Winston needs a history lesson (or two)

Letter to Herald

The report: 'Peters tells UN civilians must not pay the price of war in Gaza' (9 April), is so ahistorical that one wonders at the level of education of his MFAT speechwriters. It is a basic tenet of warfare (as opposed to terrorism), that its purpose is to create the conditions for ceasefire followed by durable peace. Israel has shown this time after time, by its pursuit of various 'land for peace' deals with its neighbours. One has worked, but most have not. After the 1967 (Six Day War), Israel occupied Gaza and its contiguous area of Sinai. Many New Zealand service people served in Sinai policing the ceasefire line and eventually stood down after Egypt's Sadat agreed a peace agreement with Israel. That agreement has endured. In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, gulled by 'peace noises' from the PLO. Hamas shot their way to power and set up a firebase for rocket fire into Israel.In Germany, post WW2 the Allies occupied that country until Germany was firmly on the path to democracy. In Asia New Zealanders actively participated in the 'J Force' occupation of Japan and in Korea, it was 'K Force' that achieved at least an armistice (if not peace), by forcing the Kim regime back behind the 38th Parallel. Before that was achieved, New Zealand and its allies had militarily occupied the North clear up to the Chinese border.Brush up your history Winston!