The you might understand why some might interpret that as "antisemitic".

In effect you are saying that you do not believe that US Jews should have the same political rights as all other Americans to use their political influence for whatever THEY believe to be in their own interests (rightly or wrongly from your point of view). And the same for British Jews and the British political system.

You consider it "antidemocratic" for Jews to be exercising their share of democracy? Would you care to try to expalin that. Upon what you are basing that? That they might not want what you want is beside the point. Or should be. Likewise that you disapprove of what they want.

By all means, if you disaprove of what they are trying to work for, use your share of political clout to work for the other side of that issue. But of course then your share of clout has been used up and not available for other issues about which you care. I think that's the crux of the problem for you, why you think the situaton "unfair" and their influence undo. Precisely becasue collectively THEY don't care as much about these other issues and so their share of influence gets concentrated on the issue that they do care about (and conversely, because of exchange of support, you might find them aligned against you on your other issues).

This comes uncomfortably close to anti-Semitism in my opinion, to the old idea of a worldwide conspiracy of Jews wielding exraordinary and sinister powers. All sorts of groups lobby governments - pro-Israeli ones are hardly unique. Indeed there is much pro-Arab or pro-Muslim lobbying by Saudi Arabia and by many other groups. Yet Jewsh groups are ascribed mythical powers such as being described as 'our new masters'.

That's not far from the concept of ZOG (Zionist Occupation Government) - the idea that countries such as the UK or USA have been taken over by Israeli/Zionist/Jewish interests for the benefit of Israel or the Jews.

Also, the singling out of Israel for vilification out of all proportion to its size or the scale of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict raises uncomfortable issues of the agenda behind such a campaign. Israel is very far from the worst offender against human rights in the world but is targeted out of all proportion which arouses doubts about motives as to why this one country arouses such passions while others are virtually ignored.

Amid this campaign of vilification it is hardly a surprise that anti-Semitic attacks have risen to record levels.

Thank you to Israel for defending our right as arab Christians to practise our faith in safety without fear or threats. Something we are not able to do in most arab Islamic countries. In arab muslim countries christians and Jews are treated as second class citizens and have to pay a tax to the muslim state inorder to be allowed to practice their religon.

The common tactics of pro-zionists in countering anti-zionism are evident in the comments above

1. Pro-zionists merge zionism with judaism. This is a falacy. Israel does not own Judaism

2. Pro-zionists merge anti-semitic conspiracists (nazis et al) with contemporary critics of Israeli influence on US foreign policy. The fact is Israel has extarordinary clout. This is evident in the fact that it recieves more financial and military aid from the US that any other country on the planet and has done for over thirty years. As a result Israel has the forth largest army in the world, nuclear weapons, and a population of zenophobic, racist, militarist suprematists.

3. Truth is this spin attempt is transparently immoral. The more the history of jewish persecution is politically manipulated by zionism, the more that history is abused.

"2. ........ The fact is Israel has extarordinary clout. This is evident in the fact that it recieves more financial and military aid from the US that any other country on the planet and has done for over thirty years. ........."

ISRAEL has zero clout in American politcs. Repeat, ISRAEL has zero clout.

The consistent pro-Israel position of the US comes about because a sizable "group solid" minority of Americans wants this and chooses to use their share of the political process to bring that about. THEIR CHOICE to use their share of say in this manner rather than diluting it over a great many other issues. That's the way US politics works, the way it is designed to work, OUR conception of "democracy".

Any minority interest which is "solid" and focused on just one issue can pretty much get its way here unless DIRECTLY opposed by other interests willing to expend their political capital on the other side of the issue. On this issue (support for Israel) there aren't such other interests. Oh to be sure, many, perhaps a majority wish otherwise but that isn't how OUR democracy works. Here priorities count very heavily. Wanting something just a little bit, not willing to expend any political capital for it, doesn't matter terribly much how many.

In other words, the political system is designed to function as a social negotiation between interests over who gets how much of what they want. More or less an assumption that society is composed of a large number of minority interests all competing for this or that. In this system, the more focused on just one or two things an interest group is and how willing to cooperate with a variety of other interest groups over what they want (having a don't care much one way or the other on those issues) the more influence. On the other hand, an interest group whose desires cover a wide range of issues or is unwilling to help roll anybody else's log is at a severe disadvantage.

THAT is why what is being said can be interpreted as "antisemitic". An objection that American JEWS be able to do this is equivalent to saying that they shouldn't have the same political rights as other Americans.

Not all criticism of Israel is anti-semitic, and certainly not all anti-Zionists are consciously anti-semitic.

However the fact remains that the way Israel is singled out for vilification in a way never applied to any other country does raise troubling issues given that Israel is the only mainly Jewish country. For example the Israeli population is labelled "a population of zenophobic, racist, militarist suprematists". We never hear this of any Arab country, for example, even though many have expelled their Jewish populations and Saudi Arabia will allow a Jewish synagogue to be built when hell freezes over. Whatever is said, the way Israel is held to totally different standards must be evidence of some form of discrimination.

US aid to Israel is large, but it is not overwhelmingly so: in 2006 it was 2520 million dollars, compared with 1795 million to Israel's neigghbour Egypt. Yet we don't hear of an Egyptian or Arab manipulation of US policy or sinister influences.

Also there is the issue of allying with openly anti-Semitic movements such as Hamas which frequently happens on anti-Israeli events.

Lastly, whatever the intentions of anti-Zionists, frequently it *is* Jews in general, who may or may not have anything to do with Israel, who are being attacked by people incited against Israel.

"However the fact remains that the way Israel is singled out for vilification in a way never applied to any other country does raise troubling issues given that Israel is the only mainly Jewish country."

I think that Apartheid South Africa was singled out in exactly the same way. Not because people hated whites, but because Apartheid is abhorrent.

"We never hear this of any Arab country, for example, even though many have expelled their Jewish populations and Saudi Arabia will allow a Jewish synagogue to be built when hell freezes over."

Gaza happened this year. I don't recall seeing any footage of Jews being expelled from anywhere this year. Are you practicing sake and mirrors? And the complaint against Israel is not that it won't allow mosques to be built.

"Whatever is said, the way Israel is held to totally different standards must be evidence of some form of discrimination."

It is the only apartheid state backed by the states of the US/UK/EU that I'm aware of. Kindly provide evidence of any others I don't know about - and perhaps you can help me get information on which Saudi Lobby 80% of Tory MPs belong to.

"US aid to Israel is large, but it is not overwhelmingly so: in 2006 it was 2520 million dollars, compared with 1795 million to Israel's neigghbour Egypt. Yet we don't hear of an Egyptian or Arab manipulation of US policy or sinister influences."

Israel's population = 7,233,701
Egypts population = 83,082,869 (July 2009 est.) (both figures CIA factbook)

So Israel gets $348 per head of population (if your figures are the true total) whilst Egypt gets $21.60 per head of population.

No difference there at all then is there MDN? And who is Egypt occupying and attacking?

I can't say I recall seeing any information on that either. Please feel free to educate me.

"Also there is the issue of allying with openly anti-Semitic movements such as Hamas which frequently happens on anti-Israeli events."

But none with allying with openly Islamophobic movements such as the State of Israel which happens all the time.

Hamas - who is allied with them. Aren't they elected?

So much bullshit coming from you.

"Lastly, whatever the intentions of anti-Zionists, frequently it *is* Jews in general, who may or may not have anything to do with Israel, who are being attacked by people incited against Israel."

Its Palestinians, Iraqis and Afghanis who are dying as far as I can recall.

And we shouldn't say anything?

Are you for real?