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Self-defence or brutal occupation?

"Speaking honestly about Israel and Palestine has always been fraught. Contrary to popular perception, the official public voice of the Australian Jewish community is not without dissent among Jews around the country. Indeed, there is a belief among some that the mainstream view is becoming increasingly difficult to reconcile with the facts, and that Israel and its supporters can no longer justifiably portray the Jewish state as victim, acting only in self-defence."

So begins a nuanced and balanced assessment in an op-ed piece in The Age [by Peter Slezak and Antony Loewenstein] of the position confronting both Israel and the Palestinians as Israel gets ready to celebrate it's 60th birthday and 41 years after Israel started its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

And:

"However, the true friends of Israel are not those who serve as propagandists for official myths but those who stand with the many Israelis to condemn not only the crimes of Palestinians, but also those of the state of Israel. Independent Australian Jewish voices who speak out against crimes committed in their name recognise a responsibility to the wider community, especially Australian Palestinians, to participate in a more balanced dialogue."

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