It was not the australian government which objected to the entry of Jews in 1938, it was the Jewish Board of Deputies in victoria and New South Wales which made representations to the federral government to limit the numbers Eastern European Jews seeking entry to Australia. They feared they would cause anti semitism. As for Ron's article. It is pure fantasy. Ben Zygier could just as well been working for Asio AND the Mossad. His enrollment at Monash University and befriending of Saudis and the Iranian would have been in both Israel and Australia's interest. Unfortunately he talked too much. That would have been in neither country's interest. Jason K was only doing his job. Zygier died in an Israeli prison. His body is buried in Melbourne. How he died could be reinvestigated in Australia. His parents could have and still could ask for an autopsy. A la Suha Arafat. Where were they during the 10 long months of his incarceration? Enquiries aere now underway in both counties. But the sad truth is that Ben Zygier was an adult and a trained lawyer. He must have known that he was acting in highly dangerous arena. He took risks. Australia and Israel are no different from any other country.

Endangering the lives of Australians working in the ME. As an Australian citizen he could well have been charged in Australia. To claim ASIO is responsible for his "suicide" is ridiculous even by Israeli standards.

and the list of groups with inward focus goes on. What's your point?

You don't think Australia's involvement in the NATO action in Iraq and Afghanistan would have done the same thing? Arabs are none too happy with the Aussies, and the bombings in Indonesia targeting Australians prove that. You're just using Israel as a scapegoat again for another nation's foreign policy decisions.

He was after all a supply of weapons and money to Hamas which used them to carry out illegal attacks on civilians, violating all sorts of human rights and intl laws. How is his elimination, which can safely be said has saved many lives on both sides, be illegal, especially in a Hamas-declared war against the Jewish State? Nevermind that Israel nor the Mossad has ever been proven to have been involved even though its widely assumed....isn't it also illegal to host intl criminals and terrorists as they conduct business on UAE soil, and further allow them to enter on a false passport?? I can't tell you how many intl laws and covenants the UAE action has broken. All this still doesn't vindicate the massive pressure the ASIO exerted on Zygier (and probably his family) in addition to other pressures which eventually caused him to crack.

but what is odd is how upset they and the UK were against Israel but nary uttered a world when both Arab terrorists and Russian criminals/spies were caught using UK/Aus. Passports to commit crimes and illicit travel. Shouldn't the Aussies be equally as upset here or is this a sign of tacit complacency?

Please illuminate more on the subject. When have Arab terrorists and Russian spies, used stolen/forged Australian passports for their terror activities? I'm genuinely interested to know.

Avigdor Feldman should demand seeing evidence right now and thereafter disclose publicly what legal option he woud have advised Zygier to take had Zygier lived

That is the smartest thing I've heard said in all this disgusting mistreatment of Benji. Thank you for a voice of reason.

.....the guy who wrote this article or Netanyahu?

Why would Zygier commit suicide when as the article says he had not betrayed the country. It sounds pretty ridiculous that the Israeli government would put in maximum security anyone if he had not committed anything that could present grave risks to Israel's security. Trained spies do not commit suicide just because they can't live up to their expectations. If this was the case thousands of spies would be commiting suicide every time. ASIO is not even guilty as he was allowed to leave and informed Mossad that he was interrogated by ASIO. No cause for incarceration or suicide. This artcle really went nowhere other than make Israel look bad, sinister and incompetent.