Every so often the mainstream press 'treats' us to a homily by Vic Alhadeff, chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. This time around it's The Australian's turn. In Respect for the faiths of others is the Aussie way (24/12/16), Vic lectures us on Aussie values. The only problem is that Vic, as a prominent Israel lobbyist, is also a supporter of Israeli values, which sort of cruels his pitch, know what I mean? He begins with the following anecdote:
"Some time ago I was asked to get involved in a dispute that had arisen at a public school over the prominent placement of a Christmas tree in the school foyer. The pupils were encouraged to place beneath the tree a small gift that would be forwarded to Bear Cottage, a hospice that provides palliative care to children... The parent of one of many non-Christian pupils at the school objected vehemently to the prominence accorded to the tree and what she regarded as undue and inappropriate celebration of Christmas, given that the school was made up of families of numerous ethnic and faith traditions. I was invited to participate in a meeting with the school principal, the Department of Education and the aggrieved parent. My role was to facilitate a compromise that would ideally satisfy the policies and practices of the school while mollifying the parent and answering her concerns. The meeting was convened in the school office, with the parent setting out her objections to a Christmas tree being given pride of place in the entrance, requiring the non-Christian pupils to walk past it on arrival at school every day, which she argued was an affront to their respective faiths... My response to the impasse was that the hallmark of this greatest of countries is that we overwhelmingly embrace differences and respect diversity. We are a robust and healthy democracy that enshrines such principles as equality for all, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, a free press, equality for men and women and multiculturalism."
Needless to say, I had problems with this anecdote on several levels:
1) If Alhadeff's account is correct, the Christmas tree was really nothing more than a worthy attempt by the school principal and staff to encourage the students to think about other kids less fortunate than themselves, nothing more, nothing less.
2) As for the parent who "objected vehemently," I found myself wondering why the principal didn't simply inform her that Christmas trees have no particular religious significance, and that charity, not religion, was the object of the exercise. (He/she might also have asked her whether she avoided taking her children to the local mall for the entire duration of the silly season.)
3) The objecting parent is coyly described as "non-Christian." Although she might conceivably have been an Anglo with an atheist bee in her bonnet, Alhadeff's silence on the matter will have had the paper's readers jumping to the conclusion that she was in fact a Muslim, in which case, he leaves himself open to an accusation of dog-whistling.
4) Why was Vic Alhadeff involved in the matter?
Although he has been CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies for as long as I can remember, for a brief period (December 2013 - July 2014) Alhadeff wore another hat, having been appointed chair of the NSW Community Relations Commission (CRC) by former NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell. (O'Farrell, you'll recall, lost his job in April 2014 after misleading an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation, when he claimed that he simply couldn't remember receiving a $3,000 bottle of Penfold Grange Hermitage from a business associate - despite having written him a thank you note.) Alhadeff's appointment, incidentally, was preceded by O'Farrell's presentation, at an Israeli Independence Day function in May 2013 of "an effigy of himself bearing the name Baruch O'Farrell" to the then Israeli ambassador, Yuval Rotem.*
Alhadeff himself came unstuck as Community Relations Commissioner during Israel's last major bout of bloodletting in the Gaza Strip in July-August 2014. Casting his CRC cap aside, he fired off an incendiary email to his Jewish 'constituents' headed Israel Under Fire. After accusing Hamas of "violating international law and engaging in war crimes as its militants launch rockets indiscriminately at civilians from civilian areas," he wrote that "Israel has made it clear that it is not interested in further escalation, but will do whatever is needed to defend its citizens. All options are on the table."**
Two weeks later, after coming under fire from the Arab community leaders, he resigned, claiming the matter had become "a distraction to the work of the CRC."
5) Most likely, no one involved in Alhadeff's intervention was aware of his typically liberal Zionist habit of running with the multicultural Australian hare while hunting with the monocultural Israeli hounds. Still, for the proverbial (but politically conscious) fly-on-the-wall, the spectacle of a leading apologist for the ethnocratic, apartheid state of Israel, babbling on about diversity, equality and multiculturalism, must have been quite something.
[*See my 9/5/13 post Barry to Baruch in 60 Seconds; See my 28/7/14 post Vic Alhadeff: Multicultural in NSW, Monocultural in Israel.]
