Ghetto

 Yesterday we visited the Venice ghetto (the first in the world, more than 500 years old, and in its day one of the best places in Europe for Jews to settle). We found it a thriving and cheerful place, with a warm, relaxed atmosphere, full of families enjoying the sun after so much recent rain – all very much more lively than I remember it from earlier visits. There were carabinieri and other security personnel dotted about, but no tension in the air. All felt good.
  Today is the anniversary of the horrific pogrom in which Hamas and their civilian foot-soldiers gave the clearest possible demonstration of their genocidal intent toward the Jews of Israel. And now, one year on, the Israelis stand accused of genocide, huge demonstrations in apparently civilised cities call for the destruction of Israel, and the walls of Venice are liberally adorned with 'Free Palestine' graffiti and worse. The world has truly gone mad.