But Oborne and James precisley don't talk about Israel being a "vile regime" or an "apartheid state". They write: "Israel is a wonderful and extraordinary country with a rich and flourishing democratic history. Founded in terrible circumstances in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust and World War Two, it has a profound right to exist."

Nor do they imply that the politicians are "lining their pockets" with donations -- after all, political donations go to cover expenses of their political work.

We need new rules, yes. But not because of any particular policy outcome, but because we need to be able to trace policy outcomes to a legitimate process.