Showing posts with label Barry O'Farrell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barry O'Farrell. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016
The Price of Politics
Here's Wendy Carlisle's introduction to Background Briefing's latest (19/6/16) feature, The Price of Politics, on Radio National:
"If you want to know who's funding your politician's election campaign before voting on Saturday week, you'll be waiting a very long time. In fact, you'll have to wait a year after next. Australia's political donations laws are so lax the full list of donors and what they've spent won't be known until February 2018. But now there's a new report into political spending by the big end of town which shows just how little we really know about what our top companies are up to. For the first time the top ASX companies have been given a transparency score which is designed to measure just what those companies are up to and what they're telling their shareholders about their political spend. Di Martin has this report for Background Briefing.
"This federal election will be the first since explosive allegations about political donations were made in NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). It heard how the Liberal Party got around the strictest donation laws in the country, laws that banned property developers' donations in NSW. Yet donations made by property developers to a federal Liberal fundraising body were then routed back into NSW party coffers."
Then came a familiar, gravelly voice:
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2016 annual general meeting of Westfield Corporation."
Di Martin continued:
"Frank Lowy's Westfield is one of the property developers whose donation of $150,000 ended up with the NSW Liberals."
Lowy again:
"The meeting is now open for questions and general discussion."
Then Martin:
"One of the first is from Stephen Mayne. He's standing in the federal election on a ticket of reforming political donations law. He's also a Westfield shareholder: 'When we made that donation in December 2010 were we aware that that money was going to be finishing up with the NSW Liberal Party when developer donations in NSW had been banned at that point?'"
To which Lowy predictably replied:
"We made the donations appropriately according to the law and the inquiries that were held after that have said we have not been advised of anything that we have done contrary to what is expected of us."
The underlying assumption here, of course, is that Westfield's 2010 donation was all about greasing the wheels for more shopping malls. But is there any real need to keep a naturally neoliberal, Liberal government sweet? Could there, perhaps, be another reason for the donation?
I have no idea. None whatever. But what I do know is that Lowy is an unabashed supporter of Israel and that the Liberal regimes of NSW premiers Barry O'Farrell (2011-15) and Mike Baird (2015-) have outdone all previous NSW and other state governments in demonstrating their love and affection for the apartheid state. (Simply click on the O'Farrell/Baird labels below and marvel at its manifestations and extent.)
Needless to say, this bizarre phenomenon is not touched on in Background Briefing's otherwise invaluable report.
"If you want to know who's funding your politician's election campaign before voting on Saturday week, you'll be waiting a very long time. In fact, you'll have to wait a year after next. Australia's political donations laws are so lax the full list of donors and what they've spent won't be known until February 2018. But now there's a new report into political spending by the big end of town which shows just how little we really know about what our top companies are up to. For the first time the top ASX companies have been given a transparency score which is designed to measure just what those companies are up to and what they're telling their shareholders about their political spend. Di Martin has this report for Background Briefing.
"This federal election will be the first since explosive allegations about political donations were made in NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). It heard how the Liberal Party got around the strictest donation laws in the country, laws that banned property developers' donations in NSW. Yet donations made by property developers to a federal Liberal fundraising body were then routed back into NSW party coffers."
Then came a familiar, gravelly voice:
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2016 annual general meeting of Westfield Corporation."
Di Martin continued:
"Frank Lowy's Westfield is one of the property developers whose donation of $150,000 ended up with the NSW Liberals."
Lowy again:
"The meeting is now open for questions and general discussion."
Then Martin:
"One of the first is from Stephen Mayne. He's standing in the federal election on a ticket of reforming political donations law. He's also a Westfield shareholder: 'When we made that donation in December 2010 were we aware that that money was going to be finishing up with the NSW Liberal Party when developer donations in NSW had been banned at that point?'"
To which Lowy predictably replied:
"We made the donations appropriately according to the law and the inquiries that were held after that have said we have not been advised of anything that we have done contrary to what is expected of us."
The underlying assumption here, of course, is that Westfield's 2010 donation was all about greasing the wheels for more shopping malls. But is there any real need to keep a naturally neoliberal, Liberal government sweet? Could there, perhaps, be another reason for the donation?
I have no idea. None whatever. But what I do know is that Lowy is an unabashed supporter of Israel and that the Liberal regimes of NSW premiers Barry O'Farrell (2011-15) and Mike Baird (2015-) have outdone all previous NSW and other state governments in demonstrating their love and affection for the apartheid state. (Simply click on the O'Farrell/Baird labels below and marvel at its manifestations and extent.)
Needless to say, this bizarre phenomenon is not touched on in Background Briefing's otherwise invaluable report.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
ICAC: What About Lowy?
