparable with the Communist resistance in the Second World War. 

A difference is that Hamas targets civilians whereas there were few German non-combatants in German occupied Europe.