90 Comments

• shuvonn | Nov 07, 2012, 08:34 AM EST

  Do you consider it to be brave and competent when the number of Palestinian chidren that have died at the hands of israel and the idf aince the end of September 2000 is 1,476 and the number of israeli children is 126 for that same time period. It is no beacon of humanity when idf members were caught using Palestinian children as human shields while accusing Palestinians of same. As George Bernard Shaw said "The liar's punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else." That is why israel never allows inquiries by ANYONE else except themselves not even the UN, it blocked and delayed the Goldstone inquiry and blacklisted him, would not even allow him into israel to visit his family. And IF it was wrong for israelis to be disposed in 634, then it's wrong for israel to do the same to Palestinians, and really enough of the beacon of hope surrounded by enemies, they CHOSE where to pitch their tent, and they created many of the enemies by attacking neighbors, and stealing land from all around. To rational, sane people there are TWO sides in the wrong here, one side does NOT hold the moral high ground even if they claim *GOD* gave them that land. Some of you only count the rockets INTO israel and forget the rockets OUT of israel INTO Gaza. The double hypocritical standard is amazing to me... and yet it continues

• seanomelb | Nov 05, 2012, 09:08 PM EST

  Retroactively rewriting history is a symptom of your ignorance Strongbow

• Strongbow | Nov 05, 2012, 08:23 PM EST

  The IDF is one of the most dedicated brave and competent military organizations in the world. They drove the British Army out of Palestine, one of the most prized and strategic possessions of any world power. The Israelis achieved in a few years what the Irish failed to do in 600. Israel didn't become the present day beacon of humanity by being soft.

• seanomelb | Nov 05, 2012, 01:47 AM EST

  Stick to the point if you can Strongbow!! pettiness does not become you. If you are anti Irish shift to an IDF terrorist sight or the BNP site.

• Strongbow | Nov 04, 2012, 07:43 PM EST

  Seano- The Irish have had their tails and not much else between their legs going on 600 years now and they still whine and whine.

• seanomelb | Nov 04, 2012, 05:55 PM EST

  Strongbow!! How many Israeli terrorist officers and soldiers have been found guilty of murder and destruction since 1967. They may well "shuffle" into court and they do "shuffle" out again to continue their murderous spree. Your flawed argument sounds more like an excuse rather than fact. AS for Somalia you left with your tails between your legs when the going got tough. In reference to other Arab state so what. "Get the picture"

• WoundedKnee | Nov 04, 2012, 12:08 PM EST

  The Israelis should just stop killing all those people and we should stop giving them the means to do it.

• Bocktherobber | Nov 04, 2012, 11:02 AM EST

  It's a standard Israeli diversionary tactic to accuse its critics of being anti-Semitic. If Browne had condemned Nigeria for corruption, it wouldn't make him a racist any more than condemning Israel for oppression makes him an anti-Semite. Don't forget, there are many Israeli Jews who condemn their government's activities. Are they also anti-Semitic?

• SeanDavie | Nov 04, 2012, 09:15 AM EST

  In case you are interested, Rhuaidhri, the first crusaders (by another name)were Muslims.

• Strongbow | Nov 04, 2012, 09:14 AM EST

  Rory - Your arguments are all over the place and incoherent. It seems as if you are fulminating without any foresight. The only thing that seems to be obvious in your screed is your antipathy towards the State of Israel. A country which is a beacon of hope freedom and democracy in a region devoid them. If you buy into the "Irish" perspective that the poor Palestinians are persecuted by the bad Israelis their land taken and shoved out etc. This line has particular resonance in Ireland where simplistic and false reasoning and romantic illusions hold sway in the minds of naive leftists and die-hard republicans.

• SeanDavie | Nov 04, 2012, 09:06 AM EST

  Come, come, Rhuaidhri, be real. According to you, Rhuaidri, we Irish should think it was wrong for Israelis to dispossess Palestinians in 1948 but it was all very funny when first crusaders (by another name) disposed Israelis in 634 A.D.? Or when other Muslim invaders dispossess indigenous Jews, who were often there centuries or more, everywhere from Saudi Arabia to East Africa to the Magreb and over to Western India? This process is still on-going and BTW happening to indigenous Christians there and in West Africa as well. Or, maybe you still believe Muslims are not interested in forcible world dominion? If you are “thinking Irish,” Rhuaidhri, you should know that, if it was important for us Irish to reclaim the land after 800 years, and for Spanish to reclaim their land from Muslims after 900 years, it is just as important for Israelis to reclaim their land after 1200 years. BTW, some of us Irish served in refugee camps where Muslims, Christians and animists were being sheltered from, you guessed it, Muslims. And surely you must know Irish soldiers in Lebanon were also attacked by Muslims.

• Rhuaidhri | Nov 03, 2012, 11:22 PM EDT

  @Strongbow and others. What you forget is that from the Irish perspective this isn't just stories from Palestinians etc. which you can palm off as partisan. Irish Forces have in Lebanon have witnessed the behaviour and indeed been subject to attacks from Israeli forces. On top of this many Irish people are involved with aid organistaions which work with the refugees and they too are first hand witness to Israeli abuses. Irish people by and large are not anti-Semitic but we do see increasinly see Israel as a terrorist state and was ill concieved construct to begin with. The killing and displacement of innocent Palestinians (who are also descendants of ancient Israel) cannot be justified by security concerns nor can it be justified as some sick kind of reparation for the Holocaust. Irish people due to their history can relate to what the Palestinians are suffering. Given modern America itself was created using similar methods to those which are occuring in Palestine now and what historically happened in Ireland it is little wonder that Americans relate more to Israelis. It would after all be Hypocrisy to condem Israel for treating Palestians like you treated Native Americans. I remain amazed at the American capacity for self deciet you guys really don't see that you were a colonial power just as bad as the British but unlike them your still at it.

• Strongbow | Nov 03, 2012, 08:18 PM EDT

  There are numerous ongoing investigations into atrocities and abuses carried out by the IDF and Israeli politicians are routinely shuffling in and out of court answering charges. Seanomelb makes reference to the "murder and incarceration of Palestinian women and children and the confiscation of their land." Very emotive and provocative language indeed, but language nonetheless that is sorely lacking in veracity. His language would ring true if he were to apply this language to neighboring regimes such as those in Syria, Iran, Gaza and Hezbollah controlled Southern Lebanon not to mention Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Tunisia, Libya under Ghadafi, Sudan, Somalia (where I served with the US Military)....get the picture. Failure to get said picture points to either an ignorance of world affairs (most likely true) or an antipathy towards Israel based on an imagined and naive affinity for an underdog (also probably true).