"Voters deserve to know what private donors to political parties expect, and get, for their money." (Editorial: Endless questions only a federal ICAC can answer, Sydney Morning Herald, 9/9/14)
I couldn't agree more.
OK, so we know what Lib donor Brickworks got:
"Two weeks before the 2011 election, then opposition leader Barry O'Farrell announced a tax policy that benefited developer Brickworks while the company was allegedly bankrolling a researcher in his office and had secretly donated $125,000 to the Liberal campaign. As premier, Mr O'Farrell made good on the policy - to repeal a controversial property transfer tax - six weeks after the election." (Libs party favours, Sean Nicholls, Sydney Morning Herald, 9/9/14)
But what - harking back to my 8/9/14 post ICAC: Questions Arising - about Frank Lowy?
I couldn't agree more.
OK, so we know what Lib donor Brickworks got:
"Two weeks before the 2011 election, then opposition leader Barry O'Farrell announced a tax policy that benefited developer Brickworks while the company was allegedly bankrolling a researcher in his office and had secretly donated $125,000 to the Liberal campaign. As premier, Mr O'Farrell made good on the policy - to repeal a controversial property transfer tax - six weeks after the election." (Libs party favours, Sean Nicholls, Sydney Morning Herald, 9/9/14)
But what - harking back to my 8/9/14 post ICAC: Questions Arising - about Frank Lowy?
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Baruch O'Farrell's Poisoned Chalice
Remember Baruch (Jerusalem Prize) O'Farrell, the former premier of NSW who just couldn't for the life of him recall receiving a $3,000 bottle of grange hermitage on his birthday from a developer?
Well, still on the subject of gifts with heady brews attached, it seems Baruch's left his successor the proverbial poisoned chalice, a Community Relations Commissioner who doubles as an Israel lobbyist! Read on:
"Premier Mike Baird has publicly reprimanded the chair of the NSW Community Relations Commissioner, Vic Alhadeff, over 'inappropriate' remarks that accuse Palestine of war crimes and appear to gloss over Israeli violence. But critics say the rebuke to Mr Alhadeff, who is also chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, does not go far enough and say he should be removed from the government-appointed position.
"The dispute has laid bare the deep fissures between Sydney's Arabic and Jewish communities, and raises questions over Mr Alhadeff's dual roles, which require him to support the Jewish [sic: Zionist] cause and promote community unity... In an email to members of the Jewish community this week, Mr Alhadeff condemned acts by Palestinian militant Islamist [sic: Islamic resistance] group Hamas during conflict ignited by the murders of 3 Israeli students last month. The incidents [sic] triggered a suspected reprisal killing of a Palestinian teenager, followed by riots in East Jerusalem and the exchange of rockets between Israel and Gaza.
"Mr Alhadeff's email, titled Israel Under Fire, criticised the 'Hamas terror organisation' for launching rockets on Israeli towns, saying families had been forced into shelters and 'children kept from summer camp'. Israel would 'do whatever is needed to defend its citizens. All options are on the table', he said. He accused Hamas of 'war crimes' for 'indiscriminately' attacking civilians, claiming in contrast, Israel uses 'care to avoid civilian casualties' and 'pinpoint technologies to hit the targeted infrastructure'.
"The statement triggered outrage amongst Arab leaders in NSW, including Joseph Wakim, former Victorian Multicultural Affairs Commissioner and founder of the Australian Arabic Council, who described the views as 'biased and provocative'. He said Mr Alhadeff ignored the attack on the Palestinian teenager and failed to mention 'air and sea strikes that have already killed 35 Palestinian civilians'. 'He has very clearly taken one side and said, 'here are the goodies and here are the baddies', Mr Wakim said. 'Do such statements build bridges and community relations, or wedge a wall between us and them?' Mr Wakim said Mr Alhadeff's appointment to the Community Relations Commission in December last year 'should never have happened' because it created a serious conflict of interest. He called on Mr Alhadeff to relinquish one role." (Jewish leader Vic Alhadeff slammed over Hamas 'war crimes' remark, Sydney Morning Herald, 12/7/14)
One role? Good one, Mr Wakim!
Click on my Vic Alhadeff label below for details of the rise and rise of Mr Alhadeff.
Well, still on the subject of gifts with heady brews attached, it seems Baruch's left his successor the proverbial poisoned chalice, a Community Relations Commissioner who doubles as an Israel lobbyist! Read on:
"Premier Mike Baird has publicly reprimanded the chair of the NSW Community Relations Commissioner, Vic Alhadeff, over 'inappropriate' remarks that accuse Palestine of war crimes and appear to gloss over Israeli violence. But critics say the rebuke to Mr Alhadeff, who is also chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, does not go far enough and say he should be removed from the government-appointed position.
