Why is Israel a queer issue?

I’ve been trying to avoid commenting too much on Australian politics, other than listening to what’s going on here and sharing what can be learned from it with those back home.  I also, in general, avoid the Israel / Palestine issue as a whole, though I will occasionally chime in on specific points.  I’m choosing my words carefully here, and ask that readers don’t take words like “perceive” and “believe” to mean that I disagree with (or agree with) those involved – I am simply trying to share what I best understand to be the viewpoints involved to illustrate my point.