• seanomelb | Nov 03, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT

  If what you state is your position and given that you believe Israel to be a democratic state,why then have no IDF or Israeli politicians been investigated for crimes committed against the Palestinian people?? and furthermore they do not wish to be compensated for the thievery of their land they want it back,they want their olive trees back. I can only conclude you give tacit approval to the murder and incarceration of Palestinian women and children and the confiscation of their land which by the way is condemned by all European countries and the UN general assembly . As for shuvonn she needs no help from me to sort you out and I agree wholeheartedly with her.

• shuvonn | Nov 03, 2012, 01:50 PM EDT

  BS I do not need to be *sorted out* least of all by you :-) As for the allegation about a Jenin funeral, I would need to see that myself rather than have YOU tell me about it without proof or verification :-) The thing you neglect to mention is they lived together peacefully BEFORE israel existed , now why do you suppose that is? This is not about the land mass ( a lame and pathetic excuse for land grabs by israel ) and jews represent less than .22% of the world population and the followers of islam represent nearly one third, and you neglect to mention the parts of other countries isrel either belligerently occupies or illegally annexed. It would appear you need a bit of sorting out yourself......

• BishopSean | Nov 03, 2012, 01:01 PM EDT

  Hi, Seán Og. Sigh…I had been hoping that by now you would at very least be able to give me a hand with sorting out Shuvonn. But I see you still need some special attention. For starters, let’s look at one [stated not by Shuvonn, I concede my error] “pogrom” in Jenin. Did you know in one videotaped Jenin funeral, the carriers dropped the bier and “corpse” fell out from under the sheet and ran away, embarrassed? Variation on “Finnigan’s Wake,” no? If I had time, I would gladly track down other claims of “pogroms” by Jews to see which are credible. Any Israeli who engaged in war crimes or atrocities should be brought to justice and not applauded. Same is true for Muslim criminals, wherever they are. About land-grabs; the best solution is to compensate all who were dispossessed on both sides. They should realistically not be expected to live together, given the polarity. Furthermore, if Westerners now protect & allow latecomer (A.D.1463) Muslims to have control of nations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Muslim world should allow Israelis (who were there millenia before Muslims) to have their nation, which is 1/600th of the land mass of surrounding countries. I must be absent from IC for some weeks due to travels to interior. I’ll revert later.

• seanomelb | Nov 02, 2012, 07:09 PM EDT

  bishop Sean is still in denial and condones the pogroms committed against the Palestinian people. He is a zionist who claims his dissertations below are based on facts. retroactively changing history and distorting the truth his BishopSean's defense of Israeli terrorism. How doe's the good Bishop account for the destruction of 1.2 million Arab owned olive trees since 1967. These are not my figures but the figures of a concerned Jewish group or why Arab women and children are held hostage in camps (prisons) inside Israel and denied visitation from there loved ones or maybe the good bishop can find me a reason why IDF terrorist let loose in the Negev overturn water tanks in Arab villages and fill in their wells with sand. I find your use of Bishop as your non de plume hypocritical.

• shuvonn | Nov 02, 2012, 06:10 PM EDT

  BS, IF you ever saw what Palestinians were offered you would drop any claim of *MORAL EQUIVALENCY* and you let yourself down believing that LIE as a christian. The God I know does NOT choose one religion over another. This is not a competition and when israel portrays itself as the ONLY democracy in the ME you lose the right for comparisons. There was never an offer made in good faith, EVER. When the Palestinians agreed to a peace settlement based on the pre-1967 border (the Green Line), they were already giving up in advance 78% of the land between the sea and the Jordan river. They are ready to set up their state in the remaining 22%. The israeli government wants a "compromise" over this area. Meaning: "What's mine is mine, about what's yours, we shall compromise". (Factual background: the November 29, 1947, UN partition resolution gave the Jewish state 55% and the Arab state 45% of Palestine. In the ensuing war israel ( NO LAND TAKEN IN WAR can be taken as per UN resolution 242) conquered half of the territory allotted to the Arab state. Thus the "Green Line" came about, leaving 78% of the country in israeli hands.) The problem is not expressed in percentage points only. israel appeared to be asking for only 10% of the occupied territories. In reality, it's closer to 30%, taking into account the territories israel wanted to annex in the Jerusalem area and place under his "security control" in the Jordan valley. But even worse, in the map submitted to the Palestinians, these percentage points cut the country up from East to West and from North to South, so that the Palestinian state will consist of a group of islands, each surrounded by Israeli settlers and soldiers. That is NO offer in good faith. Your moral high ground was built on sand BS....

• BishopSean | Nov 02, 2012, 05:41 PM EDT

  Hi again, Shuvonn. Thanks for keeping the dialogue going. As I stated before, any Israeli terrorist should be brought to justice and punished accordingly. I’m willing to go into specifics of sins done by Israelis, but would avoid impression there is moral equivalency between Israeli position (seriously proposing 2-state solution) and Muslims who repeatedly turn down all offers except having Israel and Israelis gone or returned to dhimmitude in Muslim-controled State. Anti-Israeli bias happens when Israel is judged by double standard; when it resurrects classic anti-Jewish themes; and when it attacks Israel’s policies and right to exist. I, as an orthodox Bible-believing Christian, have legitimately chosen to fill this moral vacuum. Israelis must admit their sins, accompanied by self-criticism from Muslim side. I pointed out Saudi Commander Abdelatif’s brave (minority) statement in Arab News; he hopefully will serve as example rather than being made into an endangered “apostate.”

• shuvonn | Nov 02, 2012, 04:06 PM EDT

  What you do when you are not on here is none of my business I do not care to hear when you are tied up or not. each to their own but if you are a bishop in real life, that would be a little disturbing.. :-) I did not mention Jenin, that was someone else however and for the most part it's really distasteful to do comparisons however since you went there the number of dead Palestinian children since end of sept 2000 is 1,476 and 126 israeli children in the same time frame, now do you think AndyF will be critical since you made comparisons or does he reserve that for those who are critical of israel only? Now back to Jenin ( which I did NOT bring up) If you want to legitimize the actions of a jewish terroriist organization's (irgun) actions against Palestinians, regardless of the *body count* go ahead that only makes YOU look hypocritical...

