A SYDNEY festival celebrating ''the broad diversity of opinions within the wider Jewish community'' has banned two speakers because they supported Marrickville Council's ill-fated boycott of Israel.

The University of NSW academic Peter Slezak, from Independent Australian Jewish Voices, and Vivienne Porzsolt, from Jews Against the Occupation - Sydney, were told by email they were no longer welcome to address the Limmud-Oz festival next month, due to their ''active and vocal involvement'' in the proposed boycott at Marrickville.

Uninvited ... two speakers have been banned from speaking at the Limmud-Oz festival because they supported Marrickville Council's boycott of Israel.

However, organisers said the three-day festival of Jewish learning and creativity would not ''shy away from tough issues''.

The issue of the boycott will still be the topic of at least two sessions, while others would tackle ''challenging points of view''.