If anyone is charged , it is now absurd to assume that he/she/ could get a fair trial. The media., in its insatiable craving for victims, has long sown the seeds of guilt in readers' and viewers' minds, not to mention opinion in much of the adjacent comment.
Then, of course, if no charges are brought, the media and others will scream "whitewash" and "cover-up"

John, Weybridge, UK

Lord Levy is either guilty or he's not. The fact that he's Jewish makes no difference so why all the fuss about his religion?

Ron, Richmond,

I am confused. What has the fact Levy is of the jewish faith got to do with it?

He's British isn't he?

He is being investigated by the police to see if there has been a breach of the law on the awarding of peerages and if there has been an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

What faith is Ms Turner? Is the Archbishop of Canterbury protesting about the anti episcopalian sentiment surrounding her - if she is one?

Anti-semitism - I do not think so.

Dislike of Blair, his hangers on and the stench of corruption coming from the Westminster trough has more to do with it.

Peter Thomson, KIRKCUDBRIGHT, Scotland

When Ludovic Kennedy was asked what decided him to campaign on behalf of a convicted criminal to overturn a wrongful conviction he said the man had about him a 'presumption of innocence'.
In all the protests and accusations of victimisation in this affair is there any sense of a presumption of innocence?

David, Kyrenia, Cyprus

The reason that us Jews are senstive about anti semitism should be plainly obvius to any educated person.

Comments like that from Steve Wynn shows that this form of racism is very much alive in 21st Britain.

Rob, near london, UK

Polical parties should be funded by the taxpayer and no additional private funding should be permitted. This system of grace and favour sullies our democracy.

J, London,

JJ's premise re "an eye for an eye" is based upon a mistranslation from the Biblical Hebrew, which reads "an eye INSTEAD of an eye", being perhaps the earliest example of the principal of compensation for personal injury rather than the old chestnut of blanket retribution so often trotted out.

andrew, London, UK

Jon, no divergence of opinion amongst the Jewish community? If he had kept abreast of events and not been consumed by his prejudices he would have heard of the organisation called Independent Jewish Voices which numbers amongst it members prominent British Jews. The comments so far to your article have reinforced Christpher Hitchen's comments in a recent article that British Society is fundamentally and heinously anti-semitic

Sidney , London, UK

Oh, come on please. Everytime a Jewish genetleman happens to be under investigation, I constantly hear claims of anti-semitism from Jewish organtisations. Police are conducting this invesgitation fairly, and they should be allowed to continue. If Lord Levy has broken the law he should face the jail. No one should be above the law.

John Mandy, Manchester, UK

Jon -- I wholeheartedly agree with your suggestion. those with an emotional attachment to one side cannot have an unbiased view. same goes for many of the neo-cons, so so no surprise at their foreign policy. take out the threats to the homeland and all that.

Mike, London,

Why all of a sudden has this become a Jewish thing? NExt they will be accusing the police of anti-semitism. Does this not raise question abaout this mans suitability to be the Middle East envoy , when he is so entrenched in the
Jewish Lobby. The threat of Jews withdrawing funding is a dispicable attempt to further subvert the law of the land and justice and we should not stand for it.

The police should be allowed to do their work free of political pressure and emotional blackmail from the Jewish Lobby. We should not put up with pocket politcians, beholden to lobbies like in America.

M James, London, UK

To Joe from London,

There is no reason why either a Jew or a Muslim cannot offer unbiased advice on the Middle East situation. The reason it is not the best of ideas to appoint a Jew or a Mulsim to the post, is that too many people, like you, will believe that they can't.
But like Joe, my comment has nothing to do with the topic at hand. For that I apologise.

Denny, London,

To paraphrase 2 of these comments,

'The Jew should tell the truth'. jj, doesn't that rather assume that he isn't?

'The Jew gets what he deserves because the Old Testament says 'an eye for an eye''. Peter, Lord Levy shouldn't hide behind his beliefs but you're entitled to suggest he's getting what's coming to him with a so often misunderstood biblical quotation?

