A selection of letters published in the AJN print edition of November 13, 2009
Emotive language on Gaza
IT is highly concerning to read, according to Moshe Elkman (AJN 06/11), that a number of local Jewish schools hosted visits from David Ha’ivri, executive director of the Shomron Liaison Office in Israel.
This organisation has used emotive terms such as “ethnic cleansing” to describe the 2005 Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. These terms are offensive to the many Australian Jews whose families actually experienced ethnic cleansing in the Holocaust, and in some cases the 1941 farhud (pogrom) in Iraq.
The Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip were evacuated by the elected government of Israel from foreign territory that belongs to the Palestinian people, and returned to the territory of their own country, the State of Israel. The settlements in the Gaza Strip should, of course, never have been built in the first place, and it was inevitable that they would eventually be dismantled.
We can only hope that the Jewish students at these schools were able to discuss these arguments.
PHILIP MENDES
Kew, Vic
Pullout necessary for Cast Lead
IT’S you, Ilana Leeds, who is confused, not me (AJN 06/11), because if you read my letter (30/10) more carefully, you would have seen that I did not attribute the pogrom comparison to David Ha’ivri, but to what was presented that night, which still was under Mr Ha’ivri’s banner, “Two States? No Solution” and you can’t escape that.
And Moshe Elkman is correct (06/11) – Hamas was firing Kassam rockets into Israel before the disengagement, but at what point would Israel have been justified in carrying out an operation like Cast Lead to stop those rockets?
With Gush Katif in place, how would the Israel Defence Forces have been able to protect those settlers? The disengagement wasn’t just the dismantling of Gush Katif, it was the Israeli pullout from Gaza because Israeli presence wasn’t working.
The suicides and homicides to which Mr Elkman refers as a consequence of the pullout, for whatever reasons, are indeed tragic and heart-rending. But still to compare them to the brutal atrocities committed against our people in the pogroms and to what is understood to be ethnic cleansing, would, I believe, be offensive to those who lived through those dark times.
And given the current situation, I find it strange that David Ha’ivri claims he has no political agenda (06/11).
HENRY HERZOG
St Kilda East, Vic
Who’s behind it?
IT appears that around 300 tonnes of munitions packed in crates marked “parts for bulldozers”, seized by Israeli commandos, were not coming from anywhere and not going anywhere either. Strange?
No-one is saying “hey, this stuff is ours and we want it back”. So where was it coming from and where was it going? Who is the owner of these munitions?
Even though cargo certificates show Iran as the point of origin, Iran denies that it was behind the shipment.
It’s no secret that Iran is a supporter of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah says that they were not the intended recipient. They say they know nothing about it. It’s also no secret that Iran is a supporter of Syria. Syria also denies being the intended recipient.
No-one says that they own the munitions, and no-one (except Israel apparently) has a clue where they have come from or where they are going.
MICHAEL SHAW
St Kilda East, Vic
Selective protest by socialists
IT is fascinating to see socialist activists in the United Kingdom demonstrating against racism and the far Right. Like their Australian comrades, they are very selective about who is racist and whose rights they choose to fight for. Perhaps they should be looking in the mirror.
While the Socialist Workers Party activists demonstrate against the British National Party, their website is full of racist vilification of Zionists and incitement of hatred towards Israeli Jews.
Some of their propaganda from the Left declares that Israel only needs a military to keep the Palestinians down, is supported by the West to act as a watchdog for western interests and uses its power to humble defenceless Arabs. Fighting for one minority’s rights while inciting hatred towards another is hardly intelligent stuff.
These hypocrites who have aligned themselves with fascist Muslim groups, extremist trade unions, and intellectuals and academia who have taken on the Palestinian cause, are far more dangerous to Jews and are doing more to harm Jewish interests than a fringe political group and a few drunken skinheads.
Although Jewish groups are concerned about the rise of the far Right and its anti-Semitic roots, it is an indisputable fact that some of the greatest threats to Jews and Israel in contemporary Europe stem from the Left side of politics.
These socialist activists are the “brown shirts” of the movement. It is not far-right academics at universities who are demonising Jews the world over or far-right trade unionists calling for racist boycotts against Jews in Israel while conveniently ignoring the barbarity and human rights violations in sections of the Arab world.
What we have now in the UK and Europe is a new style of left-wing anti-Semitism made respectable by its cover of anti-Zionism, along with the far-right supporters, making a very dangerous cocktail.
MICHAEL BURD
Toorak, Vic
Hatred of Israel harms peace efforts
AS a keen human rights campaigner, I am disgusted by the actions of a few who seek to destroy ambitions for harmony between the beautiful people of Palestine and Israel.
The fire-breathing “revolutionary” group, the Socialist Alternative (SA), pester us about the need to boycott “apartheid” Israel, despite its democratic values and respect of women’s and homosexuals’ rights. You’d think that conflicts spanning from Chechnya to Sudan would get a mention by the SA? How about Hamas’ use of child soldiers? Don’t hold your breath.
A quick search on Facebook reveals numerous groups titled “F*** Israel” with internal posts such as “watch out Tel-Aviv … enjoy it while you can … Iran is coming for you!” and other expletive statements.
How about Saudi Arabia, China and Cuba’s nerve to condemn Israel for human rights abuses? I know Israel is not perfect, but let’s keep this in perspective.
Let’s keep working towards peace and ignore these horrible extremists.
FRANCIS VENTURA
Caulfield, Vic
AJDS’ ‘motherhood statements’
AS a matter of fact, Tom Wolkenberg (AJN 06/11), I have indeed visited the Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS) website, but all I could find were a handful of warm and fuzzy statements that hardly qualify as policies.