• BishopSean | Nov 02, 2012, 12:22 PM EDT

  Since you asked earlier about the “Jenin Massacre,” Shuvonn, in case you are believing the March 29-April 21, 2012 Israeli military operation to dismantle HQ of Al Aqsa, Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s arms factories, (after the bombing of Passover celebrators in the Park Hotel on March 27), was a “pogrom,” you may be aware that Palestinian claimed Israelis killed over 500 persons. However, after these claims were exposed Kadoura Mousa Kadoura, director of Fatah in northern West Bank, reported 56 Palestinian dead which was proportional to corresponding Israeli losses (thirty-three dead). Most Palestinians who died were gunmen who had booby-trapped area to inflict Israeli casualties. Israelis did door-to-door searches rather than bombings, to avoid more casualties. Please see New York Times and Washington Posts articles to verify independently.

• shuvonn | Nov 02, 2012, 11:25 AM EDT

  BS apparently you do not think YOU need to be able to critically or dispassionately research both sides, Erskine Childers ASKED for proof, it was NEVER produced, all the lies in the world (including the grand mufti of Jerusalem, British Commanders, they have a history of LIES) and yet YOU accuse me of being an apologist for the Palestinian causes. Lehi the Jewish terrorist group offered to work with Nazis to defeat their common enemy the British. Denial is not a river in Egypt BS :-) And hypocritically enough YOU accuse ME of what you are guilty of an israeli rogue state apoligist, how sad for you to be called out like MOST BISHOPS these days....

• BishopSean | Nov 02, 2012, 09:58 AM EDT

  Sorry, Shuvonn. To be an effective apologist for the Palestinian cause, you have to be able to critically and dispassionately research both sides of the controversy, which you are not yet doing here. Some other sources you should look at: (1948 sources: British Commanders of the Arab Legion John Bagot Glubb and John Bagot Glubb; Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, The British commander in Haifa, Hugh Stockwell; Palestine's Chief Secretary Sir Henry Gurney); current authors Benny Morris and Shabta Teveth. To do otherwise is to promote the anti-dialogue and block a principled way forward. Regards

• shuvonn | Nov 02, 2012, 05:31 AM EDT

  In the Other Exodus by Erskine Childers *Examining every official Israeli statement about the Arab exodus, I was struck by the fact that no primary evidence of evacuation orders was ever produced. The charge, Israel claimed, was "documented"; but where were the documents? There had allegedly been Arab radio broadcasts ordering the evacuation; but no dates„ names of stations, or texts of messages were ever cited. In Israel in 1958, as a guest of the Foreign Office and therefore doubly hopeful of serious assistance, I asked to be shown the proofs, I was assured they existed, and was promised them. None had been offered when I left, but I was again assured. I asked to have the material sent on to me. I am still waiting" He DIED waiting. So NO I do NOT need any more from you as I do not buy what you have claimed, I will stick with Erskine Childers on this one."If Rabbi Kaplan really wanted to know what happened, we old Jewish settlers in Palestine who witnessed the fight could tell him how and in what manner we, Jews, forced the Arabs to leave cities and villages ... some of them were driven out by force of arms; others were made to leave by deceit, lying and false promises. It is enough to cite the cities of Jaffa, Lydda, Ramleh, Beersheba, Acre from among numberless others. (in `Jewish Newsletter,' New York, February 9, 1959)." Sorry BS, I do not believe ONE word that you have claimed regarding arabs being forced to leave their homes.

• BishopSean | Nov 01, 2012, 08:04 PM EDT

  Hi, Shuvonn. Excuse delay; am very tied up these days. I’d like to have time for more complete responses but we’re restricted by space here. Reyr one statement: “There was NO demand from Arab states that ANYONE leave, an often repeated LIE, but NEVER proven.” On the contrary: At the time, Iraqi P.N. Nuri Said said to tell Arabs to “conduct your wives & children to safe areas until the fighting has died down.” Azzam Pasha, Sec. Gen of Arab League, assured Arabs that the occupation of Palestine and Tel Aviv would be “easy booty…it will be a simple matter to throw the Jews into the Mediterranean.” Ephraim Karsh, quoted in article “Were the Palestinians Expelled?” “COMMENTARY” magazine N° 110, July-Aug. 2000; pp. 29-35, citing various noted scholars. I can give you several more, if you like. Tell me if you would like me to expound on Arafat’s “recognition of Israel. I'd really like for us to be able to move us into more serious dialogue on this important topic. Regards.

• shuvonn | Nov 01, 2012, 09:00 AM EDT

  israel's use of forged Irish, Australian, German, New Zealand, U.K.,passports, was MORE beyond the pale in my opinion and far more incendiary, than any comment considering that N.Z,Canada and Australia already had taken israel to task over the same issue many times. Misuse of passports of your allies should be taken seriously when they are used to commit crimes and murders worldwide. Comments are far less incendiary, though the israeli representative mentioning her family's holocaust losses BEFORE the comments is also up there in my opinion. And Pilib04 the comments prior to yours are mine and attributed to you, not sure how that occurred.

• pilib04 | Nov 01, 2012, 08:40 AM EDT

  Irish discussing the definition of anti-Semitism? Isn't that a bit beyond our purview. Clearly, gone are the days when you could be anti-Zionist and still not anti-Semitic. Israel's right to exist with defensible borders is no longer negotiable. Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinian people, however, should always be under intense international scrutiny due to past excesses. However, calling Israel "a cancer in foreign affairs" is language reminiscent of the Nazis. After a comment like that, we tend not to deal with the rest of Browne's statement. "Unless you deal with the problem of Israel and Palestinians in that part of the world, there’s going to be conflict and disharmony. It’s a massive injustice – they stole the land from Arabs...” The opening line on "Israel a cancer" was incendiary language.

• pilib04 | Oct 31, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT

  BS,since you have not addressed ONE of the issues I brought up, and I have addressed the opinion of the Saudi Commander, your proposal is not seconded by me, address ONE issue I brought up and MAYBE we can talk turkey. Your Inability to address ONE of the points I brought up while accusing me of too many points (there were MANY THERE from Abdelasif), yet you ignore that and refuse to address ANY issues. What Abdelasif represents is ONE man's opinion, and as long as it DEMONIZES Palestinians and Arabs that's just fine while ignoring ANY criticism of israeli treatment of Palestinians, how convenient for you BS.

• seanomelb | Oct 31, 2012, 06:01 PM EDT

  Hurt your feelings Bishop Sean?? and you still condone the pogroms committed against Palestinians how Christian of you.

