Having read Jamil Spatafore Abdullah's letter , I can see the point he is trying to make. There are always two sides to every story and one should be careful of looking at both sides before coming to a decision.

Yes, I admit that my views are influenced somewhat by the Western media but I should tell him that I do read the views of the Middle East media too, through the web site of Memri (Middle East Media Research Institute, that translates Arabic newspapers).

Having read them, I can tell you that the Western media in general gives a much more balanced account of views compared to some of the more shocking views in the Middle East press. And yes, these opinions are important because it is what the people in the Middle East read.

There may be more balanced views and opinions from liberal intelligentsia and others, but unfortunately the views of the Middle East press is the closest to what is general opinion in the region.

Indeed, one is likely to read reports and op-eds supporting Israel's position as well as criticising it in Western publications. I doubt one would be able to read any views criticising Palestine's policies in the Arab news.

I will also admit that what the Israeli government proposed to Yasser Arafat is not everything the Palestinians wanted and could be seen as unfair. For example, the right-to-return for its refugees and land and other issues Jamil has pointed out.

But what many fail to understand is that by accepting Ehud Barak's offer as a starting point of negotiations, it could have led to more concessions by Israel. At the very least, it showed that Barak was willing to negotiate seriously for peace and a Palestinian state.

After all, if he could deliver an agreement, he may have won in the then upcoming elections. Instead, Arafat spurned the offer and that led to Sharon being voted in. This incident gave the impression that Arafat was not a serious partner for peace, an opinion now also shared by the European Union which is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

I am sure in hindsight, many would now look at the offer that Barak had put on the table in a better light compared to what Sharon has offered.

No one is denying that Israel is a Jewish state. Israel has always been pretty clear on the type of state it envisions just as other countries in the region are Islamic states (Saudi Arabia, Egypt etc).

Yes, Jews are given the priority in a Jewish state, just as I would assume Muslims would be in an Islamic state. But can anyone truly believe that the citizens of Israel do not live in a relatively democratic society compared to other countries in the region?

It has free elections where Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs are free to vote for their government of choice; it is a country where its leaders are held accountable to its people (witness the current corruption charges on Ariel Sharon); it has a free press where all opinions are respected even if it goes against government policy, e.g. the conservative Jerusalem Post and the more liberal Haaretz .

No matter what our opinions are on Ariel Sharon, it is the Israelis that voted him in from the hard-line Likud Party, just as Barak was voted in from the Labour Party before him. In other words, it resembles what occurs in a democratic state.

Can Jamil then truly name another country in the Middle East that has the freedom to vote, a free press and free opinions that Israel has? Israel may not be the perfect democracy, but surely it has more democratic rights for its citizens than others in the region?

And I do not know whether his comment about Syria was made in jest or not. I do not think I would want to live in a country under the dictatorship of President Assad, a post he inherited from his father.

This issue in the Middle East is so polarising that many are unwilling to even accept the views of the other side. Both sides, Israel and Palestine, have made mistakes and can share blame for the seemingly unending cycle of violence.

I believe, and I hope people like Jamil agree with me that in order for Middle East peace to be viable, you need commitment from both sides, Israeli and Arabs. I believe if given the chance, Israel would ensure their leaders take that chance.

The question is, whether the Palestinian leaders would do the same? Recent history suggest that hope for that is uncertain.