A new Israeli Internet consumer rights group has been created for the Anglo community, in a bid to protect native English-speakers against fraud, false advertising, poor service or other consumer pitfalls.

The Yahoo group, IsraelConsumerRights, was created this week and aims to provide a forum for concerned consumers looking to discuss anything from retail chains and professional services to nursery schools and moving companies.

A complaint must be substantiated by at least two other sources or be accompanied by evidence before it is posted, to protect against libel suits.

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"We're not trying to put people out of business or bad-mouth anyone, but rather to protect consumers and provide a forum for complaints about services and companies," said Joel Leyden, moderator and owner of the group. "There is no forum for Anglos to redress consumer complaints and our most powerful tool is the Internet."

Though there is no shortage of Anglo Internet chat groups, many are moderated so that attacks on businesses or retail stores are not published. Leyden, for example, started Newraanana, a Yahoo group, after his complaint about a retail store in the area was not published on Raananalist, the city's first e-mail list.

IsraelConsumerRights, however, is aiming to bypass the moderators in many of the other lists and provide a forum for frustrated consumers who are not able to air their complaints because of concerns about libel or slander.

"The issue of consumer rights is more acute for Anglos because many are new immigrants who did not grow up with this culture," Leyden said. "They are consumers in a new country and newcomers will sometimes be taken advantage of. This group allows people to come together and put pressure on businesses to clean up their act."