Saturday, November 15, 2014

Why So Coy? 2

Sarah Ferguson: How do you account for [the Israel lobby] wielding so much power?
Bob Carr: I think political donations and a program of giving trips to MPs and journalists to Israel (7.30 Report, 9/4/14)

***

For the second time the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and AIJAC have shied away from naming those who've just returned from one of their joint Journalists Missions:

"Four journalists who participated in the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies' recent mission to Israel will report on their experiences and impressions next Monday, November 17, 7.30pm at Central Synagogue. The intensive week-long program included a visit to Sderot, a tour of Yad Vashem, and briefings from Prime Minister's spokesperson Mark Regev and other top authorities. The group also heard from Palestinian spokespersons in Ramallah and visited a Druze village. '[The mission] gave the participants rare access to key players across the board,' JBOD CEO Vic Alhadeff, who accompanied the journalists, said. 'We encourage members of the community to turn out to hear what they have to say.'... The group was accompanied by four journalists who travelled as guests of AIJAC." (Journos to report back, Australian Jewish News, 14/11/14)

Is this omission of names becoming a trend? If so, could it perhaps be in response to my popular file - I've been to Israel too, 30/3/09 - in which the names of those journalists and politicians who just can't help themselves are recorded on an ongoing basis?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I bet Mike Carlton was not on the guest list.

The next time journalists say that they are too busy and complain about cutbacks don't take them seriously.

Will the four come out of the closet?

MERC said...

Not four - eight.

patrick connor said...

Bob Carr's answer to Sara Ferguson covers the grubby Israeli BRIBES use to manipulate our 2-star-quality Australian politicians , but he left out the darker & , generally , more secretive THREATS - ie. the threat of ruin by WITHDRAWING electoral support .

MERC said...

Patrick, I doubt there are enough pro-Israel voters out there to constitute an electoral problem for either Lib or Lab, except maybe in Sydney's Wentworth and Melbourne's Melbourne Ports. As Carr indicates, political donations is really what it's all about.

patrick connor said...

Wrong again ! But relieved to hear it .
I squirmed a bit when author Carr wrote how heavily Heavy Kevvie depended on the Israel electoral gifts .
And when Kevvie , fresh upon being elected , invited the Australian branch of the Israel Lobby to dinner at the Lodge , I nearly fell off my perch .
They behaved as though they were doing nothing wrong , OR felt so unchallenged that they cared not .

Anonymous said...

Patrick is right on the ball about one important aspect-- PM Kevin Rudd's infamous invitation to dinners [2] at the Lodge for the Israel Lobby.

The graceless and arrogant display for the benefit of the waiting media by the Lobby, after the second dinner, betrayed a sense of entitlement, like spoiled children, to direct policy over the elected government of the day.

The PM's jet plane had especially flown Kosher meals from Melbourne to Canberra for the occasion.

Rudd was deposed within one month.
A quick look at the plotters, including first term MP's, all spear carriers for Zionism, reveals the real reasons for the change of leaders.

The best accounts of these events can be put together on the pages of this site.