Actually boaz, I think it's more about realising neither side is without guilt and that if you just start barracking for one side, you're never going to make any progress.

A realisation that appears conspicuously absent from your post.

wait...there's more.

Here is evidence..of Lowenstiens 'moron' condition. (moron=lacking good judgement)

He says:

>>Howard led the country for nearly 12 years and remained a strong believer in the Bush administration’s “war on terror” rhetoric and actions. Australia supported the Iraq war, the overthrow of the Taliban, Guantanamo Bay, extraordinary rendition, harsh anti-terror legislation, Israel’s colonisation of the occupied territories and international isolation of the democratically-elected, Hamas government.<<

Notice the little gem in the middle and the other one at the end.

TALIBAN... presumably, the implication here is that the Taliban with all their enlightened social policies of murder, rape, women "barefoot/pregnant/over hot stove" (and beat the daylights out of them if they don't comply) are immune to the ideas of Justice?
Forget the fact that under their watch training camps prepared many young muslims for 'war against the west'..... this all means nothing.

HAMAS...DEMOCRACTICALLY ELECTED.

Well Anthony.. SO WAS HITLER!

Hitler had a 'view' about Jews... and the Fatherland.
so does Hamas. Those views are not so far apart.

Many Jews were killed by Muslim recruits from Bosnia in German SS units....

Your sympathies appear to lie with the enemies of Israel... one wonders where you would have been... and with whom you would be associated during WWII.

Truth Will Out

Re’ recent news in our 'West Australian' about Israel illegally joining the nuclear club back in 1969.

Cannot believe as the article states that the Americans did not give permission.

Report that both Nixon and Kissinger were against it sounds like a deliberate lie to protect US interests.

If it is really true that the world let tiny Israel become a nuclear pariah power in the Middle East, with US allowance to strike larger nations if needed, it should be regarded as one of the tragedies of modern history.

About Iran, said to possibly face an Israeli initial ariel attack next year, with American raids to follow?

Though Iran should be able to stand up to America conventionally as Vietnamese cities also held out, it is possible that Iran will eventually suffer nuclear strikes from both America and Israel.

All this while Iran has never attacked another country in the Middle East, the US having broken just about every law in the book.

The latest traitorous act by America is on right now in Iraq, the local Shias whom the US mainly went into save from Saddam’s Sunnis now look about to become America’s sworn enemies because they are related to Iran - while what’s left of Saddam’s crack 200,000 Sunni military force, looks like soon to be put on the US military payroll to later help Cheney in his threatened attack on Iran.

It makes one wonder what will be eventually written about this stage of the Iraq War with so much muzzled by the media, that our population appears half-happily dumbed down right now about Middle East problems?

Now back to Mordecai - if the report is true that the US did not give permission for Israel to go nuclear, we might well ask who did with the UN apparently non-commentus during this period?

So we are left with a Mordecai who tried to do the most Ethical Honourable thing towards world opinion, whom we have let be virtually locked up for life for something the Israeli leaders themselves should be doing time for?

A well thought out piece advocating that our new government should actually look first hand at the Israel/Palestine issue and use what influence we do have to help people come to a positive solution. A piece about peace from one of the very few Jewish voices that can actually see the fallacy inherent in 'my country/race/religion right or wrong'

So obviously he's a raving lefty moron as so eloquently demonstrated by the elegant prose of the 'Axis of Idiocy'

Gents, why don't you take the time to actually READ the articles you revile BEFORE spouting off.

Leigh: John Howard was considered a Conservative strong man by the entire world. A little late to try disowning him now.

Runner: yes, Rudd is a devout Catholic. Alcohol, strip clubs and Catholicism aren't mutually exclusive. And criticizing a politician for appealing for votes is like blaming rain for being wet.

David: where in the article does Anthony offer support for the Taliban? And where the hell do Indonesian fishermen come in?

(Yes Hitler was elected, as was Hamas. I guess that's what sets them apart from Bush, eh? :-P )

The fact that a 'friend of Israel' must offer unconditional support is what has always frightened me about the situation. Without the ability to offer criticism to BOTH sides any attempt to sort out this mess is pointless.

And just so we are clear: no-ones hands are clean in this mess. David- for every one of you condemnations of the Palestinians, there is an equivalent Israeli atrocity.

While ever both sides feel like the 'victim' there will be no chance of progress. And while ever WE offer unconditional support for Israel, then we neuter any chance we have to help.

Criticism does not make you an enemy. As Anthony said- 'surely true friends offer friendly criticism when required.' If you wouldn't let a mate drink and drive does that make you his enemy? Or someone looking out for his welfare? Why should the Israeli situation be any different.

Yet another thought provoking article from Antony.

Its interesting whether US alliance loyalty or Jewish political pressure within Australia are the most prominent reason for Australia's strong support for Israel. Our politicians appear to be willing to risk a Muslim electoral backlash for maintaining support for Israel (100,000 Jews and 400,000 Muslims are quoted). Then again if support for Israel is bipartisan then Muslim voters have nowhere to go. In any case US alliance loyalty is usually compelling eg. our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, SAS in Iran(?) etc.

Antony could be underrating support in the wider Australia community (Christian etc) for Israel. A feeling that Jerusalem (birthplace of Christianity) is safer in Jewish hands than at risk in Palestinian hands may be widespread. If thats the case then Rudd, as a Christian, may have an additional reason to support Israel.

Another perspective, unlikely to be publicly aired policy, is that if Australia required nuclear weapons quickly Israel might be the most likely supplier. Israel has apparently developed nuclear warheads for its Harpoon land attack missiles http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_11/Israel.asp. If Australia was in desperate need of nuclear warheads for our Harpoon missiles (for Colllins submarines, F-111s etc) then Israel would have fewer political obstacles than most countries in being the supplier. Israel is fairly well know to be a (former) nuclear supplier to South Africa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction#Detonation so Israel would have little to lose.

In supplying nuclear technology or off the shelf weaponry to Australia Israel might also be acting as a proxy to the US (which if charged as a weapons proliferator has more to lose).

Hence the status of Israel as a 51st state and Australia as a 52nd states benefits all US states ;-) and explains Australia's relations with Israel.

Pete
http://spyingbadthings.blogspot.com/2007/06/australia-to-go-nuclear.html

Israel committed genocide and ethnically cleansed 750,000 Palestinians from 530+ towns and villages in 1947-48 before the so-called partition was forced on the Palestinians.

I recommend a book by Ilan Pappe called "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine".

During the so-called violence of Gaza and Hamas in 2006 it was Israel who murdered 680 Palestinians while only 45 Israeli's were killed and most of them were soldiers. Israel destroyed another 400 homes, flew 15000 air raids, bulldozed an 800 year old mosque, stopped most food supplies and they control everything that goes in and out of Gaza.

I have really had a gutful of the Israeli apologists who just refuse to see the damn truth. Israel is one pissant little nation living on occupied territory yet they command the attention of the whole blind, guilt ridden western world as they bleed nations dry for compensation.

Runner and Leigh, grow up.