Israel is chiefly responsible for the Palestinian plight. Australia is chiefly responsible for the Aboriginal plight. The US is chiefly responsible for the American Indian plight. Christianity is chiefly responsible for the Jewish plight. And so it goes.

The anti-Israel opinions seem to me to be based on some pretty firm facts, and it is the Israel supporters are one-eyed.
Just look at the UN resolutions against Israel! Hundreds of them, all vetoed by the US yet supported by *everyone* else.
Call anyone who is against you biassed, sure, it is good rhetoric...just don't expect us to take you seriously so long as you are invading and suppressing other nations (Palestine), breaking international laws (Nukes) and threatening other nations (Iran).
The constant cries of "foul" and "anti-semite...what about the holocaust" are wearing pretty thin. Get over your victim-hood and stop perpetuating violence!

David F & Ozandy: You're both missing the point of this article, as is so typical with virulent anti-Israel proponents such as yourselves - leap at every opportunity to bash Israel!

The point of this article, if you need someone to spell it out for you, is targetting the IAJV. The group's leaders (Loewenstein et al.) claim that it is a balanced group willing to condemn all sides to the conflict.

This article exposes the fallacity of this claim - it is (yet another)virulent anti-Israel group, whose members merely use their Jewishness to attack Israel. Full stop.

Interestingly, one prominent Australian observer has noted that these individuals' "identity is solely negative based on a rejection of Zionism and Israel and it is arguably problematic to call them Jews at all."

Dear MEDBA,

Your post starts out with name calling. You have referred to Ozandy and myself as 'virulent anti-Israel proponents.' Do you want a serious discussion or do you want to bash people whose views you disagree with?

You also end your post with more bashing. You wrote: "Interestingly, one prominent Australian observer has noted that these individuals' "identity is solely negative based on a rejection of Zionism and Israel and it is arguably problematic to call them Jews at all.""

I have been a Jew all my life and have had a Jewish education. Never in my Jewish education have I encountered the idea that to be a Jew one must be a Zionist or support the state of Israel.

I do not favour ethnic nationalism or self-determination whether or not it is of the Zionist brand. Zionism is no better nor worse than other forms of ethnic nationalism or self-determination. I favour those countries which do not make distinctions among their citizenry on the basis of ethnicity or religion. If Australia became an officially Christian nation I would become a second-class citizen as I am a Jew. Having the same regard for others that I hope others have for me I cannot support a Jewish state where non-Jews are second-class citizens. I recognise that the formation of Israel is the result of Christian bigotry, persecution and murder. However, I feel that it is better to work for a world where all countries have separation of religion and state and regard a citizen's religious belief or non-belief as no business of the state than to establish another ethnic and religious enclave.

Apologies David F if I have offended you by identifying your simplistic political position!

Once again, you seem to be attempting to drag this forum discussion off topic - to the usual pro/anti-Israel debate. May I remind you again that this does not seem to be the article's intent.

Why don't you instead deal with the issue at hand - what are your thoughts of the IAJV? What are your views on the points the authors make? Also, what are your thoughts on the relevant issues I raise in my previous post?

Well perhaps if the Settler stopped murdering Palestinians, stealing and thieving Palestinian land,did not impose and Apartheid state,ceased removing Palestinians from East Jerusalem,and did not think that turning Gaza into a giant concentration camp,where the Israelis can kill Palestinians at will with bombs,bullets and starvation,some one might believe the Israeli propaganda dept who turn up regularly on these threads