Hi David Singer

This would be a good topic about Israel for your next article:

"Israeli soldiers from elite wire-tapping unit refuse to use 'extortion', 'blackmail' on Palestinians" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-13/israeli-soldiers-refuse-to-spy-on-palestinians/5741492

Cheers

Pete

#DavidG

I am surprised you would describe people like Emperor Julian, SteeleRedux and markjohnconley as persons of "low intelligence". You never know maybe there are more things we are capable of agreeing on after all.

#Emperor Julian

Your Jewish heritage is becoming ever more clear as you recount your family history. From "now Austria" to Ireland to Australia - the classic story of the wandering Jew.

Being gun runners in Ireland fighting the British your ancestors sound very much like the Jews who fought the British Army in Palestine after Britain reneged on the obligations it undertook under the Mandate for Palestine to reconstitute the Jewish National Home in Palestine.

Give me your full name and ancestors names starting from "now Austria" and I can try and definitively establish your Jewish roots.

Are the Moslems in the 57 Islamic States world wide "overlords and submen" over those who live there and are not Moslems?

#markjohnconley

Did I shoot myself in the foot? Please detail your reasons. Always happy to be corrected if you can point out why the links I referred you to are irrelevant. Until you do so - you are irrelevant.

#plantaganet Part 1

The ABC article you referred to is typical of the media imbalance that my current article deals with.

The ABC article - although since apparently updated - fails to mention that 150 other persons serving in Unit 8200 have signed a letter condemning their 43 colleagues who signed the letter referred to in Hayden Cooper's report.

The letter in response states in part:

"We are veterans of Unit 8200, soldiers and reserve soldiers, past and present, who wish to express shock, disgust and total renouncement of the letter written by our fellow soldiers, who chose political refusal over our unit," the opposing text said.

"This political refusal has no place in the army in general and in Unit 8200 in particular," it continued. "In the hour that reserve soldiers are called to serve their country, we put aside our preferences and political opinions and go to serve our country."

"We regret that our friends make cynical use of politics in their legal and moral duty to serve in the reserve unit, which in our eyes constitutes the highest honor, and seek [instead] to undermine the activities and achievements in the unit's defense of the country and its people..."

"...As those familiar with the unit for many years, we cannot accept the allegations of lack of ethical and moral principles of intelligence work in the unit," it said. "From our first days in the unit, we learned the importance of monitoring and collecting data in accordance with high professional standards and regulations."

"Both in regular and reserve services, we have witnessed many cases where the operation of the unit's intelligence capabilities resulted in the preservation of human life on both sides," it continued. "Even when ethical dilemmas arise on the job, and during the war, witnesses [of crimes] were and still dealt with in a mature and responsible manner, in line with the principles of international law and the code of ethics and morals of the army."

Why would the ABC fail to inform the public of this highly relevant document?

(Part 2 follows)

#plantaganet

(Part 2)

Israel will resolve the differences between its serving and reservist members in Unit 8200. It certainly won't do so by shooting or publicly hanging any of these dissidents as its neighbour Hamas has been doing in Gaza. It won't be murdering any of these dissidents as Israel's neighbour the PLO has done to people who sell their land to Jews.

What Israel cannot resolve is the mud thrown at Israel by seemingly innocent comments like yours deliberately designed to denigrate and delegitimise Israel.

Perhaps you can point me to any comments made by you anywhere regarding Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, the Australian intelligence services tapping President SBY's phone or the Americans tapping Angela Merkel's phone not to mention what must be occurring right now in Australia in relation to phone tapping and gathering of intelligence following its heightened security alert.

Enjoy the mudslinging - as no doubt others will who will flock to join you.

43 dissidents out of tens of thousands who served in this Unit becomes the big story for the ABC. A response by 150 others does not rate a mention.

That is par for the ABC course.

Hi David Singer

Thankyou for asking. See:

- Edward Snowden: should Australians be worried? 13 June 2013 http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=15120 and

- Wikileaks for re-election, 16 August 2010 http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10820

also see http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=13752&page=0#238174

If you need help with your next article - on "Israeli soldiers from elite wire-tapping unit refuse to use 'extortion', 'blackmail' on Palestinians" http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-13/israeli-soldiers-refuse-to-spy-on-palestinians/5741492

just Sing out.

Cheers

Pete