LEN Cowne made a powerful and lucid analysis of the root of the problems of the Middle East (In My View, February 15). But I can't say it's original because liberal voices throughout the Middle East (including Israel) and the rest of the civilised world say much the same thing on a regular basis, though they tend to get drowned out by pro-Zionist shouting from the United States.

Bravo to the Daily Echo for publishing, but watch out for the flak!

Lord Balfour's forecast of a peaceful co-existence of a Jewish homeland with its neighbours was just as delusional as the American military's prediction of a peaceful post-invasion Iraq after just a few months.

One grain of hope is that some prominent British Jews have just formed themselves into a Group of Independent Thought which opposes the Board of Deputies in refusing to accept that any criticism of the Israeli government is an intolerable act of antisemitism.

ROBERT WATMOUGH, Southampton.