About New Zealand and fireworks - we used to be really big on fireworks - but there has been a concerted effort to tone down fireworks and also remove them from our culture - in the 1990s, you could buy crackers - since then, they have slowly banned all types of fireworks - the main reason, of course, is that fireworks have gunpowder in them, so they must be removed from people's hands. The public cannot be trusted with anything. The fact that the fireworks at, I'm guessing Sky Tower, were small, was just part of the agenda to get rid of fireworks.

About Israel and an international coalition - there is a lot of gas there, so I would guess everyone wants a slice of the pie. I don't think it will be built back really - what I think will happen is the Palestinians will be forced to move - they will become refugees - maybe not this time, but that will be the end goal. Israel will take Palestine.

Thanks!