Paul,

It is ridiculous speculation on your part to suggest that I "spend almost all of [my] time online criticising Israel". You have no idea what I spend almost all my time online doing. Believe me, this thread makes up well, virtually nothing.

With regard to my comment on Australia and Christianity, yes, I made a typo as the following sentence made clear. "It [Australia] has a majority Christian population, but that does not make it a Christian
state."

Danielle and Paul,

From 1997 to 2002 I worked for several members of the Victorian Parliament, concluding as a statewide officer for the Parliamentary Labor Party, leading to an opposition shadow minister to describe me as "a massively influential factional powerbroker" (somewhat of an exaggeration on his part) and Hansard notes me as an electorate officer for the Premier.

(cf., Hansard May 28, 2002)

From 2002 to 2003 I worked under Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Prize winner and now President of Timor-Leste.

Comments by Dr. José Ramos-Horta
http://www.levlafayette.com/ramos-horta.php

In 2006, in my capacity as President of Prosper Australia (formally known as the Henry George League), I recommended that he end all taxation on capital and labour and derive public income from natural resources alone. I also recommended that he put the suggestion to his economic advisors. I was pleased to discover then:

Ramos-Horta pushes for tax free Timor
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/30/1966522.htm

Anyway, this has been fun but I'll enter no more correspondence on this thread. It has gone way off-topic and I confess to me far more impressed by Dr. Karmi's presentation than those presented by your good selves. Have a happy new year.

Surely, Lev doesn’t expect anyone to indulge in any childish game of semantics, especially, as citations have been made directly from Freedom House ... and I couldn't even locate Israel #59.

Comments by Dr. José Ramos-Horta
http://www.levlafayette.com/ramos-horta.php

Certainly an apt reference to provide for someone setting up an efficient IT systems operation.

Ramos-Horta pushes for tax free Timor. (Does not support Lev's personal claim)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/30/1966522.htm

An online search found quite a number of “Lev Lafayette”; even “Dr Lev Lafayette”. He should receive congratulations ... The following article written by Lev in 2005, warns against the ugly face of Christian fundamentalism emerging in Australia - which, incidentally, I agree with. But fundamentalism does not emerge in a vacuum. Para#12 particularly of Lev’s article will not be lost on OLO readers.

"The decision by Labor came under significant criticism by parties such as the Greens and was the source of a great deal of internal division and loss of support within the party, which has hitherto been previously the source of significant reform for secular law reform." UHH OH ...
http://bad.eserver.org/issues/2005/72/lafayette.html

Apart from the “slip” in Lev’s article, I would suggest he ask non-Christians whether they consider Australia a Christian country. As another OLO writer wrote on a different topic, Australia inherited Christian culure, literature, arts, etc and traditions. Our laws are based on precedent, English Christian law; customary law is Christian, Our Head of State, to whom allegiance is given, is head of the Church of England. When Christianity has come in contact with non-Christian cultures, there has been, on occasion, an exchange even an adoption, but other cultures have never influenced Christiantiy in any way. Perhaps Lev is a proponent of the removal from academic curricula of any sign of “dead white males.”

cont ...

Just a couple of points in case Lev might be sneaking a peek. The laws in Israel have changed considerably since Uzi Oman burst into print (I question whether his facts were correct); I am certainly not going to research issues of that time ago when they are not relevant for today. Things move very quickly in that part of the world. A new law has just been passed in Israel further liberalising land-ownership for ALL.

If those of Lev's ilk are really concerned with the real policies and happenings of the Middle East, they should keep abreast of current events, and not seek out dubious and bizarre sources which conform to what they think things are ... or would like them to be ... to justify some unpleasant aspect in their personalities. There’s enough material available that can be verified on a number of different levels.

I am sure everyone, who might be still reading this OLO - if they have left because of tedium, I certainly would not blame them - will be offering great sighs of relief that this is now finished.