"The dispute has laid bare the deep fissures between Sydney's Arabic and Jewish communities, and raises questions over Mr Alhadeff's dual roles, which require him to support the Jewish [sic: Zionist] cause and promote community unity... In an email to members of the Jewish community this week, Mr Alhadeff condemned acts by Palestinian militant Islamist [sic: Islamic resistance] group Hamas during conflict ignited by the murders of 3 Israeli students last month. The incidents [sic] triggered a suspected reprisal killing of a Palestinian teenager, followed by riots in East Jerusalem and the exchange of rockets between Israel and Gaza.
"Mr Alhadeff's email, titled Israel Under Fire, criticised the 'Hamas terror organisation' for launching rockets on Israeli towns, saying families had been forced into shelters and 'children kept from summer camp'. Israel would 'do whatever is needed to defend its citizens. All options are on the table', he said. He accused Hamas of 'war crimes' for 'indiscriminately' attacking civilians, claiming in contrast, Israel uses 'care to avoid civilian casualties' and 'pinpoint technologies to hit the targeted infrastructure'.
"The statement triggered outrage amongst Arab leaders in NSW, including Joseph Wakim, former Victorian Multicultural Affairs Commissioner and founder of the Australian Arabic Council, who described the views as 'biased and provocative'. He said Mr Alhadeff ignored the attack on the Palestinian teenager and failed to mention 'air and sea strikes that have already killed 35 Palestinian civilians'. 'He has very clearly taken one side and said, 'here are the goodies and here are the baddies', Mr Wakim said. 'Do such statements build bridges and community relations, or wedge a wall between us and them?' Mr Wakim said Mr Alhadeff's appointment to the Community Relations Commission in December last year 'should never have happened' because it created a serious conflict of interest. He called on Mr Alhadeff to relinquish one role." (Jewish leader Vic Alhadeff slammed over Hamas 'war crimes' remark, Sydney Morning Herald, 12/7/14)
One role? Good one, Mr Wakim!
Click on my Vic Alhadeff label below for details of the rise and rise of Mr Alhadeff.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
NZW Inc.
"Darkly [Rudd] commented on the state of affairs, rehearsing the history of his relations with the Israel lobby, once so happy now so gloomy. How much of this is about money, I asked him. He said that about one-fifth of the money he had raised in the 2007 election campaign had come from the Jewish community." (Diary of a Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, p 232)
That telling quote relates to Australian federal politics. But what about state politics?
On a recent Q&A, a former NSW Liberal Party leader, Kerry Chikarovski, had this to say on the subject of the Middle East conflict: "[A]s a state politician, let me say, it was never one of those issues that was much to front of mind in terms of, you know, debate within the State Parliament..."
Indeed. So how could anyone have predicted that Israel would become core business in NSW under the leadership of ex-premier Barry (Baruch) O'Farrell (2011-14). For sheer devotion to Israel, O'Farrell rivalled ex-PM Julia Gillard.
Consider just some of the evidence:
1) April 2011: O'Farrell threatens to sack Marrickville Council over its support for pro-Palestinian BDS movement.
2) August 2011: O'Farrell announces formation of NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel.
3) October 2011: Israel lobbyist Vic Alhadeff to lecture NSW Police on Zionism.
4) May 2012: O'Farrell attends Israel Independence Day function, announcing a review of Section 20D of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act, and reaffirming his government's "unwavering commitment to Israel."
5) May 2012: NSW Police attempt to have Palestinian Nakba Day march banned in NSW Supreme Court.
6) November 2012: O'Farrell declares that 'Baruch' means Barry at pre-Chanukah function in NSW Parliament.
7) December 2012: O'Farrell is awarded the Jerusalem Prize by the Zionist Council of NSW.
8) January 2013: NSW Parliamentary 'Study Mission' to Israel.
9) March 2013: BDS-bashing 'debate' in NSW Parliament.
10) April 2013: O'Farrell announces Inquiry into Racial Vilification Law in NSW.
11) May 2013: O'Farrell presents effigy of himself bearing the name 'Baruch O'Farrell' to Israeli ambassador at Israel Independence Day function, announces appointment of Israel lobbyist Vic Alhadeff as judge of NSW Human Rights Award, says that study of Holocaust will be compulsory for students in years 9 and 10, and declares: "If one was restricted to a single word to describe the State of Israel, it would be 'extraordinary'."
