and isolating itself from the world.

Stuff ya' mate! And the surf board you rode in on.

FAIR DINKUM, put another kangaroo steak on the barbie sheila you bloody whinging pom.Let's have some more beers .

Just another excuse by the Australians to stick the Jews with a knife! Who can forget their responde in the early days of the Shoah to Jews who wanted asylum there..."We don't want to import a racial problem!"

They knew that the outcome of the vote will always be against Israel so how Australia voted didn't have any practical result. This mild protest was to shut up the Antisemites back home. If theirs was a decisive vote Australia would have supported Israel.

About as clean as an aborigine's jockstrap.

.. i DON'T think so .... screw Australia anyway.

the UK is also influenced by the strong presence of Muslim immigrants and second generation Muslims in their midsts plus a large number of Arab Muslim sympathizers. Therefore, it is very apt to vote in favour of the resolution to proceed on the Goldstone Report in the UN. It is a politically viable action for the UK to take. The UK therefore demonstrates that its politics overtakes justice. What's new?

There's still no direct evidence of Israeli involvement in the Mabhouh hit. And let's not forget who and what Mabhouh was - an admitted murderer beyond the reach of civilized society. And if you mates think the UK or US haven't used Australian passports for covert ops, you're kidding yourselves.

run out of Indians to beat up?

According to the Talkbackers here, every country that dares to criticize Israel is said to have "lost their moral compass" or accused of "hypocracy" in one silly way or another. Maybe it is time for you to face the fact that maybe Israel REALLY IS TO BLAME? Is that even possible for you anymore? Are you as delusional as you seem? Maybe Israel is in the wrong and everyone else is in the right?

Tend to forget Australia fought alongside american troops in Iraq. Israel was conspicuous by it's absence

It's really sad. But at the same time prove at the biggest scale the more important problems of democracy. Here, Australia did abstain about this vote. But not because they agree or not with the goal or the text. Not because they don't have a point of view on the matter. But for one only reason which isn't even necessary to name, a reason which hasn't ANY link with the vote. They're voting because of realpolitk but not for justice or for improving the world. Poor Australia, poor UN, poor world...

and if we don't support it we're weak? Antisemitic? You must be out of your minds. It would be weak to support this! Israel has committed a crime, and been caught! Face it! And to abuse the trust of Friends by forging their passports and endangering its citizens, outrageous! For much too long the idea that Israel can do no wrong has been the norm. Enough, behave like decent human beings or suffer the same sanctions any other country would under these circumstances!

The proportionality on this is so off it's offensive. Aussies, if you object to falsified passports, make more secure ones. There's a reason why currencies are so secure. If you need help securing your passports, get over your pride and ask the best country in the business of security to help you - Israel!

Right on James...finally a voice of reason regarding the "hypocracy of Talbackers and their inability or refusal to accept the fact that Israel is the one to blame. Face the facts people....

A named source says another and Israelis bash Australia. What part of "'Our pattern in the past has been to vote with the US when it comes to Israel, to show as much support for Israel as possible,......." did you guys miss? Or was it the other story you missed? The one about the pattern of Israeli Australians changing their names and then using their Australian passports to travel to countries where Israelis cannot legally travel? http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1152808.html

... is now siding with the terrorists? If someone killed that Bali bomber, would Australia also act like this?

You're exactly right. And I would venture to guess that had it been Osama bin Laden in that hotel in Dubai, these same countries would be congratulating Israel...and not giving a damn about the forged passports.

the world and their agenda are taking up the cause on baseless accusations. It boggles the mind how quickly the world is out to attack Israel on simple accusations but can't seem to get it together on Iran when mountains of proof keep piling up. Could it be that there really is a racist agenda out there? Like I said - Israel doesn't need to do anything to receive isolation from the world, the world itself is trying to create catalysts for it....and Israeli appeasement wouldn't stop it.

Did they, Gavan? How exactly did they get caught, as you say? Is there really proof or are you following your local news and making your opinion on the sound bites? How can you make up your mind, whoever you are, when the Dubai Police can't even prove it?

and yes, most countries seem to have lost that recently. Criticizing another is not considered a loss of morality....supporting a blatantly biased report IS. Calling for someone to be hung out to dry on shaky circumstantial evidence IS. How can you dare to call yourselves moral when you take a stand to place guilt on someone (Israel) when even the investigators haven't proven it yet? How can you dare to ignore the very repercussions of the Goldstone report that will return to hurt your actions around the world....just in order to hurt Israel? I haven't seen anything moral here from you.

if another country used forged Israili passports and endangered their citizens?

Israel was asked NOT to participate by the US. Too bad they did so. Otherwise the was would have been over years ago.

Abstaining and being anti-Israel makes you tacit supporters of terrorism, tyranical regimes and holocaust deniers who openly call for the destruction of the Jews. What lack of decency! How perverse and evil!

All I know is that I was shopping today, and had the chance to buy two products that were made in Australia. I chose not to and puchased a more expensive verison that was made in Israel and the other was made in the USA. I will try not to support Australian made products and based on other news today, I will also skip products made in Spain until those two countries stop targeting Israel.

Israel is already isolated. What difference does one more diplomatic temper tantrum make? The fact is that the only time Jews are popular is when we are being marched off to be slaughtered. I'd rather fight back and be unpopular.

Chris writes, "Tend to forget Australia fought alongside american troops in Iraq. Israel was conspicuous by it's absence." Not so conspicuous. Israel doesn't participate on the ground because its presence would inflame the Muslims. Recall that Israel was not only not invited into the coalition fighting in Desert Storm, but Israel was pressured not to act even when they were being attacked. That's not to say Israel doesn't help in Iraq and Afghanistan. Israeli technologies are in the air (drones), on the ground (techniques for dealing with IEDS) and in field hospitals (medical technology). Israel *is* helping out, albeit indirectly.