• hermitTalker | Oct 31, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT

  Anti-Semitism includes Arabs, the other sons of Abram by Hagar, Sarai's servant woman. They both are cruel to each other in their own way. White men sold guns to the Native Americans to kill white men in the Old West. The USA and Russia arm the world, often regardless of who is killed. The list goes on and few can complain about the Other Guy when they do the same themselves

• BishopSean | Oct 31, 2012, 10:13 AM EDT

  Hi, Shuvonn. Talk about staying on theme—which one of the many you’ve mentioned here? Rather than taking us down myriad “rabbit trails,” each one of which can be important on its own merits, I propose that we stay on one. You mentioned in passing the excerpts I posted from the article by Saudi Commander Abdelasif, which represents new and brave thinking and seeing the big picture, in my view. I was hoping for some more in-depth analysis from you, Shuvonn, which I am sure you are capable of. By the way, if you read Abdelatif's entire article in Arab News (Oct. 6th), you will see that he mentions several of your points. Regards.

• shuvonn | Oct 30, 2012, 08:33 PM EDT

  You did not respond to what I posted, you ignored all of what I posted, not a claim a FACT, I deal in FACTS, not claims. There was NO demand from Arab states that ANYONE leave, an often repeated LIE, but NEVER proven. This has nothing to do with jews leaving for their chosen ALIYAHS,(isn't that the dream of EVERY jew?) was there ever any proof that they ALL left not of their own free will? And why AGAIN change the topic? WHY do you need to keep doing that bait and switch? And I have given my opinions on what you posted by the Saudi,I addressed the many issues that are present in Arab society,the lack of health care, education for some, the sunnis against shiah and various other factions. Women's lack of rights, lack of education, I am aware of all issues, you seem to want to bait and switch and you have STILL not addressed the issues I have brought up about isreal's lack of equal rights for NON JEWS and Palestinians in israel, illegal settlements in land that is NOT legally or internationally recognized as part of israel and yet you want to milk incidents like Itamar, now WHY IS THAT BS?

• BishopSean | Oct 30, 2012, 07:50 PM EDT

  Hi, Shuvonn. Re yr claim I did not respond to yr post. Where? You only addressed to me, apparently, a parenthetical “p.s.” at end of yr post to AndyF, inviting me to read the Erkine Childers book Other Exodus. I promise to read it as soon as I can find time (and the book here in Peru) so we can discuss this. I never stated all Palestinians left voluntarily in 1948. I stated elsewhere that some 500,000 left, many forced while others in response to demands from Heads of other Arab States (who never let them integrate). Truth also compels us to recognize that some 850,000 Jews were evicted from Arab States in that same period, without recompense. I would really appreciate your sincere take on Commander Abdelatif’s remarks, which you still have not given. Regards.

• seanomelb | Oct 30, 2012, 06:35 PM EDT

  BishopSean and his cohorts below accept the pogroms committed against Palestinian as justifiable. They are no better than the Nazis who committed pogroms against the Jews.

• shuvonn | Oct 30, 2012, 05:18 PM EDT

  I meant to say 3 down 2 to go with regards to A clean break.

• shuvonn | Oct 30, 2012, 05:06 PM EDT

  bishopsean. I notice you do not respond to my post, merely bait and switch as usual. Yes there is corruption (in many places, even isreal :-)I suggest you google a clean break a paper written for Netanyahu in 1996. It had 5 objectives, 3 of which have been met already, 2 in progress. Like they say in Boxing circles, 3 down, 3 to go. What about israel's admiration of their *freedom fighters* while complaining that Palestinians do the same? What about the building of illegal ( as per the international community, UN,EU,US,)settlements on Palestinian privately owned land? israel denys that Palestinian's exist yet demand recognition from them? israel claimed that all Palestinians left of their own free will yet in the Other Exodus our very own Erskine Childers proved that to be lie it was. Arafat recognized israel 20 years ago so tell me why is that relevant now? As have Jordan and Egypt thus far. Youth literacy rates in the Palestinian territories is 98.2% and the national literacy rate is 91.4%. There are many issues with the Arab world, women's lack of rights and freedom, violence against women, violence against Christians, violence against different sects of muslims.It suited israel quite well to be surrounded by dictators, Mubarak etc to keep them arabs in line. Since I am not a Western Commentator I do not see how I could be of help to you BS.

• Cranleigh | Oct 30, 2012, 02:51 PM EDT

  It's a terrible mistake for Browne and not like him either. He's demanded accountability from politicians for years; now it is time for him to admit his own error and move on.

• BishopSean | Oct 30, 2012, 02:13 PM EDT

  To Shuvonn, Abdelatif,cont’d: “The common thread I saw [In Arab world] is …destructions and atrocities are not done by a foreign enemy…. So, the question now is: Who is the true enemy of the Arab world? The Arab world lost hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of innocent lives in the struggle against Israel…. The Arab world has many enemies and Israel should have been on the bottom of that list. The true enemies of the Arab world are the corruption, lack of good education, … medical attention, … freedom, …respect for human life and, lastly the Arab world has had many dictators who used the Arab-Israeli conflict to repress their own people. The atrocities of these dictators against their own peoples are far worse, on a grand scale, than all the Arab-Israeli wars…. Isn’t it high time Western commentators stop gratifying the worst impulses of the Arab world, and stop allowing Arab leaders to use Jews, Israel and the West as a scapegoat for their pressing social problems?" How would you answer this sincere man, Shuvonn?

• BishopSean | Oct 30, 2012, 02:10 PM EDT

  Shuvonn, Please comment on these excerpts from Saudi Commander Abdulatif AlMulhim’s article ( ARAB NEWS, Oct. 6), “What has been the real cost of these wars [with Israel]? The hardest question that no Arab wants to ask is: What has been the real cost of not having recognized Israel in 1948 and why did not the Arab States spend their income on education and health services instead of war? Not only has there been a severe shortage of Arab commentators disposed to ask these hard questions, there has of Western “media gatekeepers,” for whom Arab “authenticity requires blaming Israelis exclusively for all Arab political, social and economic problems….But the hardest question of all is: whether Israel is really the enemy of the Arab world and Arab people. To engage in this honest scrutiny of the malign obsession of the Arab World with the Jewish State is something that is almost never undertaken by commentators, journalists and analysts of the GUARDIAN.

• Cranleigh | Oct 30, 2012, 11:41 AM EDT

  AndyF, Israel's technological successes are a bit beside the point in determining its goodness. Actually, I could see why they would make somebody who fears Israel already fear it more. The involvement of Payoneer in the al Mahbouh killing or the intimate connections between Cisco and Israel are but two examples.