However, I did notice the AJDS recognises “the rights of Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace in their own lands”, a nice motherhood statement but one that conspicuously avoids affirming the Jewish nature of Israel.
I take no issue with anybody, including members of the Jewish community undertaking critical self-examination in order to make themselves better people, or in this case a better community.
But the political Left is riddled with Jews whose Jewishness appears to play little part in their lives other than as an instrument for criticising Israel and diluting the significance of its Jewish character.
Both here and overseas, the mainstream Jewish community supports a pluralistic Israel, but one that essentially maintains its Jewish identity. We are therefore compelled to visibly challenge this insidious stream of Jewish thought and send a clear message to the world that Israel’s Jewish character is simply not for sale.
ALAN FREEDMAN
St Kilda East, Vic
Renaming Kristallnacht
ON this anniversary of the November 1938 pogrom in Germany and Austria, we call on the international community to cease using the Nazis’ terminology for this grave event.
The term Kristallnacht — the Night of Broken Glass –- is used to belittle what befell the Jews of Germany and Austria on these days. We must recognise that there was a lot more broken than glass.
On November 9 and 10, 1938, Jewish homes and shops were ransacked and synagogues destroyed. Jews were forced to pay for the damages inflicted upon them. Many were tortured in the streets and as many as 30,000 were sent to concentration camps, never to return.
Let us commemorate November 9-10 and honour those who suffered by ceasing to use the Nazi term for the event. Let us begin to call it what it really was – Pogromnacht (Night of the Pogrom) – a notoriously grave pogrom against the Jewish people of Germany and Austria.
PASTOR ANNEMARIE WERNER, Berlin
BARUCH TENNENBAUM, New York
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation
Safran not funny
JOHN Safran has a desire to entertain and draw a laugh. However, after having viewed a portion of his televised antics on the ABC, I believe the only person he might be trying to amuse is himself.
I viewed his November 4 show and found the kissing scene in Anne Frank’s house both disrespectful and childish. I am a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G, Borat, Bruno) but Safran doesn’t come even close to possessing Baron Cohen’s comedic skills.
DAVID KUPFER
St Kilda East, Vic
Orthodox Judaism and same-sex marriage
I’M puzzled as to why Michael Barnett of Aleph Melbourne (AJN 06/11) believes that Orthodox Judaism is wrong in opposing gay marriage just because the federal Government might hold a differing view.
Orthodox Judaism is allowed to take its own stance with regard to gay marriage and the word of God doesn’t change when election day comes along.
Even though some gays have experienced unhappy heterosexual marriages because they were same-sex attracted, it doesn’t mean that Orthodox Judaism should be forced to approve of homosexuality.
JOSH BARTAK
St Kilda East, Vic
Aleph wrong on marriages
ALEPH Melbourne spokesperson Michael Barnett writes: “The Orthodox community won’t even tolerate the idea of recognising same-sex Jewish relationships, let alone considering same-sex marriages (despite the position of the federal Government) (AJN 06/11).”
I find this remark puzzling on three counts. Firstly, the “position of the federal Government” is that same-sex marriages have not had legality conferred on them.
Secondly, even if it were otherwise, since when has Judaism sanctioned violation of halachah just because the government of the time or place happens to approve it? True enough, we have the principle of “dina d’malchutah dina” (the law of the land is law), but this principle is limited to laws that do not seek to undermine or deny mitzvot of the Torah.
No practising Jew would, for example, acquiesce to a governmental statute outlawing brit milah (circumcision).
Thirdly, why does Mr Barnett single out “the Orthodox [Jewish] community” when other religious communities and groupings in Australia, notably Islam and most denominations of Christianity, as well as many individuals, are of like mind on this issue?
RABBI CHAIM INGRAM
Bondi Junction, NSW
Support campaign on animal cruelty
THE Australian Jewish community should applaud Jordan’s Princess Alia in her courageous campaign against despicable animal cruelty in the Middle East (AJN 06/11).
As documented by Animals Australia and the ABC’s 7.30 Report, the halal slaughterhouses of Jordan and Egypt subject sheep and cows to appallingly cruel slaughter without stunning.
Many of these poor creatures are shipped from Australia: Jordan annually imports over a million live Australian sheep and cattle. According to Islamic legal experts consulted by Princess Alia, it is acceptable for halal slaughterhouses to stun animals before killing.
The Australian standard on ritual slaughter for halal and kosher meat states that animals must be rendered unconscious by electrical stunning before their throats are slashed. Federal Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke has reviewed the disputed exemption granted to four Victorian abattoirs, where animals are slaughtered without stunning in order to fulfil Middle Eastern export contracts.
Let’s be clear: eating meat is unnecessary for our health and contrary to the principles of compassion celebrated by Judaism. Furthermore, meat production is appallingly damaging to the environment.
It is absolutely shameful that the Australian kosher authorities are quietly opposing Princess Alia’s campaign, on the shaky assumption that preventing this barbaric cruelty in the Middle East would threaten the kosher meat business.
Princess Alia has bravely spoken against honour killings, barbaric animal cruelty and other shameful practices occurring among Israel’s closest neighbours.
If we, the Jewish community, are serious about moral leadership in the Middle East, we must tell the Australian Government – especially Minister Burke – to stop supporting this sickening cruelty to voiceless animals in Australian and Jordanian slaughterhouses.
RAPH BROUS
Campaign Manager, Animal Liberation Victoria
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