The Australian Jewish community is overwhelmingly committed to a fair and just two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, as are many Palestinian leaders. It is in this light that all mainstream Jewish organisations, federal and state, questioned the Sydney Peace Foundation for awarding its peace prize to Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi.

Your claim (editorial, 8/11) that critics of the award distorted her positions cannot be sustained. Your editorial acknowledges Dr Ashrawi's signature on a June 2002 condemnation of suicide bombings was prompted by a lack of "results" rather than the immorality of terrorism itself. Her refusal to unequivocally condemn Hamas as a terrorist organisation - on the very day the Australian Parliament undertook to ban Hamas - calls into question the sincerity of her alleged opposition to terrorism.

As for her supposed support for a "two-state solution", Dr Ashrawi has consistently rejected all possible agreements that would ensure such an eventuality. She dismissed Ehud Barak's Camp David offer as a "sham", and rejects the requirement of the current road map peace plan to clamp down on terrorism and its infrastructure. Both the road map and Barak's offer name a Palestinian state as the end goal.

The Jewish community did not distort Dr Ashrawi's words but provided a faithful analysis of her career and current positions. Sadly, it was our concerns that have been distorted by some in the media.