Rambammed

Rambam (v): To be sponsored by smooth-talking Israel lobbyists in Australia on a grooming session conducted by tough-talking PR people in Israel with a view to the sponsored adopting the missionary position for Israel when required in Australia. Usually said of Australian politicians, media hacks and other serviceable community misleaders.
Rambam Fellowship, Journalists Mission etc: Formal designations given to the process of rambamming.
(From The Dictionary of Zionist Discourse)

To be read in conjunction with my earlier post, Ram Bam Thankyou Ma'am:-

A perfect illustration of an Australian politician adopting the missionary position for Israel after having been successfully rambammed has just cropped up in The Australian Jewish News: "NSW Greens Senator Kerry Nettle moved that the Senate 'calls on the Australian Government to make representations to the Israeli Government to immediately lift the blockade of Gaza'. But Queensland Labor Senator Joe Ludwig strongly opposed Nettle's motion. He accused the motion of being 'one-sided', and said it 'does not recognise the complexities of the situation'. When the motion was put to a Senate vote, it was defeated, 54-8. Only Greens and Democrats senators voted in favour, with Liberal and Labor senators uniting to bring the motion down...Ludwig, the minister for home services...visited Israel in 2007 on a trip organised by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council." (Greens' Gaza motion scuttled, 22/2/08)

Yep, the rambamming of the Liberal and Labor parties is definitely paying dividends.

And remember our Sydney-based journalists, recently returned from their NSW Jewish Board of Deputies' Journalists Mission, who were due to report to "the plenum?" Well, according the same issue of the AJN, they have. And guess what? Their rambamming "had changed their perception of [the Holy Land]."

Tell me more: "Jewish radio announcer [2GB] Joel Labi...said seeing the security fence up close 'hit home that Israel's enemies are a lot closer than people make it out to be'." Don't ask me what that means. The SMH's deputy foreign editor, Kirsty Needham, said that "her visit to the Lebanese border and the town of Sderot had allowed her to witness the fear Israelis are forced to live with daily." And Lebanese and Palestinian fear, Kirsty? 2UE's Glenn Wheeler "was stuck by the close proximity in which Jews, Muslims and Christians live, particularly in Jerusalem." Is he unaware that his ersatz "Muslims and Christians" are really all just Palestinians? And what happened to the Daily Telegraph's Tim Blair? How'd he wriggle out of this? (All quotes from Journalists reassess Israel)

Meaningless platitudes perhaps? Just going through the motions? Guess we'll just have to wait and see whether their rambamming is only skin deep.

But there's more from the AJN: "Last week 5 Australian water experts returned from a Jewish National Fund (JNF) mission to Israel, where they explored water-restoration projects throughout Israel. Dr Paul Sinclair of Environment Victoria, Raymond Ison from the University of Melbourne, Tony McLeod from the Federal Environment Ministry, the National Farmers Federation's Ben Fargher and Fairfax journalist Jewel Topsfield spent 10 days in Israel..." (Australian water experts visit Israel)

Blimey, all these rambam shuttles are making me dizzy.