A selection of letters published in the AJN print edition of October 9, 2009

Kashrut merger will end anomalies

I WOULD like to applaud the idea of communal kashrut authorities merging (AJN 02/10). One unified authority would have many benefits, including greater market penetration, which would result in more companies requesting their product be listed.

More listed products would not only satisfy the current kosher consumer, but could attract other Jews to purchase kosher goods. It would negate many of the idiosyncrasies for the average kosher consumer, especially when travelling interstate.

An example of this emerged when I recently went to Albury for work and, since this town is on the NSW side of the border, I thought it more appropriate to use the NSW Kashrut Authority product guide (accessible for free on the internet) when purchasing goods in the supermarket. I was surprised to note that the NSW kosher guide approved many of the major brands of juices when compared to the Victorian-based, subscription only, kosher guide. It seemed illogical to me that if, on my way to Albury, I stopped in Wodonga (on the Victorian side of the border) to purchase these juices, they would be prohibited, but if I travelled 10 minutes north, then I would be free to quench my thirst with a whole array of beverages. I would assume both Albury and Wodonga receive their juices from the same distribution point.

Hopefully, the merger of the state-based authorities will come to fruition and kosher consumers will have a clearer choice of approved products throughout Australasia.

DARREN KATZ
North Caulfield, Vic

The ‘one standard’ myth

AS a law specialist who advises food companies, industry bodies and governments on food laws and policy, I find nothing troubling about there being more than one kosher certifier (AJN 02/10). Those who argue for exclusivity or seek greater centralisation are either misguided or have a vested interest.

In areas such as the organic industry or halal, there are multitudes of certifications. Those consumers who are really interested and motivated to have a better understanding by active participation in their own consumer group memberships know this, and are able to make their own informed buying choices accordingly.

The Trade Practices Act and industry standards will prevent blatantly fake certifications or misrepresentations of non-kosher as kosher, but the best protection is more active consumer group advocacy.

Irrespective of a superficial view of Judaism by some, there are good halachic reasons for kosher certification standards to inevitably vary from city to city or among different countries.

There is also nothing wrong with rabbis potentially providing a separate kashrut supervision as an enterprise, as long as consumers understand that it is an independent hechsher and what kashrut standards it entails, and they are willing to accept these kashrut standards.

JOE LEDERMAN
Melbourne, Vic

Goldstone’s flawed investigation

REGARDING the Goldstone report, Steve Brook (AJN 02/10) alleges that those who barrack for the “Mighty Israelis” are “one-eyed”. His own vision appears to be less than acute, however. He seems blind to the fact that some of the report’s authors had condemned the Israel Defence Forces for “war crimes” long before their flawed investigation.

He overlooks the fact that the US, Australia, and many European nations did not endorse the establishment of the Goldstone commission, arguing as did Mary Robinson – no friend of Israel – that the commission was politically motivated.

His doesn’t seem to realise how the Goldstone commission hamstrings democracies required to confront those who disseminate terror from among civilian populations.

When it comes to the thousands of rockets that exited Gaza into Israel before the conflict, he appears to have a major blind spot. And he appears to ignore Israel’s unprecedented efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza.

DR DAVID WEINTROB
Caulfield, Vic

Goldstone an acclaimed jurist

A FEW months ago, I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Richard Goldstone, who was in Australia on a lecture tour, at a private family dinner. I didn’t know who Goldstone was. I had never heard of him.

When I asked my South African friends about him they spoke in accolades; in reverent and glowing terms. They all suggested that I look him up on Google. I did so. I was in awe of his life’s work and achievements. I didn’t read a negative word about him or his judicial decisions.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw the disgraceful cover of The AJN (25/09) and then read articles in which he was pilloried, until I came to his response, “Goldstone defends caustic report”. I immediately recognised the Goldstone that my South African friends had raved about: an acclaimed, exceptional and measured international jurist.

ALEXIS LANDER
North Bondi, NSW

Hamas’ claims accepted without question

I DOUBT that Australian Jewish Democratic Society members Larry Stillman and Les Rosenblatt bothered to read the lengthy Goldstone report before rushing to draft a letter condemning Israel (AJN 02/10).

It is widely acknowledged that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is being driven by a group of nations who don’t recognise human rights, but seek to de-legitimise and disenfranchise Israel.

One has to wonder why, like so many jurors before him, Richard Goldstone didn’t simply reject the brief that dictated Israel had committed war crimes, and instead it became his task to seek them out and list them.

It is a long report that accepts Hamas’ claims unquestioningly, despite these claims coming from the same people who recently swore that Israel had a death ray that melted Palestinian insides, and was training snakes to attack Palestinians. Even B’Tzelem, arguably Israel’s harshest critic, doesn’t accept that Israel committed “war crimes” and acknowledges the rabid bias of the UNHRC.

Ostensibly, the report states that if you are attacked by terrorists who are shielded by civilians, you have no right to defend yourself. This would have ramifications the world over, if it wasn’t a position reserved exclusively for Israel.

MORRY SZTAINBOK
Bentleigh, Vic

Rosy view of Goldstone report

LARRY Stillman, Les Rosenblatt and Steve Brook all reached for their rose-coloured glasses last week on the Goldstone report and, as usual, failed to see the anti-Israel bias oozing out of the report (AJN 02/10). Steve Brook also thought it was fun to couch his support for Justice Goldstone in football parlance.

But even though the Goldstone report into Operation Cast Lead claims to have addressed both sides of the conflict, there were significant and obvious failings of the process that seem to have missed all their attention.