• shuvonn | Oct 30, 2012, 11:02 AM EDT

  Is it only okay for YOU to make comparisons AndyF when it comes to tit for tat rattling off of incidents? And what happened in Itamar (an illegal settlement,the isreali government even deem it ILLEGAL, built on 50% Palestinian owned land in the WB) was horrible but its misuse to score political points is reprehensible. As for revering Palestinians, israel does a bit of that too. They had a state funeral for the murderers of Lord Moyne (Dublin Walter Edward Guinness) and printed stamps in their honor. Maybe we can talk about the Menachem Begin Memorial Center? You know the prime minister who was the commander of the Irgun while even serving in the Knesset in israel, where 60 years after the king david bombing the prime minister said it was a *legitimate target* Maybe we can discuss the government buildings named after Shamir and Rabin (members of the Palmach) SO it is just ok when jews do it but NOT Palestinians? ain't hypocrisy grand?

• seanomelb | Oct 29, 2012, 06:15 PM EDT

  The usual propaganda from the Israeli press The destruction of 1.2 million trees seems to have passed you by is that because the figures were compiled by a Jewish group. You expect the Palestinians to except apartheid and call it a 'state". Give me a break you bleeding heart hypocrite

• AndyF | Oct 29, 2012, 02:17 AM EDT

  Seanomelb: We can all quote instances of appalling behavior as below, and much worse. Palestinians have entered Israeli homes and slaughterd whole families in cold blood, not just beaten them up, and are then treated as heros by their back in their villages. Settler violence is utterly condemned by everyone in Israel from the President to the main settler movement itself (read any Israeli newspaper on a daily basis), and there have been arrests, and hopefully there will be more. It has nothing to do with Zionism or Judaism any more than continued Catholic/Protestant violence has anything to do with Christianity. If you want to talk about trees, Israel was the only country in the world to end the last century with more trees than it had at the beginning of the century. In contrast when Israel handed over Gaza to the Palestinians, they gave them multimillion dollar high tech agricultural hot houses to give their agriculture a head start. Within 24 hours the Palestinian gunmen had wrecked the lot just to get better rocket firing positions. When the Palestinians decide they want to have their own state more than they want to destroy Israel, there may be a chance for peace.

• seanomelb | Oct 28, 2012, 06:31 PM EDT

  Abu Jamal lives on an olive farm on the west bank.He and his family were terrorised by Israeli settlers. they destroyed his olive grove watering system.They entered his house and beat his 12&14 year old sons. When he and his wife defended the boys the terrorist IDF suddenly appeared and arrested Abu and his wife.The settlers also urinated in his drinking water well and destroyed his trees,no arrests were made. A Jerusalem monitoring group has estimated that 1.2 million olive trees have been destroyed by the terrorist IDF since 1967. All you zionist hypocrites below should hang you collective heads in shame.

• AndyF | Oct 28, 2012, 05:00 PM EDT

  Shuvonn: child deaths are tragic, but your logic implies the Allies were guilty in WW2 as more Germans civilians died that Allied civilians . Bare statistics tell us nothing about how Israel protects its civilians with bomb shelters and early warning sirens, whilst Hamas deliberately fires from civilian areas endangering its civilians (see the you tube videos.) Your reparations slur is nonsense , is minuscule in amount compared to what the Palestinians receive from they UN, EU and various other sources. Israel receives 3 billion in defense aid from the US, nearly all spent back in they US helping their economy and constitutes less than 1% of the Israeli economy. The problem with the Euroleft is their inconsistency where the Palestinians are concerned. They send aid boats to Gaza where the issue of the day is the cost of iPhones , whilst thousands genuinely need aid in Syria and Congo. They complain about the 'Israeli blockade', encourage the Palestinians victimisation culture, whilst Egypt's blockade is much tighter but never mentioned, and the only route for humanitarian aid in to Gaza is via Israel and arrives on hundreds of lorries each week. The Left ignores the PA and Hamas corruption and lack of human rights, whilst Israel whose Arab population are still the only Arabs with true freedom of speech, women's rights, gay rights, where an Arab judge can sentence an ex Jewish president to jail, and yet Israel is guilty of everything and the Palestinians just can't help themselves.

• shuvonn | Oct 28, 2012, 03:36 PM EDT

  I must clarify the time frame for the 1,476 Palestinian children, it was since end of September 2000.

• shuvonn | Oct 28, 2012, 03:24 PM EDT

  Andy since when are parents not the ones who mould their children to hate or not ? So the excuse that those children were not taught hatred towards all non jews in israel is simply not the truth. Now as for the israeli invention of anything, any country that gets BILLIONS in reparations yearly could be quite inventive if they have the funds to do so, so enough bragging already. No one said israel was a (crap heap) YOUR WORDS, not anyone elses, but why is it not okay for criticism of israel without such an extreme over the top response as yours? This is not about (silly kids) since if it was any Palestinian child doing such a thing they would be labeled as a terrorist or antisemitic but when they are israeli they are (silly kids) ??? Funny that to the likes of you only the rockets INTO israel count but the ones out of israel, do not count when in fact 1,476 Palestinian children have died at the hand of the idf and during that same time period 126 israeli children were killed. So tell me Andy who are the terrorists here? As far as I am concerned there are two sides to this and you only see one ..... as for you BS is a good name for you :-) I suggest you read Erkine Childers the Other Exodus, it is not just one side that uses propaganda :-)

• WoundedKnee | Oct 28, 2012, 03:18 PM EDT

  BishopSean, of the Church of Bigotry and Murder, continues to spew out his bile. His denial of the Israeli massacre at Deir Yassin would be laughable if we weren't talking about more than a hundred murders. Let's get a bit of history on the topic, rather than the stupid nonsense the Reverend Bishop of the Diocese of Hate and Murder is pushing here.--- "Jacques de Reynier, head of the International Red Cross delegation in Palestine, visited Deir Yassin on April 11, 1948 and observed "a total of more than 200 dead, men, women, and children.[38] Sharif Kan'ana of Bir Zeit University interviewed survivors and published figures in 1988: 107 villagers had died, 11 of them armed, with 12 wounded.[39] An Irgun fighter testified years later that Irgun and Lehi men had killed 80 prisoners after the fighting was over. Gelber writes that the figure is inflated and has not been corroborated. Kan'ana writes that 25 villagers were executed and thrown into the quarry after the battle, which Gelber regards as accurate...." .... Stop defiling religion with your stupid moniker of "Bishop", you're just a hate-filled clown.

