I am a 67 years old Brit, working part time on agricultural and food marketing in Africa. I visited Nairobi shortly after the bombing of the American Embassy in 1998, since when I have grown increasingly concerned about the Middle East and Britain’s relations with it. This has got me working to understand the situation and advocate for better policies. What really bothers me is the perennial shortsightedness of western Governments in their dealings with the Middle-East, and the consequent blow-back on ourselves.
I have twice visited Israel/Palestine, and am dismayed at the way the world turns its back. and obfuscates, on clear cut matters of right and wrong, at the expense of the people living there. I have published two previous pieces, including: (1) Journal of Palestinian Refugee Studies, Vol III, Issue 2, 2013, p51-55. The Oslo Accords 20 years on: was it a Major Political Breakthrough or a con Trick? And what does it mean to us? (2) Deliberation, Jan 16th, 2015. Is Palestine Solidarity Missing a Trick? http://www.deliberation.info/palestine-solidarity-missing-trick/.
