GRAEME SOUNESS: Israel is a country I have always loved visiting. These atrocities are a stain on humanity

• The Israeli people have shown me great warmth on my visits to the country 
• We must hope those with responsibility can broker a peace in the region
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’

I have grieved this week for the babies and children, both Israeli and Palestinian, caught up in the horrors which have engulfed the Middle East.

Israel is a land I’ve visited at least a dozen times and whose people always extended me an extraordinary warmth when I arrived as an outsider not sharing their faith. It’s no exaggeration to say that a trip I took to Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, for my step-son Daniel’s Bar Mitzvah some years back, was one of the most interesting and enjoyable experiences of my life.

Neither will I ever forget my first visit, with Liverpool in 1978. I took Shabbat one Friday night at the home of lawyer and politician Ruvi Rivlin, his wife, son and daughter, in Tel Aviv. Ruvi, who went on to become president of Israel, ended up giving me a tour of Jerusalem, which became a personal lesson for me in the history of the Holy Land. I was too young to appreciate it. I wish we could do it all again now.

I thought of Ruvi last weekend, and also of the family of my old Liverpool team-mate Avi Cohen, a wonderfully gifted player who we signed in 1979. I know that so many people I have met out there will be suffering now.

The atrocities are a stain on humanity. Random killing perpetrated by the agents of a terrorist organisation who – make no mistake – should be called ‘terrorists’, though some media outlets, for reasons beyond me, choose not to do that. We are not talking about flag-waving demonstrators. The victims include babies and children, for goodness’ sake. There is no greater abomination.

Ruvi Rivlin, who became Israel’s president, gave Graeme Souness a tour of Jerusalem in 1978

Souness’s link to Israel began when Avi Cohen was proposed as a signing for Liverpool

The horrors in the Middle East are a disaster unfolding in front of our eyes (Pictured: An Israeli soldiers remove the body of a civilian who was killed in Hamas’s attack)

It also shames me, as a proud Briton, to see that British Jewish parents feel it is now unsafe to send their kids to school. And that British Jewish schoolchildren are taught what to do if a gunman turns up at their school. Let’s just pray that nightmare scenario never plays out in a classroom within these shores. But how dare anyone put children and parents in fear like that?

My link to Israel began at the time Avi was being proposed as a possible signing for Liverpool. We started heading out there to play exhibition games and unwind. We found Israel wasn’t worried about a group of professional footballers who were a touch over-exuberant and drinking slightly too much Maccabee beer. Good times, a million miles away from the devastation we’re seeing now.

Israel was so proud of Avi. I’ll never forget the day he first turned up at Melwood, in 1979, when we were having a full-sized game on what they called the ‘A pitch’. You could see straight away that he had qualities, though perhaps not quite the aggression needed for English football. He was a centre back capable of playing in central midfield and at left back and I later signed him to Rangers. A class act, who died far too young in a motorcycle crash, 13 years ago.

My attachment to the country makes me feel very strongly that we should strive to find a formula enabling Israelis and Palestinians to live side-by-side, for the sake of everyone, going forward. I wasn’t too concerned about the FA’s decision not to light the Wembley arch with the colours of the Israel flag for Friday night’s game with Australia. But we must stand behind a nation whose people have also contributed enormously to the British way of life.

The challenge, of course, is how to bring an end to this tragedy. And to do so quickly, with so many lives being lost. It’s a tragedy on both sides. Both parties to this conflict will have to bend and yield to some extent. There will need to be concessions in the pursuit of what has been unachievable – a road to peace for people in the Middle East.

It is a colossal challenge for those who carry the responsibility to broker such a peace. In the meantime, all the rest of us can do this weekend is pray for the innocents on both sides – and hope that there might be a resolution to a disaster unfolding before our eyes.

The FA did not light the Wembley arch in Israeli colours for England’s match with Australia

There will need to be concessions in the pursuit of a road to peace in the Middle East

Rooney is in the last chance saloon at Birmingham 

Wayne Rooney has not been awarded the Birmingham job on the strength of what he’s achieved in his coaching career so far.

He was a truly great player and there’s still time for him to become a great manager. But he is now in charge at St Andrew’s because he has 63 million followers across all social media platforms. That’s the football world we’re in, with the power of social media. That’s also what appealed to Birmingham’s new American owners, who have made a commercial decision, rather than a footballing one – just when the club looked to be getting their act together, for the first time in years. Wayne’s predecessor John Eustace paid the price of the new way of running football clubs.

Wayne will be aware of the risks attached to this job. I view this as a last chance saloon moment for him in management, given that he has a win rate of 27.5 per cent spanning his time in charge at Derby County and DC United.

His 13 years working under Fergie at Manchester United will have taught him an immense amount. I don’t subscribe to the view that he will need to bring great tactical nous. I know what Fergie’s attitude was to that. He didn’t like to complicate things – and didn’t did so badly. Wayne was exposed to a creed of management which was about assembling a super group of footballers who were aggressive and worked their socks off as a collective. Put all those ingredients together and you will rarely get beaten. I discovered the same under Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran at Liverpool.

Birmingham City’s owners have made a commercial decision by appointing Wayne Rooney

Rooney could be facing the last chance saloon after a poor win rate at Derby and DC United

Wayne obviously knows what’s needed to be successful and win matches, but he has not yet managed to transfer that into the players he’s worked with.

It can be tough making the transition from player to manager. You can accept that people have got different degrees of ability to yours. But it’s harder to accept them not having the attitude that ‘this is the most important thing in my life for the next 90 minutes.’ Wayne was a warrior. Not every player he manages will be.

He obviously wants to be a successful manager because he took himself off to America, sacrificing seeing his kids every single day of the year, which any young father would want.

Promotion to the Premier League is certainly not out of the question for Birmingham this season but there is so much luck involved in management. Right time, right place. I wish him well.

The mystery of Hazard 

It’s a mystery to football people why Eden Hazard wasn’t successful at Real Madrid. 

I know injuries played a part but even his own father said that football wasn’t something he went to bed and woke up thinking about. 

There was always a view within football that Hazard didn’t live and breathe football and I think that’s significant. 

The true greats in football are obsessed with the game.

Eden Hazard retired this week after his unsuccessful spell at Real Madrid ended in June

Scotland have every right to be proud of themselves 

It was a shame that Scotland couldn’t clinch Euros qualification in Spain this week but I’m not concerned. 

There’s no disgrace in being beaten 2-0 by Spain in front of an extremely passionate crowd in Seville. 

Qualification is in Scotland’s hands. That’s where they want to be. Onwards and upwards.

Scotland should not be too concerned despite their defeat to Spain on Thursday night

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