• BishopSean | Oct 28, 2012, 12:34 PM EDT

  In view of the capacity of some of our people to uncritically repeat anti-Israel propaganda (e.g., the IC poster who last week incredibly repeated the “pogrom done by Israelis in Deir Yasan,” despite the Palestinian originator [Hazem Nusseibeh] of this story having openly confessed to the BBC in 1998 [fully 14 years ago] that this was his falsehood deliberately fabricated under orders of the top Arab High Committee [Khalidi, at the time]), it would be great if IC would do articles or encourage more qualified IC posters like EamonnDublin to comment on what is now happening in Irish Universities to counter such anti-dialogue and raw propaganda.

• AndyF | Oct 28, 2012, 12:33 PM EDT

  WoundedKnee: You are really very sad, condemning a whole society because of a few silly kids drawing on bombs (who told you they were encouraged to do so?). Stuff the fact that Israelis invented the latest Intel computer chip, or that half your mobile phone was invented in Israel, or Israel was the first to set up a field hospital in Haiti, and the only foreign medical team to be invited and present in Japan after the Tsunami there. No the whole country is a complete crapheep because some silly kids chalked on some bombs six years ago when their country was being rained down upon by missiles from across the border. Very rational thinking, WoundedKnee. Don't let the whole picture, context or any other relevant detail get in the way of your warped preconceptions.

• Cranleigh | Oct 28, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  Kevin, no group has a monopoly on suffering. Hitler's slaughter of the Jews was a preamble to what would have been an even bigger crime - the elimination of all Slavic peoples in Eastern Europe and many others besides. Fortunately, he was stopped before THAT happened. In crude numbers, the Russians and Chinese suffered the most but as a percentage of the total it was far less than the Holocaust. Either way, I certainly would not wish to dismiss what happened in Russia and the extraordinary sacrifice of the Russian people.

• KevinKehoe | Oct 28, 2012, 11:18 AM EDT

  Strongbow, I somehow new you would post back more insults instead of counter argument backed up by facts. Also in this part of the world it was 10.05pm GMT and when you posted @ 9:04pm EDT I was sound asleep dreaming of a better world and brighter future for all mankind. Where superpowers would not invade other nations under false flag operations so as to steel there land and strip there natural resources. Where the UN were not Vetoed by the same powers when it comes imposing sanctions in equal measures to all offending countries, and were as another informed poster said children would not be encouraged to write messages on bombs. And where people would not “solely” believe whats beamed into there living rooms by the mainstream media. All crimes against humanity should be condemned and no race or creed should have a monopoly or profit from death and evil and use it to mask there own inhumanity to there fellow man. The sad truth during WW1 almost 13 Million died and WW2 there were 65-70 Million people killed, the 6 Million Jewish deaths every bum on the street knows, not so much the 20 Million Soviets, 18 Million Chinese, 3 Million Japanese, 5 Million in Poland, 8 Million in Germany, 1 Million in Yugoslavia, 4 Million East Indies, 419,000 Americans and 450.000 British and many more.

• shuvonn | Oct 28, 2012, 10:47 AM EDT

  woundedknee who died and left you to think that you can be in any way representative of any Irish who left to find work? You engage in what you accuse me of. You represent only your own point of view and how dare you think that anyone who left to find work did so blithely or easily as you infer. You are *pompous and anonymous* yourself you just forget to look in the mirror when you are posting. If I have nothing to offer, feel free not to read or comment on my comments, the anonymous internet gives you that choice, but do not forget you represent NO one but yourself.

• shuvonn | Oct 28, 2012, 10:41 AM EDT

  Strongbow Funny that you mention putting the holocaust on a scale of suffering since is what pro-israelis do on a regular basis so do not project that onto me. Why is it that you and your ilk like to throw mud when well earned criticism is heaped on israel but fine being critical of any other country? Like I said the israeli representative had a whole lot more to say on a comment than they did over the forging and use of Irish passports,to commit a murder in Dubai now why do you think that is?

• roryobrien | Oct 28, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT

  Counihan, wtf are you to call Vincent Browne "infamous"?? You illiterate twit, a search on synonyms would have given you something more appropriate to use. Browne is polemical, certainly not infamous. But you probably would have too much trouble understanding that.

• WoundedKnee | Oct 28, 2012, 03:29 AM EDT

  What finished it for me was a few years back when Isreali children were encouraged to write "messages" on bombs that were to be dropped over Lebanon. Only a very evil society could get children to write messages on bombs that were to be used to kill other children. That didn't even happen in WW2 or the Vietnam War.

• jetsnoone | Oct 28, 2012, 02:42 AM EDT

  No, no Cranleigh abortion is now much bigger crime vs. humanity.... and the 20 yrs or so before the holocaust you should study what the Bolsheviks did to the Russian and Ukranian people. Sadly, you are a product of the mass media....do a little research on your own.

• AndyF | Oct 28, 2012, 02:36 AM EDT

  seanomelb: That Israel's judicial system is independent and can send its own ex Jewish president to jail does not prove it's not an apartheid state. Its the fact that the Supreme Court judge who sentenced him was an Arab that shows how ludicrous this often repeated allegation is.And he wasn't jailed for fraud- just another display of ignorance about the reality of Israel.

• Cranleigh | Oct 27, 2012, 11:02 PM EDT

  The Holocaust is the biggest crime ever committed in Europe. We live under its shadow and should be constrained by it. I still support the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state and am by no means blind to what has gone on over there since 1948. But, as Europeans, we need to show restraint when talking about Israel. The wounds are still raw. Ireland should be a friend to moderate Palestinians AND Israelis who seek to live in harmony. In my book, calling Israel a cancer is WAY beyond the Pale. Vincent, this is not like you.

• Cranleigh | Oct 27, 2012, 10:54 PM EDT

  Vincent Browne is a decent fellow who has shown a lot of courage in his journalistic career. I have often disagreed with him but have admired his tenacity in pursuing Ireland's many crooks in high places. I would also be a critic of Israel. But on this matter, Browne is horribly wrong. Israel as cancer is the lingo of the fascist regime in Iran and has no place in civilized discourse. This is not the Vincent Browne I know. He should have the gumption to admit he made a mistake and apologize for it.