12) May 2013: O'Farrell signs London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism.
13) December 2013: O'Farrell appoints Vic Alhadeff as NSW Community Relations Commissioner.
As the late Julius Sumner Miller used to say, Why is it so? Could the following data, perhaps, shed some light on the reason for this extraordinary display of devotion, bordering on the manic, by a mere state premier to an apartheid state on the other side of the world?
According to the Guardian's Datablog post How money flows to the NSW Liberals (Nick Evershed, theguardian.com, 29/4/14) $787,000 flowed into state party coffers from 2010 to 2011, most of it, I imagine, prior to the state election of March 2011. Of this, $200,000 - over 25% of the total - came from Frank Lowy's Westfield Ltd and Harry Triguboff's Meriton Apartments Pty Ltd.
That telling quote relates to Australian federal politics. But what about state politics?
On a recent Q&A, a former NSW Liberal Party leader, Kerry Chikarovski, had this to say on the subject of the Middle East conflict: "[A]s a state politician, let me say, it was never one of those issues that was much to front of mind in terms of, you know, debate within the State Parliament..."
Indeed. So how could anyone have predicted that Israel would become core business in NSW under the leadership of ex-premier Barry (Baruch) O'Farrell (2011-14). For sheer devotion to Israel, O'Farrell rivalled ex-PM Julia Gillard.
Consider just some of the evidence:
1) April 2011: O'Farrell threatens to sack Marrickville Council over its support for pro-Palestinian BDS movement.
2) August 2011: O'Farrell announces formation of NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel.
3) October 2011: Israel lobbyist Vic Alhadeff to lecture NSW Police on Zionism.
4) May 2012: O'Farrell attends Israel Independence Day function, announcing a review of Section 20D of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act, and reaffirming his government's "unwavering commitment to Israel."
5) May 2012: NSW Police attempt to have Palestinian Nakba Day march banned in NSW Supreme Court.
6) November 2012: O'Farrell declares that 'Baruch' means Barry at pre-Chanukah function in NSW Parliament.
7) December 2012: O'Farrell is awarded the Jerusalem Prize by the Zionist Council of NSW.
8) January 2013: NSW Parliamentary 'Study Mission' to Israel.
9) March 2013: BDS-bashing 'debate' in NSW Parliament.
10) April 2013: O'Farrell announces Inquiry into Racial Vilification Law in NSW.
11) May 2013: O'Farrell presents effigy of himself bearing the name 'Baruch O'Farrell' to Israeli ambassador at Israel Independence Day function, announces appointment of Israel lobbyist Vic Alhadeff as judge of NSW Human Rights Award, says that study of Holocaust will be compulsory for students in years 9 and 10, and declares: "If one was restricted to a single word to describe the State of Israel, it would be 'extraordinary'."
12) May 2013: O'Farrell signs London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism.
13) December 2013: O'Farrell appoints Vic Alhadeff as NSW Community Relations Commissioner.
As the late Julius Sumner Miller used to say, Why is it so? Could the following data, perhaps, shed some light on the reason for this extraordinary display of devotion, bordering on the manic, by a mere state premier to an apartheid state on the other side of the world?
According to the Guardian's Datablog post How money flows to the NSW Liberals (Nick Evershed, theguardian.com, 29/4/14) $787,000 flowed into state party coffers from 2010 to 2011, most of it, I imagine, prior to the state election of March 2011. Of this, $200,000 - over 25% of the total - came from Frank Lowy's Westfield Ltd and Harry Triguboff's Meriton Apartments Pty Ltd.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Baruch O'Farrell's Other 'Memory Lapse'
That deadly bottle of 59 Penfold Grange Hermitage was not the only example of Premier Baruch O'Farrell's 'memory lapses.'
Time to re-read my 29/1/13 post, Not So Fast, Baruch O'Farrell.
Time to re-read my 29/1/13 post, Not So Fast, Baruch O'Farrell.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
'A Fierce Opponent of Apartheid'
Just look at this rubbish from yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald:
"Ironically, as the Abbott government prepares to soften the laws against racially offensive speech, the O'Farrell government in NSW seems headed down a different path. This week, it announced the appointment of Jewish Board of Deputies head Vic Alhadeff as new chairman of the state Community Relations Commission. Alhadeff, a former South African newsman, was a fierce opponent of apartheid who lost grandparents in the Holocaust. He is a staunch defender of anti-discrimination laws, particularly those aimed at racism." (Inside job draws fire, Deborah Snow, 21/12/13)
A fierce opponent of apartheid?
