A Sydney daily recently published  a survey of attitudes towards the current Israel/Palestine conflict in the Gaza strip. It demonstrated that there was a wide gulf between Boomers who largely supported Israel and Millennials who were mostly sympathetic towards Palestinians. Of course, these are not cut and dried positions, for one can be supportive of Israel's right to defend itself and opposed to the bombing of civilian positions, even if this kind of thinking presents a logical dilemma.

I wondered why there was such a gulf, and while noting that young people do tend more readily to take on causes that promote social justice, climate action and so forth, there are plenty of reasons why older Australians should also be very active and vocal too.

I worry also that the issue of Israel's right to exist, denied by Hamas and other radical organisations, has been overlooked in any discussion. There is also the question of the passage of time - the Shoah is now an event as old as World War Two, something which looms large in my mind, but which may be fading from view in some quarters. It seems a long time ago.

I could go on about the rise of antisemitism and the absurd conspiracy theories that I have heard from perfectly reasonable people, but I won't give them the oxygen of publicity.

Having said all that, a two state solution in which both sides accept the right of the other to exist is the only real way forward. I have my doubts that Palestinian politicians will ever back down on this issue. But I continue to hope. A wider peace depends upon it.