• seanomelb | Oct 27, 2012, 09:45 PM EDT

  Using democracy and Israel in the same sentence is an oxymoron. Since when were apartheid policies democratic.Jailing the president for fraud is hardly proof of a democracy,it is a judicial matter and the same judicial system treats Arabs as second class citizens. You need a lesson in democratic principles AndyF.

• Strongbow | Oct 27, 2012, 09:07 PM EDT

  KevinKehoe posted the comment at 5:09 pm that he was "off for a pint." It is now 9:04pm and I would hope that the fog that his beer induces is preferable to the intellectual fog generated by his sheer ignorance. By the way, just wondering if Kevin has a middle initial, and if so, is it k?

• AndyF | Oct 27, 2012, 06:37 PM EDT

  maireadinmelb-Israel is a democracy and therefore many Israelis (Arabs and Jews) criticise the government. Criticism of Israeli government policy is legitimate and not antisemitic, but calling Israel a cancer which by implication should be excised and removed is not. Arabs in Israel have represention in Israel's Parliament and an Israeli Arab Supreme Court judge recently sentenced the ex president of Israel to jail showing how ludicrous your comparison of Israel is with the "early German position in relation to Jews". KevinKehoe: You're the one spouting rhetoric based on lies and propoganda. You talk about the "ethnic cleansing of Palestinians" when the Palestinian population in Palestine is higher then ever in history as the Palestinians themselves tell us all the time when highlighting their "demographic threat" to Israel. You talk about a "concentration camp" . Try putting restaurants in Bethlehem or iphones in Gaza, in a Google search and you might become a bit more enlightened about the reality instead of using sound bites from anti-Israel propaganda sites

• seanomelb | Oct 27, 2012, 06:09 PM EDT

  Vincent Browne is correct and he should not back away from his position because the deputy ambassador had a hizzy fit and trawled out the same old anti semitic rhetoric. Israel is a terrorist state and a blight on world peace.

• Strongbow | Oct 27, 2012, 05:31 PM EDT

  Dear Kevin, How is slurred speach construed as healthy conversation? Well in your favor at least it can't be spell-checked.

• KevinKehoe | Oct 27, 2012, 05:09 PM EDT

  Strongbow,If you come back with a counter comment, ?? I'm afraid I won't see it today anyway as I'm off for a pint and some healthy conversation. Slan

• maireadinmelb | Oct 27, 2012, 05:08 PM EDT

  Anyone critical of the Israeli government is branded as anti semitic! that is nothing new. I do not think you can say the holocaust is not the worst of human actions where it differs from other massacres is the scale (across multiple countries) and it was the first time that such suffering was recorded and shown to the public. Whilst Britain itself is responsible for many massacres and what can be called war crimes these are largely ignored by MSM because they are supposedly historical in context. The shame about the continued reference to the holocaust is that one coudl make the argument that the way Israel deals with the palestinians resembles strongly the early german position in relation to the jews!

• KevinKehoe | Oct 27, 2012, 04:59 PM EDT

  Strongbow, keep to the facts and keep your vile offensive comments to yourself when people are expressing there opinion on such a subject in a democratic forum. By all means express your opinion and enlighten us with some facts otherwise shove off and watch more of Fox or Sky news because its obvious your ignorance of history and whats going on in todays world is well below average. You say Israel is a beacon of hope for democracy and fundamental human rights, whats fundamental about the ethnic cleaning of the Palestinians who are now living in the worlds biggest concentration camp. Whats democratic about the State of Israel beating and arresting orthodox Jews who protest about the oppression against the Palestinians used by the state in there name. Israel has a mass of Nuclear weapons pointed in Iran’s direction, Iran has not, so I think the Iranians are more than fearful of the horror being vaporized into extinction don't you. Read a good article in yesterday’s New York Times by James Blight & Janet Lang its mainly about the Cuban missile crisis but also refers to the middle east. Go on enlighten yourself and get back to us and let us know about your new found knowledge instead of slanging people off with the same old rhetoric and no factual bases. Finally Vincent Browne is an Irish journalist in Ireland were he can speak the truth about Israel with out fear of being blacklisted by 99.9% of the rest of the media [not yet anyway] which cant be said about the States.

• Strongbow | Oct 27, 2012, 03:33 PM EDT

  Shuvonn, your comments are vile. They reveal an ignorance of history and a mentality mired in malignancy. Putting the Holocaust on a scale of suffering is patently offensive and inane. Kevin Kehoe- the above could just as well apply to you.

• KevinKehoe | Oct 27, 2012, 03:27 PM EDT

  Spell corrections before someone else tells me ! [ferocious, not ferrous and turn not tune].

• KevinKehoe | Oct 27, 2012, 03:18 PM EDT

  During the WW1, 1916 to be exact Britain and her allies were losing the war and for some reason Germany offered for the second time a truce with NO preconditions, in plain words stop the killing and go back to were there were before the war started. History say’s Britain was strongly considering to enter the truce until Zionist on both sides of the Atlantic persuaded Britain not to seek peace as they could get USA to enter the war on the side of the Allies. There price for this act [which cost millions more lost life's] was for Britain to promise to do all they could to secure Palestine for Zionist control. Britain signed the Balfour agreement and USA soon joined the war. Think for a moment the powers at play to pull of such a feat. Remember Arab’s and Jews lived side by side in Palestine for thousands of years until 1948. Now am I anti-Semitic for writing these facts of history on this page. Is Vincent Browne anti-Semitic for saying “they stole the land from Arabs” etc. History speaks for itself and the truth of it is they did steel the land and are still doing with ferrous power and with very little humanity, yet the mighty powers who claimed they liberated the world from oppression not only tune a blind eye but give the Israeli state billions of $ to continue there inhumanity to there fellow men women and children who now live in squaller in just 28% of what was once there homeland. The saying to Hell or to Connaught comes to my mind as an Irishman, but the Palestine people must surly say “To Hell and to Gaza”.

• Strongbow | Oct 27, 2012, 03:17 PM EDT

  The State of Israel is a beacon of hope for democracy and fundamental human rights in a wider region devoid of both. To the east Syria is bombarding it's own oppressed population so a few can hold onto power. To the south, Egypt is brimming with mysogonist mullahs who would relegate women to the kitchen and western ideas to the toilet. To the north Hezbollah, the pernicious proxy of Iran, have as many rockets primed for Israel as N. Korea has aimed at Soeul. Of course Israel wants to maintain a demographic advantage in Jerusalem. Otherwise the forces mentioned above would wield more influence.

• shuvonn | Oct 27, 2012, 02:42 PM EDT

  I meant to say the holocaust is not the biggest crime against humanity in the world ...

