Wer verstehen will, warum Israels Kampf gegen den Islamo-Faschismus auf wachsendes Verständnis unter gemässigten Arabern und fortschrittlichen Iranern stößt, der sollte die Stellungnahme von Dr Wafik Moustafa lesen, die heute in der Londoner Times erschien: From within the current conflict in Gaza, a kernel of hope for a lasting peace may come from an unlikely source, the mainstream Arab populations themselves. Unreported in the mainstream British media, an increasing number of the Arab press and political commentators are openly condemning Hamas, and expressing an understanding of Israel’s predicament. Although democratically elected, Hamas has repeatedly proved itself unwilling to act in the best interests of its people. This, coupled with the missile attacks on Israeli civilians from Gaza, has created for the first time in generations a degree of understanding for the Israeli position from within the Arab world. This voice of empathy, long absent from the region, could be a vital turning point in building a long-term peace across the borders of the Middle East. It is time that those on both sides of the divide put aside their generations of mistrust, and demonstrated that they can be objective and even handed in working towards a lasting peace. Dr Wafik Moustafa, Chairman, Conservative Arab Network, London W4