Says who? Where's the proof?
And as for the uber, ongoing Israeli variety, Alhadeff doesn't even recognise it. This is as far as he's prepared to go:
"It is axiomatic that Israeli society is a work in progress and that Arab Israelis suffer disadvantage in various spheres.... It is also a given that the condition of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is a serious issue, albeit inextricably bound up with the root cause of the conflict, which is the fundamental refusal to accept Israel's existence." (Israel: it's not black & white, The Australian, 1/3/12)
So 'Arab Israelis' suffer disadvantage in Israel (im)proper, and Palestinians under Israeli occupation (a word which Alhadeff cannot even bring himself to use) in the West Bank and Gaza have only themselves to blame for not crying uncle.
Just how fierce can "a fierce opponent of apartheid" be?
OK, enough already, you want the real thing, and Jewish to boot? Here he is. His name is Ronnie Kasrils:
"I am from a background which afforded me privileges in white South Africa, but I grew up with a social conscience and could not tolerate the cruelty and oppression against my black compatriots. After the Sharpeville massacre of March 1961... I took the decision to become an activist and joined the ANC. I was involved in demonstrations and soon came to understand that armed actions were required to reinforce the mass political struggle. I consequently responded to Nelson Mandela's call for volunteers to join the movement's military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). I was subsequently on the run from the police, left the country for military training in the former Soviet Union, and worked throughout Africa in our military camps and on the front line. I became chief of military intelligence for MK." (Anti-apartheid: An interview with Ronnie Kasrils, aljazeera.com, 27/9/12)
And here is Kasrils on apartheid Israel:
"What is taking place in Palestine reminds us, South African freedom fighters, of what we suffered from... Palestine is an example of people who were dispossessed of land and birthright just like the indigenous people of South Africa. As a Jew, I abhor the fact that the Zionist rulers of Israel/Palestine claim they are acting in the name of Jews everywhere. I am one of many Jews internationally, and in Israel itself, who declare 'Not in my name'... In the Israeli case, it is quite clear that non-Jews do not receive equal rights and treatment as Jews, but the Zionists are embarrassed to admit this. Consequently, they attempt to conceal the fact that Israel is not a democracy for all its citizens, but they have various laws to ensure that Jews receive preferential treatment. It is apartheid by another name. I refer here to the situation in Israel itself where over 40 laws give Jews privileges and rights over non-Jews. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories, it is quite a different matter where open and strict apartheid laws allow for the segregation and control of the Palestinian people whilst the illegal Jewish settlements receive State protection and privileges. But in both cases - Israel itself and the OPT - a clear system of apartheid-style rule operates." (ibid)
"Ironically, as the Abbott government prepares to soften the laws against racially offensive speech, the O'Farrell government in NSW seems headed down a different path. This week, it announced the appointment of Jewish Board of Deputies head Vic Alhadeff as new chairman of the state Community Relations Commission. Alhadeff, a former South African newsman, was a fierce opponent of apartheid who lost grandparents in the Holocaust. He is a staunch defender of anti-discrimination laws, particularly those aimed at racism." (Inside job draws fire, Deborah Snow, 21/12/13)
A fierce opponent of apartheid?
Says who? Where's the proof?
And as for the uber, ongoing Israeli variety, Alhadeff doesn't even recognise it. This is as far as he's prepared to go:
"It is axiomatic that Israeli society is a work in progress and that Arab Israelis suffer disadvantage in various spheres.... It is also a given that the condition of the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is a serious issue, albeit inextricably bound up with the root cause of the conflict, which is the fundamental refusal to accept Israel's existence." (Israel: it's not black & white, The Australian, 1/3/12)
So 'Arab Israelis' suffer disadvantage in Israel (im)proper, and Palestinians under Israeli occupation (a word which Alhadeff cannot even bring himself to use) in the West Bank and Gaza have only themselves to blame for not crying uncle.
Just how fierce can "a fierce opponent of apartheid" be?
