John Cowie 'Facts are chiels that winna ding'.

Stunning piece about yet another old-guard, high-level, billionaire supporter of Israel who has lost faith in it - and in Netanyahu. "Ronald Lauder has never lived in Israel. But in the past year the Jewish billionaire, who serves as president of the World Jewish Congress, has given up his remaining properties in the country, a sign of the deep shift in his views of its future. A deep sense of disgust appears on his face as he recounts this. "I've sold my apartment in Tel Aviv, I gave my home in Be'er Sheva to the Jewish National Fund, of which I'm also the chairman. I basically cut my ties there. Because it has become so…," Lauder grimaces, making a gesture of vomiting. He goes on to blame Israel for failing to make peace, explaining that Israel actually didn't want peace: "I realized at the end of the day that Israel really didn't want peace, but they wanted dominance. And I walked away from it." "You've lost the Democratic Party, and you're losing the Republican Party. And it's all because of foolishness on your part. I want to tell Israelis, 'Shame on you! Shame on all of you. Your fathers and your grandfathers fought for this place, and you're losing it because of foolishness. Period.'" I think this reflects the view of many who fought to establish Israel/supported its creation, but at the same time believed in peace. Perhaps an unjust peace, clearly a peace on Israel's terms - but a peace nonetheless. But Israel has long swapped dominance and control for peace, and it has taken quite some time for many of its original supporters and champions to realize it - and admit to themselves the direction Israel actually is going in. haaretz.com/israel-news/elec…