Jeremy Bowen writes powerfully and sensibly, as always (“The war that cannot be won”, 28 May). I only met Benjamin Netanyahu once over breakfast in Israel shortly before he became prime minister, and I took an instant dislike to him – bombastic, vain, and histrionic. As he faces serious criminal charges, the outside world must hope that Yair Lapid succeeds in building an alternative coalition government, however doubtful that looks. When I was a student in the late Fifties, many spent their vacations volunteering on a kibbutz, but no longer, as Israel has slipped from being a cause to assist. What I fail to understand is why Israelis cannot just settle for their comfortable life instead of supporting Netanyahu’s constant expansionist plans, which are the root cause of Palestinian anger and frustration, and which have led to a rise in despicable anti-Semitism around the world. The two-state solution should be pursued with more vigour and determination by our government and others.