Dear Friends, old and new: Let’s begin with something from ISRAEL:  Recently, before Prime Minister Yair Lapid addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations at the annual opening, we, Israelis were in a state of nervous expectation.  The order of speakers in that august, if impotent, an organisation is – First Presidents, then Prime Ministers and when his turn came the PM walked confidently to the podium and began the speech of his life. He was brilliant, quiet, understated but firm and his introduction opened by telling of his love of country and his family’s Holocaust history. Quietly he brought his discourse to the crux of the Middle East problem and the possible solution. He promoted the idea of a two-state solution but with one essential caveat.  First and foremost a peace agreement is signed and honoured between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Here is his speech.  The religious opposition uses hate speech and fear of the Palestinians to move their agendas forward. Amazingly P.M.Lapid actually called the Palestinian Leadership’s bluff. THEY DO NOT …