Indignant bloggers have been quick to pounce on remarks made at the recent J Street conference in Washington by one of the doveish lobby group's co-founders, Daniel Levy (right).

In a filmed discussion, he said that if Israel could only survive by the sword - rejected by its neighbours because "they hate us for what we are" - then "Israel really ain't a very good idea".

Web critics said that his comments called into question J Street's "pro-Israel" credentials.

Mr Levy is the son of Lord Levy and was a participant in the 2001 Taba peace talks with the Palestinians.

His sentiments are not so far from what Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits once declared: "If I did not have absolute faith that some time in the future… an understanding with the Arabs would be eventually reached, I would rather salvage what can be salvaged and we might as well liquidate the state."