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The Doha Debate, hosted by Tim Sebastian, took place amid mounting controversy over the role of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States and accusations that it has suppressed criticism of Israel - a charge that the lobby vigorously denies.

The motion of the debate was: “This house believes the pro-Israel lobby has successfully stifled Western debate about Israel’s actions.” Debaters: Norman Finkelstein, Andrew Cockburn, Martin Indyk, David Aaronovitch.

Norman Finkelstein, a leading academic critic of Israeli policies, argued in favour of the motion claiming that the Pro-Israel lobby sows confusion to avoid being held to account.

Finkelstein maintained that the American people are ignorant of solutions to the conflict that have been available for 30 years due to the “misinformation, disinformation, and sheer fraud which masquerades as scholarship that is validated by mainstream media.”

Dr Martin Indyk, former US Ambassador to Israel and Director of the Saban Centre for Middle East Policy, argued strongly against the motion, saying that the event in Oxford was a proof of a lively debate on the subject. He said controversy over a recent book by former US president Jimmy Carter - branded anti-Semitic in some quarters - was further evidence that criticism of Israel was not being stifled.

At the end of the debate, two-thirds of the student audience approved a motion claiming that Israel’s supporters are stifling western debate.

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