• shuvonn | Oct 27, 2012, 02:40 PM EDT

  The fact is that the holocaust is not the biggest crime committed against in the world despite that claim, while it was horrific on so many levels, there have been so many horrific crimes against humanity that cannot be ignored and should not be invalidated on so many levels by that false claim.

• WoundedKnee | Oct 27, 2012, 02:35 PM EDT

  Shuvonn: Who elected you to represent the "thousands of Irish who have left to find work"? You're just an anonymous poster on an internet site, don't be such a pompous fool. And unlike you, I do represent the 70% of Irish people who when polled consistently express opposition to the Mass Settlement of their country. Spare us the bigotry you're pumping out here, shuvonn, you have nothing worthwhile to offer.

• malpaso2001 | Oct 27, 2012, 02:31 PM EDT

  Eamonn and Wounded Knee, dont mind the haters and enjoy your flights back to Tel Aviv. Shalom....

• BigDaddy | Oct 27, 2012, 02:25 PM EDT

  Am I the only who not surprised when Tinari-Modai told us about her grandparents before condemning Browne? Forget that Israelis have made an industry out of the Holocaust, what is the big difference between Iraq and Israel? We invaded Iraq for doing nothing to us and did not invade Israel for killing American servicemen. Am I to be labelled an anti-Semite for telling the truth, also? btw, Semites are anyone from the region, not just Jews. Look it up for yourself.

• shuvonn | Oct 27, 2012, 01:28 PM EDT

  Sit down Eamonn, it seems just fine to be critical of any other country except israel. I for one will dole out the criticism of israel when it is needed and in this case it is. NO one stands up to them and they take carte blanch to violate sovereign countries to kidnap and murder and no one says a thing while they continue to take land, and the JNF owns 13% of the land and will not rent, lease or sell to non jews in israel and that is a government agency in israel. Like I said the israeli embassy had a whole lo more to say on that comment than they did over the forged Irish passports used for a murder in Dubai. Wounded knee you do not represent the thousands of Irish who have left to find work nor are you qualified to speak for them. Strongbow Why does criticism of land purchases in the WB and East Jerusalem sneakily and through the ILA and the JNF automatically make one a supporter of *salafist slaughterers* ??? That's an awfully big leap but quite typical

• WoundedKnee | Oct 27, 2012, 12:29 PM EDT

  After the Second World War the victorious Allies decided to settle the Jews of Europe in the Middle East and set up a state for them. It was a big mistake to import people to where they were not welcome--we see the results still today,seven decades after it happened. What a shame the Jewish people weren't settled in Ireland. As they are doing today with other immigrants, the Irish would have abandoned their homeland without a complaint and welcomed its settlement by foreigners.

• Strongbow | Oct 27, 2012, 12:26 PM EDT

  Sad to see the face of Irish Intellectualism fall prey to this oft-repeated canard. Who would have thought that this celebral fixture of Irish media would have the same convictions as salafist slaughterers the world over. But then again everyone thought highly of Jimmy Saville until his true colors were revealed.

• seamus60 | Oct 27, 2012, 12:03 PM EDT

  Eamonn. If Isreal would stop stealing what belongs to others and stop forcing hardship on the inocent, any leaning media would have less negative reports to convey.

• EamonnDublin | Oct 27, 2012, 11:45 AM EDT

  If Vincent Browne was indeed being racist and anti-Semitic - and I consider that is the only way to interpret his remarks ("cancer", "they stole the land from the arabs") - then I wonder why we should be so shocked. Judging from the of comments I hear and see in the Irish media, both by journalists and readers, being anti-Semitic would lump Vincent in with the majority of Irish people. The left leaning Irish media throws it out, and the majority of the readers soak it up. The anti-Israeli sponge is then squeezed out in public to an embarrassing degree. Sadly, a cycloptic press breeds a cycloptic people. I STAND WITH ISRAEL. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• cillowen | Oct 27, 2012, 11:43 AM EDT

  the man is spot on - they want their cattle and eat them too. We all know how the Creator send his Chosen to guide his flock in whatever manner desirous of his "specials" Who is most feared now on our planet ? GOD or his shamers/blamers - Goys waiting for a heaven are just hanging around for the beatings before being launched into nothingness.

• Ray1Gordon | Oct 27, 2012, 11:33 AM EDT

  I applaud Mr. Browne for having the courage to tell the truth about Israel's brutal occupation and oppression of the Palestinians. As an American taxpayer, I am disgusted that my hard earned tax dollars support apartheid Israel and its rabid lobby. Keep up the good work, Mr. Browne .

• Jimsteer | Oct 27, 2012, 11:07 AM EDT

  You better believe it, Sister

• Silling | Oct 27, 2012, 10:56 AM EDT

  I think Shakespeare's merchant of Venice should be proscribed for his viscous attack on Shylock. And, in the village of Lacoste in Provence, they went and changed the name Rue du Juiverie (jews) to Rue du Four (oven). Incidentally, Rue Four in Lacoste is known locally as Rue Four Skin. Could someone in Ireland let the Israeli deputy ambassador know that " The French" government are anti semitic and come down here as soon as possible to get that shocking street sign changed. As for The Rialto Bridge in Venice where Antonia accosted poor olde Shylock, have it demolished without further adieu.

• tundish45 | Oct 27, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT

  It's a tough subject. Of course Israel is useful to US interests because it keeps the rest of the Middle East off balance and mostly locally focused. And they are effective as a surrogate military projection. Who wouldn't expect them to be playing the bias card as their public go-to response whenever one is needed? Everyone just nods and gets on with things. But too bad they don't have any oil.

• funkd drum | Oct 27, 2012, 10:39 AM EDT

  Mr. SMARTASS THIS IS THE BEST ANSWER FOR YOU http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=rnzN8_wLahw

• shuvonn | Oct 27, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT

  Yes, it was a poor choice of words but why is it fine to be critical of any other country in the world but israel? There was not enough of the roots of that conflict brought into the last debate, and the massive injustice that is still going on to this day. That antisemitic accusation is so over used, and seems to be the go-to response that is usually alleged with a side of holocaust thrown in for good measure. Funny they had a whole lot more to say over this interview than they did over the forged passport used in Dubai.... funny that..

• Joe Kelsall | Oct 27, 2012, 10:03 AM EDT

  It's not for me to advise Vincent Browne on the mobilisation of the English language. However, I think 'malignancy' may have been more concise.