OK, enough already, you want the real thing, and Jewish to boot? Here he is. His name is Ronnie Kasrils:
"I am from a background which afforded me privileges in white South Africa, but I grew up with a social conscience and could not tolerate the cruelty and oppression against my black compatriots. After the Sharpeville massacre of March 1961... I took the decision to become an activist and joined the ANC. I was involved in demonstrations and soon came to understand that armed actions were required to reinforce the mass political struggle. I consequently responded to Nelson Mandela's call for volunteers to join the movement's military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). I was subsequently on the run from the police, left the country for military training in the former Soviet Union, and worked throughout Africa in our military camps and on the front line. I became chief of military intelligence for MK." (Anti-apartheid: An interview with Ronnie Kasrils, aljazeera.com, 27/9/12)
And here is Kasrils on apartheid Israel:
"What is taking place in Palestine reminds us, South African freedom fighters, of what we suffered from... Palestine is an example of people who were dispossessed of land and birthright just like the indigenous people of South Africa. As a Jew, I abhor the fact that the Zionist rulers of Israel/Palestine claim they are acting in the name of Jews everywhere. I am one of many Jews internationally, and in Israel itself, who declare 'Not in my name'... In the Israeli case, it is quite clear that non-Jews do not receive equal rights and treatment as Jews, but the Zionists are embarrassed to admit this. Consequently, they attempt to conceal the fact that Israel is not a democracy for all its citizens, but they have various laws to ensure that Jews receive preferential treatment. It is apartheid by another name. I refer here to the situation in Israel itself where over 40 laws give Jews privileges and rights over non-Jews. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories, it is quite a different matter where open and strict apartheid laws allow for the segregation and control of the Palestinian people whilst the illegal Jewish settlements receive State protection and privileges. But in both cases - Israel itself and the OPT - a clear system of apartheid-style rule operates." (ibid)
Thursday, December 19, 2013
The New Face of Multiculturalism in NSW
Meet the new chairman of the NSW Community Relations Commission, the state's promoter of multiculturalism:
"Mr [Vic] Alhadeff said he felt he had 'graduated' to the chairmanship after spending his formative years in Africa. 'I would have swastikas painted on my locker as a Jewish kid at school in Zimbabwe," he said. Mr Alhadeff said schoolyard racism, the death of his grandparents in the Holocaust and his work as a newspaperman in apartheid-era South Africa helped shape his view of multiculturalism. 'To this day I have this passion to promote respect for every person irrespective of the colour of their skin, the accent they may have, the language they speak, the faith they belong to, the culture which they represent,' he said." (Multicultural body gets new chairman, The Australian, 18/12/13)
On the face of it, no one could possibly quarrel with such an appointment. Judging from the above, Alhadeff appears eminently qualified to step into the shoes of his predecessor, Stepan Kerkyasharian.
The problem is that we're not getting the full story here. And that's because Alhadeff has neglected to mention that he's also a political Zionist, indeed arguably Australia's most active Israel lobbyist.
As such he's a vigorous defender of an exclusive, Jews-only ethnocracy predicated on the ethnic cleansing of Palestine's indigenous Arab majority in 1948 - the very antithesis of an inclusive, non-discriminatory multiculturalism where neither ethnicity nor creed are allowed to stand in the way of citizenship.
Putting it even more simply, Alhadeff supports the reservation of Israel for Jews the world over, including himself, while millions of Palestinian refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes and lands there, forever condemned to statelessness and exile in squalid refugee camps scattered about the Middle East - for no other reason than that they are not Jewish.
Just to demonstrate how alien this concept of a Jewish ethnocracy is to multicultural societies such as the United States and Australia, consider the following revealing extract from Max Blumenthal's absolutely must-read book on contemporary Israel Goliath: Life & Loathing in Greater Israel* (2013):
"In a 2008 meeting with then-secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, [Tzipi] Livni emphasized Israel's rejection of the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their confiscated land and property inside Israel on the grounds that the refugees threatened Israel's Jewish character. Rice, an African-American raised in the Jim Crow American South by a pro-civil rights Baptist preacher, shuddered at the implications of Livni's statement. 'I must admit that though I understood her argument intellectually,' Rice reflected, 'it struck me as a harsh defense of the ethnic purity of the Israeli state when Tzipi said it. It was one of those conversations that shocked my sensibilities as an American. After all, the very concept of 'American' rejects ethnic or religious definitions of citizenship." (pp 25-26)
It's hard to believe, I know, but even as rabid a Zionist as our own Greg (Jerusalem Prize) Sheridan once recoiled, even if only momentarily, when faced with the stark racism of another Israeli leader:
"What makes [Avigdor] Lieberman controversial, and unacceptable to many, is his view that as well as territory, Israel should give away people, too, in particular its Muslim Arab citizens. He doesn't want to expel them exactly, just redraw some borders so that some Arab towns and villages move into a new Palestinian state nextdoor, thus making Israel a more Jewish state. The idea of excluding people on the basis of their ethnicity or religion is anathema to every liberal principle... Yet it conforms to the reality of the Middle East." (Israeli right-winger redraws the battle lines**, The Australian, 17/12/07)
The bottom line is that Alhadeff's Zionism and the mission of the CRC to promote multiculturalism in NSW are clearly incompatible. NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell has a case to answer here.
