Let the Palesinians back to their homes, and then we can debate punishing the gunmen who've kept them out for so long.

No other solution is acceptable in justice or in law - and perhaps most significantly, the Palestinians are not going to accept anything else.

Fortunately, the problem is actually resolving itself - Israelis no longer ask "When will you make Aliyah?" but "How do I get a Green Card?".

Andy Dyer, London,

God bless you Deborah!

Patrick, LA, US/CA

In 2005, when each Israeli family moved out of the Gaza strip, each family was generously given between $250,000 - $300,000 from American tax money to compensate the financial lost of their homes. These Israeli citizens have already been paid! Now the Israeli government obviously wants to continue to destroy more Palestinians lives, and the US unfortunley supports it, even though the rest of the world doesn't. Does anyone care that Israel has over 64 sanctions from the UN for it's mistreatment to other countrys? Ironically, the land that Israel is on now, isn't even legally theirs, and the US supports that too.

Ross Riccitelli, Orange, Connecticut

To the people in the above comments. Keep it up. When the Palestinians ask for equality instead of freedom, you'll rue the day your racist prejudice passed for any kind of "perspective" on the conflict. Today, there is one state. It's called Israel, and in the state are roughly equal Palestinian and Israeli Jews, in a relationship of radical inequality. Thanks to viewpoints like your own, there will be no two state solution.

Maybe, when there is one state with equality, instead of an ethnically exclusive, radically indulged, nuclear power oppressing an entire people in an apartheid system, the world will at last see some stability in the Middle East. Rest assured, we will not permit your racism to go unnoticed. We will resist it.

Deborah , Wichita , USA

It is the poor Palestinians, especially the women, who suffer. They lose their sons as suicide bombers, their children caught in gun battles are are killed or maimed, in spite of the billions poured into the country by the conscience stricken Western countries, it does not seem to get to them. Whenever there is an event the men go out into the streets and fire off their guns. Is ammunition not expensive? Where do they get their money from to waste on ammo? Remember Arafat' wife who lived in luxury in a posh hotel in Paris? Who paid for this? If the leaders could concentrate on helping their own people who are in need, and desist from acts which only invite strong reaction from the Israelis, perhaps they will attract more sympathy.

Whatever happened to the great Palestinian woman, Hannah?

You read a great deal of the plight of women in the Middle East
Whatever you might say of Sadam, at least women did not have to fear beatings or murder; I believe Gadafi treats women as humans

Anna, Reading, UK

As one who worked in Palestine and Israel as an international observer I have to say, 'Get the facts straight.' Comments about roadblocks, deaths and money given by Lily, Wallace and Steven are extremely uninformed. The roadblocks are some of the over 600 roadblocks WITHIN Palestine--not between Palestine and Israel as implied by their comments. Roadblocks and permits prevent Palestinian farmers from transporting their produce from traveling more than 12 to 15 miles from their homes. When speaking of Israeli deaths by Palestinians remember that the 'kill-ratio' now exceeds 5 to 1--more than 5 Palestinians killed by Israeli military and settlers to one Israeli killed by Palestinians. The $10 billion given to Palestine since 1993 compares with more than $70 billion given to Israel by the United States government alone in that same time period...an average of more than $5 billion a year. -- Lloyd Auchard, U.S. citizen living in Midhurst, West Sussex, UK

Lloyd Auchard, Midhurst, West Sussex, United Kingdom

It is perverse that those who should be the most concerned about the Palestinians' hardship, namely their leaders, also happen to be those who do nothing to reverse it. Once again, others are to blame - Israel for the West Bank, and Egypt and Israel for Gaza.

It is irrational to expect Israel to remove travel restrictions when the Palestinian leaders do nothing to restrain their numerous militias who are wedded to their terrorist careers. In effect, Israel is being asked to absorb terrorist attacks to improve the Palestinian standard of living.

In the case of Gaza, from which Israel withdrew in August 2005, the 'hamas government' actively encourages rocket attacks against Israel. Over 2000 have been fired in the last nine months.

Before expecting others to act to improve their lives, Palestinians need to acquire some discipline and demonstrate that they can form a functioning state rather than a mini-Somalia. If $10 billion in aid has not helped, nothing will.

Lily, London,

How many Israeli lives are you willing to lose to improve the Palestinian economy? A better way is to end the Oslo Peace process. This is what happened in the West Bank after 1967 and before Oslo transferred authority to the PLO.

"...astounding social and economic progress [was] made by the Palestinian Arabs under Israeli "oppression." At the inception of the occupation, conditions in the territories were quite dire. Life expectancy was low; malnutrition, infectious diseases, and child mortality were rife; and the level of education was very poor. Prior to the 1967 war, fewer than 60 percent of all male adults had been employed, with unemployment among refugees running as high as 83 percent. Within a brief period after the war, Israeli occupation had led to dramatic improvements in general well-being, placing the population of the territories ahead of most of their Arab neighbors.

Details: Karsh, "What Occupation" http://www.palestinefacts.org/what_occupation.html

Wallace Edward Brand, Alexandria, US/Virginia

Lifting all the roadblocks is easy for us to say but what happens when the first suicide bomber kills a load of Israelis? 200 - 300,000 Palestinians just a few days ago celebrated their beloved Hamas in Gaza collectively vowing to both increase violence and NEVER accept any peace with the Jews. In fact they taunted the Jews and dared them to enter Gaza and we want them to dismantle one of the very things that helps limit the attacks against them? I wonder if we'd feel the same way being in Israel's shoes? Not very likely.

Steven, Des Moines, US/Iowa

How much was in Arafat's bank account when he died? A billion? More? Their poverty is what happens when all their resources are directed at one single thing - killing Israelis and dreaming that they can make Israel disappear. Maybe when they realize that Israel is never going away, instead of spending all their aid money on new weapons, they'll spend it on their people and their economy and their education. After that for about ten years, I bet the stats would look very different.

Jeffrey Lew, Miami, Fl

A Palestinian state is no longer a viable option that particular horse has well and truly bolted. With hamas in control in Gaza, what is Israel meant to do? It’s a sad thing but Israel should annexe Gaza and the west bank to try to bring this mess to some sort of conclusion - one in which they continue to exist in the very least.

simon, sydney, oz

The Arabs cause their own problems by thriving on hate and a willfull destruction of a Jewish sovereign nation. The Gazan's have access via the Mediterranean and through Egypt. Let them use those areas. Also, where are the billions given to Arafat which could subsidize growth?

Mel Kohan, wellington, Fla.