Defending Israel's Actions is the ultimate "un-Australian" behaviour
Defending Israel's Actions is the ultimate "un-Australian" behaviour
You can't appropriate that
Summary
It is getting absolutely ridiculous the double-standards, distractions, obfuscation and continued false-flag labelling of antisemitism this week. Attempting to appropriate supporting Palestinian human rights as being “un-Australian” is the ultimate in hypocrisy.
I’ve noted a few specific yet very typical examples of this over the last week with references to past articles - continuing the pattern as the situation in Gaza continues to get worse.
Contents
Continued tired antisemitism / Hamas Tropes
It is getting absolutely ridiculous the double-standards, distractions, obfuscation and continued false-flag labelling of antisemitism this week. Attempting to appropriate supporting Palestinian human rights as being “un-Australian” is the ultimate in hypocrisy.
I’ve noted a few specific yet very typical examples of this over the last week with references to past articles - continuing the pattern as the situation in Gaza continues to get worse.
To be clear:
Anti-Israeli Government State Policy DOES NOT EQUAL antisemitism.
Pro-Humanitarian/International Law/Palestinian Rights DOES NOT EQUAL pro-Hamas (never mind Palestinians themselves).
📺 YouTube: John Oliver clarifying Palestinians v Hamas.
Appropriating “un-Australian”
Also: Pro-Humanitarian/International Law/Palestinian Rights protesting IS NOT “un-Australian”
The pro-Israeli lobby has carefully:
Continued demonisation of pro-Palestine protestors with selected images and stories from rallies appearing in the press manipulating the narrative
Article on the demonisation tactics of pro-Palestine protestors:
Conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism at every opportunity
Amplified the voices of MPs giving pro-Israeli speeches in Parliament - the majority of whom have taken paid private trips to Israel funded by pro-Israeli organisations in the past1
Amplified Pro-Israeli content through the News Corp press (almost daily articles in The Australian directly interviewing pro-Israeli lobby group leaders)
Suppressed pro-Palestine voices in the media2
Taken unproven confirmation-bias “facts” as read and amplified them unapologetically - in particular the “gas the Jews” chant later found to be false3 with falsely-captioned media footage circulated widely with broad repercussions (including the sacking of media staff who earlier questioned the veracity of the footage - later proven to be right). No one doubts what was said was antisemitic by a minority who had nothing to do with the pro-Palestine lobby4 and who deserve repercussions - but the exploitation of the footage by pro-Israeli groups was shocking.
Article on the “Gas the Jews” controversy:
With the narrative in place -
Appropriation: producing Australia Day green and gold stickers to place over pro-Palestine posters claiming these humanitarian protests hateful and sowing division is “un-Australian”
Who is holding Israel to Account?
So the central tenet of “hateful” pro-Palestine protest is against the brutal slaughter in Gaza over almost five months calling for an immediate ceasefire on humanitarian grounds.
That’s been the call over the last 20 weeks at Sydney Hyde Park with no hate speech, no antisemitism and indeed attendance and speeches from Jewish groups.
📺 YouTube: APAN President Nasser Mashni calling out antisemitism at a Sydney Rally in December
And the international groups holding Israel to account for it’s actions are the United Nations advisory groups, Office of Human Rights, ICJ in progress and ICC already in progress before Oct 7th for 2014 massacre which pales into insignificance.
Article: Summary of Israeli Breaches of International Law
Who is defending Israel’s actions?
Locally there are various well established pro-Israeli groups organising the defence of Israel and suppression of any criticism.
Review the policy platform of the self-declared “roof and body and the voice of the Australian Jewish community” Executive Council of Australian Jewry5 - who clearly do not represent the views of all Jewish people when if comes to the conflict. See below statements from the Jewish Council of Australia - formed out of necessity6.
Regarding ECAJ, for a not-for-profit private community organisation - exempt from Government foreign affairs registration - the published policy platform list out various community domestic positions - but also an international position mirroring that of the Israeli Government.
They are effectively a foreign influence organisation7 and should be registered as such.
Specifically - the platform has a long set of policies rubbishing the UN and any findings against Israel as “scurrilous, false and without basis”. Period. No matter what.
The same policy platform is described as:
“enhancing the general Australian values of democracy and human rights; individual freedom and the rule of law; social justice and compassion; mutual understanding and respect; and a fair go for all.”
A fair go for all, human rights, international law.
Calling for the rubbishing of the only organisations holding Israel to account for its long pattern of behaviour (including more recently in Australia The Greens Party8) and saying it’s “a fair go”.
How un-Australian is that?
In other examples - in the same breath as chasing down a speaker with a criminal past (the same way Nasser Mashni of APAN was ambushed on ABC Q&A in November by pro-Israeli guests colluding to bring up an event in his past 35 years ago) - the lobby is happy to bring a serving IDF Major to Australia in December for a photo shoot and propaganda tour.
Article on the Israeli IDF Major invited to Australia:
Whilst other countries are seeking to prosecute citizens who fight with IDF in Israel taking part in the fighting and try to return.
📺 YouTube: UN Palestinian Rapporteur Francesca Albanese calling out media bias against APAN President Nasser Mashni at the National Press Club.
Conclusion
Given the narrative above - does the position on supporting Israel no matter what really…
“enhance the general Australian values of democracy and human rights; individual freedom and the rule of law; social justice and compassion; mutual understanding and respect; and a fair go for all.”
I think not.
Related Articles:
Substack:
Article on the demonisation tactics of pro-Palestine protestors:
Article on the “Gas the Jews” controversy:
Article: Summary of Israeli Breaches of International Law
Australian pro-Israeli Lobby: Modus Operandi:
Article on the Israeli IDF Major invited to Australia:
Australian Strategic Policy Institute (26 Jun 2018) 8 year study of Parliamentary Trips (2010-2018) “Who funds Federal Parliamentarians’ overseas travel?“- https://www.aspi.org.au/report/who-funds-federal-parliamentarians-overseas-travel
Daily Mail 16 Jan 2024- “Read the secret WhatsApp messages exposing a co-ordinated campaign to dump Antoinette Lattouf from the ABC“ - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12966431/Antoinette-Lattouf-abc-ita-buttrose-israel-palestine-jewish.html
Sydney Morning Herald Feb 2 2024 - “Police review finds no evidence ‘gas the Jews’ phrase chanted at Sydney Opera House protest“ - https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/police-review-finds-no-evidence-antisemitic-phrase-chanted-at-sydney-opera-house-protest-20240202-p5f1v7.html
ABC Interview Josh Lees Palestine Action Group Sydney 9 Oct 2023: noting Opera House minority had nothing to do with the regular rally organisers:
Executive Council of Australian Jewry - Policy Platform Section 32 Israel and International Relations: https://www.ecaj.org.au/policies/#32
Jewish Council of Australia Press Release Feb 6 2024 - “Op Ed: As Jews, we don’t accept that criticism of Israel’s government is antisemitic“ - https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/media/we-dont-accept-criticism-of-israel-is-antisemitic
Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department Website: Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) - https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/foreign-influence-transparency-scheme
Australian Parliament Hansard 26 Feb 2024 - “Middle East: Occupied Palestinian Territories“ - https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/27591/&sid=0000