7th November 2021

 Explosions still reverberated outside last night, live explosives inexplicably freely sold to the general public here. Fitting really, as we watched the first two episodes of Valley of Tears on channel More4, the magnificent Israeli drama about the 6 day war. For once I didn’t mind the subtitles, the story was so compelling. It even included actual footage of General Dayan and PM Golda Meir as they broadcast to the nation during the 1967 hostilities. It took my mind back to why I included a chapter about the conflict in The Meleke Stone. As fictional Dov Cohen says to his men on the eve of war: “Israelis only ever fight when attacked. We’re not interested in aggression unless sorely provoked. All our people have ever wanted is to be left in peace on our own tiny bit of land. But today, as usual, yet another aggressor’s on the horizon proclaiming aloud their sole intention to annihilate us.”  A question to the rest of the world: what would your country do if continually attacked by a consortium of surrounding states, vowing your extinction? Well, after WWII and being herded silently to the gas chambers by yet another enemy, there’s only one thing the Israelis can do: stand up, be strong and - when attacked - fight back to defend themselves.