For starters, the report was far from objective due to the intrinsic anti-Israel agenda of the United Nations Human Rights Council and its members involved in preparing the report. And in contrast to any solid fact-finding exercise drawn from Israel’s judicial system, the report recycles as fact a range of unsubstantiated claims from anti-Israel, non-governmental organisations and unverifiable Palestinian “eye witnesses”. Furthermore, the report only marginally comments on the reason Operation Cast Lead was even launched in the first place.

So in discarding any semblance of objective analysis of the report, the Australian Jewish Democratic Society again demonstrates its readiness to accept at face value the Palestinian account of the conflict. It is a pity they are so committed to appeasing Israel’s enemies that they can’t spot malicious bias when it hits them in the face.

ALAN FREEDMAN
St Kilda East, Vic

War not a game of Scrabble

IN the northern summer of 2007, I was in Israel for a brief stay. It was considered virtuous at that time to visit Sderot, the city at the centre of Hamas missile strikes into southern Israel. People would come to Sderot to offer moral and financial support.

There I visited a primary school. Three images remain etched in my mind: the bomb shelter; the large hole in the playground; and the look of fear and uncertainty in the eyes of most of the young children.

Therefore, I marvelled that Israel’s response, Operation Cast Lead, took so long to emerge. The Goldstone report accuses both sides of “war crimes” and I have little doubt as to the veracity of the allegations.

War is, after all, not a friendly game of Scrabble. Hamas uses the most vile methods to shield its combatants and unintended casualties will occur. Israeli soldiers, perhaps angry and shell-shocked, might kill civilians (innocent or in complicity). Time and law should sort this out.

What amazes me, though, is the Left’s eagerness to condemn Israel with barely a mention of the circumstances or background of the conflict. I suppose it’s easy when one lives in a peaceful country half a world away from trouble. But it’s a cheap shot.

DR MARK SCHWARTZ
Illawong, NSW

Mouthpiece for the Palestinians

WHAT is it about ex-presidents and prime ministers that they feel they should become mouthpieces for the Palestinians and Arabs.

Similar in his Middle East outlook to former US President Jimmy Carter, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser heads the advisory board of the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University and represents Care International, listed by NGO Watch as a virulent critic of Israel.

He is joining Australians For Palestine to debate Dr Danny Lamm and Mark Dreyfus MP at Monash University next week on why the international community should support Hamas.

Just like Carter, Fraser works the speaking circuit and writes op-eds for the mainstream media, seemingly urging everyone to be wary of the Zionist lobby. Yet in my opinion, Fraser himself is now a fully fledged member of the Palestinian/Arab lobby.

MICHAEL BURD
Toorak, Vic

Age letters one-sided

AUSTRALIAN National University Professor Amin Saikal (The Age 30/09) suggests Iran’s ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons are part of an arms race with Israel. Nowhere in his article did Saikal mention that Iran’s Holocaust-denying dictator, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has vowed to wipe Israel off the map.

I wrote to The Age, as I am sure others did, pointing out that no-one has threatened to wipe Iran off the map, whereas Israel has faced that threat since its independence.

The letter was not published, nor did any others criticising Saikal appear, but Les Rosenblatt’s letter lauding Saikal was published.

In his letter, Rosenblatt also said how he, in his Australian Jewish Democratic Society newsletter, asked how many Australian Jews would support a nuclear-free Middle East.

I again sent a letter to The Age, saying that my answer to the question would have been a resounding “yes, I would support a nuclear-free Middle East”, and added that what Rosenblatt also should have asked was how many Arab and Muslim countries, in particular Ahmadinejad’s Iran, would support an Israel-free Middle East? Neither that, nor any other pro-Israel letters, were published.

Apart from that newspaper’s obvious belligerence towards Israel, what is of greater concern is that, whether intentional or not, this continuous anti-Israel bias, even though claimed not to be anti-Semitic, will eventually translate into anti-Semitism – and I believe Rosenblatt and his friends will have been significant contributors.

HENRY HERZOG
St Kilda East, Vic

Shmooze derogatory on Jerry Lewis

ON Jerry Lewis and Rosh Hashanah, you suggested Lewis was only interested in bagging gays and female comedians (AJN 02/10). What absolute nonsense you decided to write.

At the Muscular Dystrophy charity night, he was appreciated with a standing ovation by the whole audience. He is a talented man and more importantly, a true gentleman. It seems you don’t like Jerry Lewis, so decided to make up these derogatory comments rather than shmoozing about our pleasure in being able to invite Jerry for Rosh Hashanah.

EVIE GAREB
North Bondi, NSW

Gown comments offensive

LESS than one week after Yom Kippur, AJN readers read unnecessarily nasty and insulting remarks directed at Dr Geoffrey Edelsten’s fiancee Brynne Gordon by Shmooze (02/10). Apparently, Gordon had the temerity to wear a provocative and revealing gown to the Brownlow Medal presentation. Has this not been the fashion theme for the night for the past several years?

If indeed, as the author asserts, Gordon’s outfit caused “en masse reflux”, he clearly has no respect for readers by featuring the outfit on page 2. Whatever views Adam Kamien may have of Gordon’s dress selection, the offensive remarks directed at both Gordon and Dr Edelsten were undignified, unbecoming and antithetical to the journalistic values to which The AJN ought to adhere.

TAMMY AND DAVID WOLFF
Aspendale, Vic

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