Just Wild About Wilders

The Gillard government's woes, it seems, are legion. There are the godawful polls, there's Graig Thomson, there's Nova P, there's Eddie O, and there are resignations left, right and... but those, my friends, are mere pinpricks compared to the dreaded... BACKLASH FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY:

"There was also disquiet about the naming of the election day for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which had caused a backlash from the Jewish community." (Labor slumps as campaign starts, Dennis Shanahan & Sid Maher, The Australian, 4/2/13)

So these should be days of wine and roses for the Abbott opposition, right? Wrong! The Opposition too is ON THE BACKFOOT WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY:

"But the opposition was on the backfoot with the Jewish community yesterday after senior frontbencher Christopher Pyne said the government resembled a scene from Downfall, a movie about the decline of Adolf Hitler." (ibid)

Seems there's just no pleasing THE JC.

But what's this on the letters page? At last, one member of THE JC who's actually pleased about something!

In fact, he's more than just pleased. He's positively wild. About Geert Wilders that is:

"As a member of Melbourne's JEWISH COMMUNITY, I will be going along to hear Geert Wilders (Wilders mission to end Islamification, 2-3/2). Similar to Europe's JEWISH COMMUNITY, we are forced to spend tens of millions of dollars each year securing our synagogues, private schools, community centres, visiting Israeli Jewish politicians, athletes and entertainers because of the threat from extremists within the Muslim community... No other ethnic or religious minority has to live under this siege mentality. The fact that Geert Wilders needs to be protected by armed guards just gives credence to his criticism about the lack of tolerance about Islam." (Mark Stone, McKinnon, Vic, The Australian, 4/2/13)

Right. But wait a minute!

What's this business about "we," THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, "being forced to spend tens of millions of dollars each year securing our... private schools" against attack by the Muslim hordes?

Shouldn't that be 'the taxpayer':

"Thirteen Jewish schools have received a $4.7 million security boost in the third round of funding for the federal government's Secure Schools Program... Under the three rounds of the SSP, 17 Jewish schools received over $16 million, 56% of the program's funding." ($4.7m boost to school security, The Australian Jewish News,...)