Lol Anthony Lowenstein's silly ideas.

Lol he is writing a book! lol I hope he gets the money up front.

Surely conspiracies do not come into the argument when we rightfully condemn little Israel for going martially nuclear back in the late 1970s. Israel's so-called necessary atomic defensive capabilities are regarded by many social scientists as the major cause of the build-up of Arab-Israeli tensions in the Middle-East today. As well, of course, much of the anti-Americanism that has spread around the globe in the last few years.

The only reason that Iran is determined to join other countries like Pakistan and India, is not to point the nuclear missiles their way, but towards we all know who, little Israel.

Furthermore, certainly not much sympathy from university academics for Israel going weaponry atomic and upsetting
the balance of power in the Middle East, and indeed many social scientists, even some in America, justifying the necessity for Iran to more than match little Israel in nuclear capability. Such equality was well-known in the 19th century as reaiistic Realpolitik.

Colin Rubenstein, You claim that "similar views" to those of Antony Loewenstein's, by which I take it you mean anti-Zionist views, or views critical of Israel and its behaviour, "appear in vast numbers...in the media..." I'd be interested if you could cite which articles you think fit into that category have appeared in The Age, The Australian or the Sydney Morning Herald this year. A simple list with titles, source and date will suffice.

Don't insult the intelligent by abusing the term "anti-Zionist".

Zionism concerns the entirely reasonable and legitimate existence of a jewish state. It does NOT concern giving that state the right to commit human rights abuses which would prompt sanctions and/or invasion if carried out by a nation unassociated with Christian mythology.

Crying "anti-semite!" each time someone points out the repressive actions of Israel just gives ammunition to those who would claim the jews are still riding the Holocaust gravy train.

It strikes the same nerve Ali G does when he complains "is this 'cos I black?". Except that it's not funny.

Poor old Loewenstein.
All he as ever tried to do is to get Israel to lift its game, something it has failed to do for many decades and particularly over the last 25 years. And for his trouble he has received non-stop abuse from denialists like Rubenstein. Having followed Rubenstein, Lapkin and other crackpots like Mike Naham in the tabloid press, I have found myself becoming more sympathetic to the unfortunate Palestinians. These have suffered so interminably because of the damage done to the chances of a fair settlement through the propagandists of the Israel right-or-wrong lobby.
I will never forget for example, the disgraceful campaign run against the Palestinian academic, negotiator and peace activist Hanan Ashrawi. Arriving in Australia a couple of years ago to receive a peace award, she received nothing but a truckload of bigoted abuse directed against her by the likes of the above.
The problem in America goes much further of course, as Hollywood has churned out endless tonnes of smear misrepresenting the middle east situation to the detriment of the Palestinians. And who owns or controls much of TinselTown?
The terms of the whole Middle East discourse have been warped by neo cons and Zionists, to the extent that disasters like Palestine, Lebanon,Iran/Iraq and now Iraq continue to happen because of the refusal of the fair go from the rich to the poor, in favour of false nostalgia and sentimentalism as masks for sanctimony and greed.

Colin Rubenstein, You write that M&S "concoct a conspiracy theory about the vast supposed power of an Israeli lobby that has maintained a 50-year 'stranglehold' not only on both major American political parties..." etc Would you like to tell us who won in the contest between US President Ford, who in 1975 sought to 'reassess' US policy in the Middle East, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the Israel lobby's arm in Washington? And also which of the two won in 1992 when US President George Bush Senior tried to block US aid to Israel in an effort to halt its settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem?