Congratulations for publishing this piece by Antony Loewenstein who persistently demonstrates that there is a debate in the Australian Jewish community about Israeli politics and that many Jewish people find the actions of Israeli intolerable. Recently, I visited the Jewish museum in Berlin which documents how centuries of institutionalised anti-semitism in Germany laid the groundwork for the 2nd World War ‘holocaust’. It is a tragic irony that Deputy Defence Minister Vilnai would speak of carrying out a ‘holocaust’ on another people who will not accept an historical injustice. This is the mindset that makes ‘war crimes’ permissible. Since this latest invasion began, many people wondered about the nature of burning white fire trails in the sky. According to recent TV reports, this same chemical is burning the flesh of innocent victims. This and other war crimes must stop and those responsible must be brought to account. Of course, we also must remember that at the other end of the political spectrum, young Israelis are being jailed for bravely refusing to be part of the military occupation of Palestine just as young Australians of my generation refused to serve in Vietnam.

Thank you for this article. This conflict above all others polarises in such a way that, while you want Israelis to live peacefully, you abhor the succor their government receives from the US. It is the US which is the biggest hypocrite police-nation of the world, selectively intruding here and ignoring there (Kashmir, Darfur, etc.). If the US truly wanted peace for the Israelis and Palestinians they would not supply military equipment to one side, rather they would pressure both sides to talk.

The only hope is that the economic mess in the world may focus away from military and expensive action to inexpensive and effective dialogical conflict resolution.

Filosofee