Just two days after we had celebrated the birth of the prince of peace - a birth bringing ‘goodwill to all men’ - part of the Holy Land, holy to three great religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, became a killing field. Yet all three religions hold the sanctity of human life as paramount. So why, yet again, are innocent lives being taken? Of course Israel has a right to defend herself and of course Hamas should stop the firing of rockets, but the attacks upon Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas for its size, are disproportionate and should cease immediately.

There can be no security for Israel, no justice for the Palestinians, certainly no two-state reality until those who have the authority to negotiate on behalf of the people whose voices are so rarely heard, stop shooting bullets and take the harder decision- namely, to sit down around a table and discuss with good-will, a meaningful and lasting peace.

It came as no surprise that the USA abstained from voting for the UN security council’s call for an immediate cease-fire. There will be no change until the new President takes office and we must pray that he will re-energise the peace process.

The British Government knows that the actions presently being pursued by Israel will inevitably fail. Having brought about fundamental change in Northern Ireland by negotiation, perhaps that example could be the beginning.