Hi Enbal, thanks for your reply.

Although I understand the issue in Israel are you saying that it is a microcosm of what is happening in the world as whole? I now understand you are talking about Israel imparticularly, but by not emphasising this point it makes the argument rather generic. What I am saying is that it does happen in areas all over the world, but there is a hatred towards all faiths globally. By focusing wholly on one religion i feel like you're negating the rest with no alternative examples.

As the last person in the world who would be affected from others and even less- from the media - are you therefore saying that we are? What are the benefits of making Muslims the bad guys? Alternatively, can you think of benefits of making Jews the bad guys?

Can i also just repeat my previous question? "do you find that Israelis and Jews having the same problems in other countries too? "

Thanks :)

Secondly, if you learned about the bible (the Torah in this case i assume as you also say the New Testament), the New Testament and the Koran, how much of each did you learn? Do you find that your understanding of these texts has been affected by the media or, perhaps, by certain events in your life? In view of this, what changes/affects have you seen by media opinion/articles?

Finally, demonising any religion is unacceptable, but referring to Israeli newspapers only is perhaps a little too focused, are there any further examples than the ones mentioned above and do you find that Israelis and Jews having the same problems in other countries too?

Thanks

Martin

Hi Enbal, your article is extremely interesting for a number of reasons. Rather than refer to each point I'd like to focus on your comments "I was born Jewish but I’m an atheist, and all I know about Islam is from wanting to learn the truth about all religions. I learned about the Bible, the New Testament and the Koran" and ask a couple of questions, as follows:

Firstly, being born Jewish and choosing to be an atheist is absolutely your choice and right. But do you think you can differentiate between being born Jewish and being raised Jewish?

It's never good to hear that your family smell destruction as they walk down the street. I have no doubts that the wreckage is an unforgettable sight and, for many Palestinians, those places will be the very grounds of their deaths. It's horrible.

Please expand, however, on your final line. To 'reinstate a sense of peace and hope (one that rarely ever existed in the first place) among the Palestinians' would mean that that there was a sense of peace and hope there in the first place - even if it was rare. Are you therefore saying there was indeed a sense of peace and hope previously - and are you also speaking for all Palestinians when you talk of this? It's not something i'm lead to believe.....

Thanks

Nice piece rachel

Tom, my office is also full of dire chat, constant phrases defining the misery of the nation and I know that my office is but one of thousands which has felt the brunt of the recession - ie. redundancies and fear. Some people even live off this fear, i'm not an economic expert either, but short-selling seems to do people in business a world of good (if they're the ones starting the fear in the first place). But i also read, when this first hit, how fear is inevitable in the cycle of recession, boom and (serious) bust. Alternatively, check this out:
http://www.businessinsider.com/2008/12/recession-leads-to-surge-in-online-dating

At least we can be in it and come out of it together.

Julian, thanks for your answer to my question - What will we do if they ban thecommentfactory! Actually...what will Matt do?!

Hi Anna, thanks for reminding me of the TESL point of your article. I agree that dealing with the literature and discussing it is extremely important, maybe there should be as much emphasis on the structure of the language as the literature surrounding it.

As for the project in London I'll try to answer your questions in order (as long as I'm not being naive and they're actually rhetorical!). Firstly, we'll only know how many of the youngsters use them at the end of the project. Who knows whether they see the point of using them, it's always difficult to make a judgment on that without surveys or data, but although the kids may be under-educated, they're not ignorant of that fact that getting something for free is always good! I do completely agree though, it's up to the educators in the class to encourage them to go (I did see a few school groups at the theatre a couple fo weeks ago) and there also has to be a way that the literature touches their lives in ways that they associate with - i think this point is intrinsic to your article/argument.

Hi Anna, I studied English Literature at uni and completely agree with your views on the importance of literature and the English language.

I'm not so sure however on the point that teenagers "don’t really care about government or world-historic events." Furthermore, i also don't necessarily agree that "poetry, playwriting and novels" are viewed by the higher authorities as "esoteric and redundant". For example, although it was a rushed measure, a new injection of money into London's theatres has created an opportunity for youngsters to go to the theatre and indeed learn about Brecht and Shakespeare without even paying a penny. Please see this:
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/21850/plan-to-offer-a-million-free-theatre-tickets

So, do you only suggest an open-class discussion on literature or is there something more that can be done on a government and grass-roots level?

Really liked this article Julian. Being in England it's good to find out what's really of importance in Australia. Do you think that they don't publish the list is because they don't want it to have the reverse effect, a type of 'red-button' effect ie. "Don't go here, this is a bad site" - which leads people to going to the site?