There is a peculiar obtuseness about Ted Lapkin, former Israeli soldier and intelligence officer who is now a a resident analyst at the Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council. He rabbits on about military hardware technicalities but doesn't seem to see how flawed his political context is. e.g., Just because Israel is at war witb Hezbollah doesn't mean that Australia is. Just because Israel conducted a grossly disproportionate and destructive attack on the people of Lebanon doesn't mean Australia should be mired in that shameful act. Just because Australia is at war (some would argue, unwisely) in Afghanistan alongside NATO forces doesn't mean Australia has to identify with Israel's present militarism.

Ted, get real - most Australians now are right out of sympathy with Israel: and your bland assumption that we are Israel's close ally and strategic partner is simply not realistic any more in terms of ordinary Australians' thinking (whatever John Howard may think on this). That plucky little Israel we used to admire and feel anxiety for has grown into a militarist monster, and until Israel steps back from its present policies and actions it will receive less and less sympathy from Australians.

Meanwhile please don't egg Australians into an arms race we don't need with countries and people who are not our enemies.

Ted. Having read your piece, can I ask? Have you always played soldiers. You are in Australia, not the USA, with all guns firing.A place where kids can't even go to school in safety, unless they are wearing a bullet proof vest!

Yeah right Ted. Do you know what - I was a campaigner against the Vietnam invasion and destruction and I was right. I campaigned against the Franklin dam and was right again, then it was against the use of CFC's in spray cans and I was right again.

I said before we blew up Afghanistan that it would be a catastrophe with no decent result for anyone and I was right, then I said Iraq would be worse and I was right. I said that the Australian government and many departments knew about the sinking of the boat called SIEVX and was right.

The thing is Ted, I have lived here all my life and been reading history all my life. Now any nation that legalises kidnapping - 1997, torture - 1977, house demolitions - all along, refuses to listen to the International court of justice about borders and denies the very existence of the people of Palestine and then pretend to be peace mongers while waging war on anyone they don't like have lost all their credibility.

If you want to fight wars please go back to Israel to live, which is what you would willingly tell any muslim person to do.

It is interesting that Mark Regev, spin meister and liar is from Australia, Guy Spigleman bomber is from Australia, Martin Indyk, war monger is from Australia and 100 volunteers in the IDF are from Australia while Australia believes it was the muslims of south Lebanon who were violent - Australian Lebanese that is.

The reality is of course that the Lebanese Australian's were trying to get away from the bombs being dropped with gay abandon by Jewish Australians - not one of the Lebanese Australian's got involved in any violence at all.

Now it seems that you should read Haaretz a bit more often - as Tony Kevin says the world has moved on from the lunatic vision of Leon Uris and can now see that most Israeli's have become captive to the IDF who make all the decisions and are out of control.

Speaking of unregenerate former 60s lefties who never evolved beyond barracking for Ho Chi Minh – hullo Tony Kevin! Your comment brings to mind that old quip by Leon Trotsky: “you may not be interested in the dialectic, but the dialectic is interested in you.” Substitute jihad for dialectic and you get my drift.

Regardless of your ostrich-like proclivities, the jihadists are your enemies, like it or not. Australia first appeared on bin Laden’s target list long before Iraq, Afghanistan or even 9/11. He took umbrage at our military campaign in E. Timor to liberate that country from that part of ‘Dahr al Islam’ known as Indonesia. If you think that the conflict with jihadist Islam can be resolved through negotiations and a big group hug, you are delusional.

I am also amused by your ever so typical use of the royal “we,” as if you represented anything other than a marginal sliver of opinion on the far left of the spectrum. I have news for you, Tony. The left-of-centre Canberra bubble in which you exist is not representative of mainstream Australian public opinion. John Howard has won 4 election victories and is on course for a 5th. The Greens – with whom you are doubtless identify politically - remain firmly mired in single digit territory. They can’t win a single House of Reps seat in a general election, and it’s only due to the peculiarities of proportional representation that they have any presence in the Senate at all.

And yet you pontificate sententiously about “we” this, and “we” that, as though your views were reflective of something other than a mniscule fringe.

Jules – quite frankly, I don’t care a whit whether you find my views offensive. Yet I can agree with you one point – your self-professed inability to “fathom.” Your fundamental lack of comprehension is quite extensive.

Of course Israel had contingency plans to deal with the possibility of a Hezbollah cross-border attack. In light of Hezbollah’s nasty track record of launching assaults into Israeli territory every few months, they were entirely justified in doing so

Maralyn

You really do use part truths and selective facts to make your points. I suppose you also support Helen Caldicott's views on nuclear energy, well if so you are wrong there as is Helen.

"The thing is Ted, I have lived here all my life and been reading history all my life. Now any nation that legalises kidnapping - 1997, torture - 1977, house demolitions - all along, refuses to listen to the International court of justice about borders and denies the very existence of the people of Palestine and then pretend to be peace mongers while waging war on anyone they don't like have lost all their credibility."

What do you say about Iran which sent children as human mine detectors in the war against Iraq and according to Amnesty kills women adulterers by stoning? And the Taliban who shot women dead in front of crowds at a football ground for adultery and when the videos were shown to officials they replied, "the killings give the people pleasure". - ABC TV program. Do they have credibiliy or are you selectively saying that is OK?

And why do you not criticise the Palestinians who would not accept the original UN resolution allowing the Jews part of Palestine? You are keen on Israel obeying international law but quiet about the Arab world doing the same. What right had Egypt to attack Israel? The same Egypt which denied its Jewish citizens the right to a passport.

And why do you ignore Saddams killings and torture and his hounding of the ancient Jewish community until they left for Israel? And do you give the Phalanges no credit for deciding themselves what they wanted.

Ted

I'm not from any lunatic fringe. I supported our involvement in Vietnam, I supported our actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. I vote for John Howard.
I don't support Israel any longer. The Palestinians in the face of Israeli arrogrance have shown great fortitude. Israeli behaviour is fundamentally flawed as is the type of reasoning you use to justify the attack , not on Hezbollah, but on Lebanon.

I think Marilyn is very accurate with her assessments on Israel.

One question.

Who really wants peace in the mid East? Israel?

Then why, since it's whipping in Lebanon, has the Israeli Government 'auctioned' further Palestinian land in the Palestinian West Bank?

I think I'll get a nil response to those questions. Don't bother bringing on the usual Israel propaganda about the Arab threats. That's just nonsense. And I just no longer accept or listen to them. I have heard and seen enough.

Keith Kennelly

ps I don't think my view is that of any fringe...any longer. There are many Lebanese Australians in our neighbourhood and I feel great sympathy for them and their homeland. I think we (That's not the royal we either) fair dinkum Aussies all do.