Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Herald: Propaganda In, Truth Out

At the Sydney Morning Herald (dubbed hilariously: 'Independent. Always.'), the door to the letters page is always open to brazen Zionist propaganda:

"The past 6 Israeli prime ministers, including the incumbent, declared themselves in favour of two states for two peoples. A Palestinian state will happen when the Palestinian leadership makes the same declaration." Vic Alhadeff CEO NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (3/1/15)

In the face of the facts, however, it is slammed shut - as the following letter, written by UNSW academic Peter Slezak in response to Alhadeff's, but refused publication, shows:

"Vic Alhadeff (Jan 3-4) makes two statements that he must know to be false. First, he says that past Israeli prime ministers 'including the incumbent, declared themselves in favour of two states.' However, The Times of Israel (13/7/14) reported that in early July 'The prime minister ruled out full Palestinian sovereignty... This was not a new, dramatic change of stance by the prime minister. It was a new, dramatic exposition of his long-held stance.' As Alhadeff must know, Netanyahu's Likud Party has never accepted a Palestinian State. Its electoral partner, Yisrael Beitenu, likewise categorically rejects an independent Palestinian State. The Likud Charter includes the following explicit statements: (a) 'The Jordan River will be the permanent eastern border of the State of Israel.' (b) 'Jerusalem is the eternal, united capital of the State of Israel and only of Israel.' (c) 'The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river.'

"Second, Alhadeff says 'a Palestinian state will happen when the Palestinian leadership declares itself in favour of two states for two peoples. As Alhadeff must also know, in 1988 on behalf of the PLO Arafat made exactly such a declaration: 'We accept two states, the Palestine state and the Jewish state of Israel' reported in the New York Times December 8.

"Alhadeff's misrepresentations reveal a great deal about obstacles facing a just solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict." 

Publishing Israel lobbyist Alhadeff's transparent propaganda is one thing. Refusing to publish Slezak's devastating rebuttal is quite another. Yet another example of the Israel lobby's hold over the Herald, so dramatically illustrated last year by the events surrounding the departure of columnist Mike Carlton from its staff.

PS (7/1/15): Peter Slezak's letter has belatedly appeared in the SMH. There's a story here somewhere.  

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those poor gutless 'independent' journalists at the Herald,too afraid to publish the killer letter that exposes Aladeff as a LIKUD CHARTER DENIER.

I can see them quivering in the newsroom, gathering around the letters editor snivelling 'oh those horrible phone calls' and 'what about the angry meetings, those words hurt, those awful names.'

Anonymous said...

Bravo Peter Slezak, at least he tried, thank you.

MERC said...

The letter was sent in on Sunday 4/1 but not printed until 7/1, a highly unusual state of affairs. Normally, such a response, if short-listed for printing, would've appeared on 5/3. So why the delay?