Boaz, one wonders why you bothered to raise you head seeing that you treat Antony's contribution with so much disdain. Indeed, one might also ask "where do you live" and therefore what right do you have to speak on behalf of your Zionist mates.

I feel sorry for the Israelis, pawns as we all are in the Big Game. It is not well known the great degree to which Zionists collaborated with the Nazi regime, both had an interest in deporting Jews out of Europe. The danger to both sides was the great degree to which European Jews were assimilating, and losing their 'uniqueness'. The Ghetto works both ways, the external threat serves to band people together and protect their cultural way of life. Israel is just a big ghetto, and the Zionists need the constant threat of extermination to keep Jews Jewish. Otherwise, Israel would fairly quickly become just another Western secular state, where religion is private and in decline. Peace is the last thing Zionists want.

I am a supporter of Israel behind the '67 border, though I am uncomfortable with the injustice suffered by the native people through Israel's creation to salve Western Holocaust guilt. I had this idealistic vision of the Kibbutz movement, which US influence has crushed. Not much left in Israel to support now, except the human rights of her people, Arab and Jew.

I feel sorry for the Israeli people because of the next holocaust. Their country is a blight on the world, and would have disappeared decades ago if not for the support of the US. The US backs Israel not because of an all-powerful Jewish lobby, these people are to be the scapegoats when the American people turn on the US government. Oil of course, and Israel is the only friendly, secure regime in the region; a fixed aircraft carrier and the wedge between pan-Arab nationalism. Israel owes its existence to US protection, and this is another reason there will be no peace. When the US no longer needs Israel, they will leave, they always do. There are no friends in geo-politics, only interests. As the last drop of American interest flows out of Arabia, so will the Marines from the top of the US embassy in Tel Aviv.

And then we will have a real holocaust that no one could deny.

Rather mysterious post Earthrise. Can you make it a bit clearer who will be destroyed in this 2nd holocaust?

As for the others who believe Israel to be "in trouble" get real. Last year only Iran was making threats and Syria mumbling something or other, whereas 50 years ago you could probably name 20 countries or more which were willing to send troops and support to get rid of the Zionist Entity. So much have times changed.

Israel has been steadfast and the Arabs have crumbled. The Palestinians (the WHO?) are perennial refugees; not wanted in most Arab lands (not given citizenship as is the international norm) and in general a troublemaking underclass. Ripped off by their Great Leader "Yasser the Omnipotent" they've turned on themselves and their hosts (ie Lebanon)in murderous stupidity. That's life, I guess. Cheers.

Thanks, Earthrise, for the real reality in the Middle East.

Pity Pax Americana has never learnt the truth about power politics in a democracy.

In means in a democracy, a balance of power - a sharing of power, not one big power trying to call the tune.

Such a pity America never retained the generosity she showed after the victory of WW2. A case of showing forgiveness to your former enemies.

With the corporate culture that has arisen since globalisation, we are back again to the days of the British and Dutch East india companies, and when the Hudson Bay Company owned half of Canada.

You can see it with our local politics in the workplace, back to the employer expecting the right to hold the big end of the stick, just as America is determined to hold it over the world.

Very interesting that the Jewish community comprises only 15% of Danby's Melbourne Ports electorate.
Danby is a fifth column full-time apparatchik for a foreign power, a rogue state at that.
What is Danby doing for the other 85% of his electorate? And what is he doing to represent the anti-Zionist contingent within the Jewish community in his electorate?
p.s. Grey - Israel did not give Gaza back.

David Boaz, here are some facts since Israel "gave" Gaza back.

15,000 + rockets.
550+ air raids plus daily sonic boom flights over Gaza.
660 dead including 141 kids.
1500+ injured including many kids.
14,000 acres of land bulldozed along with 400 more homes and an 850 year old mosque.
The strip has been closed to the outside world with Israel controlling every movement in and out.

23 Israeli's were killed, most of them soldiers with about 1,000 penny crackers fired from Gaza.

You need to get a grip on the reality of the situation - Israel are the occupiers. Palestinians are the victims.

Got that? I suggest you get Ilan Pappe's Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine and read it in horror. He didn't make it up, 531 villages, 13 major urban centres and 3 million acres of land were destroyed by Israel, the map of the villages is included in the book, 750,000 forced to flee and atrocities so violent they make Hitler look like Mary Poppins were inflicted by Irgun, Stern and Haganah.