How ludicrous to assert that there may be veiled anti-semitism at work. It's not veiled in the slightest!!!

paul, london,

Interesting that Lord Levy is behaving like the ethnic minority squaddies when they are accused of poor performance - as the Tory front bench spokesman said - he is playing the ethnic card. 'Is it because I is a Jew?' I would imagine that most people would not even have known this until he brought it up.

kerry livermore, London, England,

"...senior Jewish figures who have donated to Labour have voiced their anger to the party..."

We're now moving from 'cash-for-honours' to 'cash-for-political/religious-influence' ...

John, Kent,

Will the House of Lords be having a closing down sale?

J Stephens, London,

Joe, London

Have you been reading a different article from me?

As for my opinion, I've only two words: Ernest Saunders.

The old school always close ranks.

Jenny Williams, Manchester,

This is all about power, status and money: the three idolatries of modern Britain. "Lord" Levy (product of the same process he now manipulates) has power as the government's chief fundraiser and uses it to broker trades of status for money. Is his first loyalty even to Britain? Like Mittal? Rich people obtain the status (which may be just nearness to government, influence, contacts or actually a title); they pay Labour to get it, as loans, direct donations, "charitable" donations to favoured causes. Powell, Turner etc. sit in Downing Street and agree the terms. It may not in fact be illegal, it may not be proveable in a court - but can we fail to recognise that we are looking at a trading system for power, status and money?

Bob Lyddon, Thames Ditton, UK

Why are the rabbi's so quick to play the race card?

Any criticsm of someone jewish and it gets labelled anti-semitism...

Andy, Glos, UK,

If Levy goes to prison for corrupting our political system, attempting to corrupt our political system or for hiding evidence of these deeds, then all I can say is "It couldn't happen to a nicer bloke". This article confirms how money from certain communities seeks to influence our Government and its policies abroad. I would add the words "may they all rot in hell" but even hell would be too good for people like this.

Steve Wynn, London, UK

And who is there to appoint who does not have a partizan point of view of some kind. Don't blame lord levy or suggest that it beggars belief. Blame the person (s) within the Blair regime who appointed him. Levy is only an advisor not a law maker when it comes to the Middle East. Blair and his Kabal are the ones who make and take decisions and who accept or reject advice from one and all, whether pro Islamic, pro Israeli or vice versa. Lost British lives rest in the whole sorry Middle eastern debacle rest firmly in Balir's hands.

David , Innsbruck, Austria

"As for Lord Levy being Tony Blair's (unelected) middle east advisor, it really does beggar belief that an advisor of Jewish extraction could provide unbiased advice on this most important of topics facing us today."

Because there's definitely no divergence of opinion within the Jewish community on such issues, right? It's not like the debate rages amongst Jews (and indeed Israelis) as fiercely as elsewhere, with numerous Jews providing prominent anti-Israel voices?
Tell you what, let's just ban Jews from every foreign office post, the diplomatic service and the Cabinet, just to make sure, right? Can't be too careful, can we?

Jon, London, UK

Michael (Lord) Levy is a rough tough cookie brought up in the hard school, if necessary he will take these political lightweights with him if he sinks. It will take an awful lot of money to buy him off - he's a self-made millionaire and doesn't need their money. Though I suppose everybody has their price. Watch this space.........this gets better every day.

victor, Malaga, Spain

Lord Levy - please stop hiding behind your religious beliefs. Judiasm thought up an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth - a case of the biter, bit perhaps?

This is not about hounding a 'Jew'. Tthis is about an unelected individual having excessive influence over a prime minister as far as awarding positions in an unelected house of national government oversight is concerned.

It is not about Lord Levy 'perse' but about the stink of corruption emanating from the current government of which Lord Levy merely represents one possible aspect.

The leaks have more to do with saving 'Teflon Tony's' skin than anti-semitism.

So do we now add anti-semitism to Tony's other ill founded claims about the SNP?

Peter Thomson, KIRKCUDBRIGHT, Scotland

Lord Goldsmith, were you also acting under your duty to the law when you advised that the Iraq war may be illegal and almost overnight changed your mind?

As for Lord Levy being Tony Blair's (unelected) middle east advisor, it really does beggar belief that an advisor of Jewish extraction could provide unbiased advice on this most important of topics facing us today.

Joe, London,