The One Voice Movement will launch in the UK this Wednesday apparently. One Voice Movement is a organisation/pressure group that seeks to highlight “mainstream” Israeli Palestinian views against those of the extremists.

The cause and the aim of the group are virtually angelic, and morally impeccable, I say nearly because nothing can be perfect.

The nagging thing for me is though that it is an American based program. It works with Israeli and Palestinian moderates, rather than been run by them. I always feel slightly uncomfortable with the idea of Johnny foreigner wondering in and asking the two people to simply play nicely.

When I’m challenged to why I still believe the Iraq war was a mistake despite it bringing in democracy I follow the same basic feeling. Democracy is meant to be all about bottom up power, that is democracy the masses selecting a few to rule for a period of time. If as in Iraq democracy is imposed top down then said democratic regime immediately loses that quality.

On Wednesday they will apparently be asking for MPs and I think the public to record messages. What exactly are they going to say though? Stop attacking each other.

Don’t get me wrong, I am fully behind their cause, I just don’t feel comfortable with the means. Despite the virtues of the aims I can’t feel comfortable with the idea of uninvited messages of support and advice to moderates. Perhaps if the roots of the organisation were in the Middle East it would feel more genuine and a little less well “White Mans Burdenish”.

We can voice our support for moderates all we want but we must at the end of the day the solution to the Middle East Tragedy lies with the Israelis and Palestinians themselves.