[*Go and buy Blumenthal's new book. In fact, why not buy several copies? It'd make a great Xmas present for anyone with a brain; **How interesting that a simple Google search for this particular column of Sheridan's yields only the reference in this blog. Has it been pulled, I wonder?]
"Mr [Vic] Alhadeff said he felt he had 'graduated' to the chairmanship after spending his formative years in Africa. 'I would have swastikas painted on my locker as a Jewish kid at school in Zimbabwe," he said. Mr Alhadeff said schoolyard racism, the death of his grandparents in the Holocaust and his work as a newspaperman in apartheid-era South Africa helped shape his view of multiculturalism. 'To this day I have this passion to promote respect for every person irrespective of the colour of their skin, the accent they may have, the language they speak, the faith they belong to, the culture which they represent,' he said." (Multicultural body gets new chairman, The Australian, 18/12/13)
On the face of it, no one could possibly quarrel with such an appointment. Judging from the above, Alhadeff appears eminently qualified to step into the shoes of his predecessor, Stepan Kerkyasharian.
The problem is that we're not getting the full story here. And that's because Alhadeff has neglected to mention that he's also a political Zionist, indeed arguably Australia's most active Israel lobbyist.
As such he's a vigorous defender of an exclusive, Jews-only ethnocracy predicated on the ethnic cleansing of Palestine's indigenous Arab majority in 1948 - the very antithesis of an inclusive, non-discriminatory multiculturalism where neither ethnicity nor creed are allowed to stand in the way of citizenship.
Putting it even more simply, Alhadeff supports the reservation of Israel for Jews the world over, including himself, while millions of Palestinian refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes and lands there, forever condemned to statelessness and exile in squalid refugee camps scattered about the Middle East - for no other reason than that they are not Jewish.
Just to demonstrate how alien this concept of a Jewish ethnocracy is to multicultural societies such as the United States and Australia, consider the following revealing extract from Max Blumenthal's absolutely must-read book on contemporary Israel Goliath: Life & Loathing in Greater Israel* (2013):
"In a 2008 meeting with then-secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, [Tzipi] Livni emphasized Israel's rejection of the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their confiscated land and property inside Israel on the grounds that the refugees threatened Israel's Jewish character. Rice, an African-American raised in the Jim Crow American South by a pro-civil rights Baptist preacher, shuddered at the implications of Livni's statement. 'I must admit that though I understood her argument intellectually,' Rice reflected, 'it struck me as a harsh defense of the ethnic purity of the Israeli state when Tzipi said it. It was one of those conversations that shocked my sensibilities as an American. After all, the very concept of 'American' rejects ethnic or religious definitions of citizenship." (pp 25-26)
It's hard to believe, I know, but even as rabid a Zionist as our own Greg (Jerusalem Prize) Sheridan once recoiled, even if only momentarily, when faced with the stark racism of another Israeli leader:
"What makes [Avigdor] Lieberman controversial, and unacceptable to many, is his view that as well as territory, Israel should give away people, too, in particular its Muslim Arab citizens. He doesn't want to expel them exactly, just redraw some borders so that some Arab towns and villages move into a new Palestinian state nextdoor, thus making Israel a more Jewish state. The idea of excluding people on the basis of their ethnicity or religion is anathema to every liberal principle... Yet it conforms to the reality of the Middle East." (Israeli right-winger redraws the battle lines**, The Australian, 17/12/07)
The bottom line is that Alhadeff's Zionism and the mission of the CRC to promote multiculturalism in NSW are clearly incompatible. NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell has a case to answer here.
[*Go and buy Blumenthal's new book. In fact, why not buy several copies? It'd make a great Xmas present for anyone with a brain; **How interesting that a simple Google search for this particular column of Sheridan's yields only the reference in this blog. Has it been pulled, I wonder?]
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Odd Man Out
Remember the fuss back in 2011 when Marrickville Council decided to boycott Israeli products? Remember how it was derided by Labor's Anthony Albanese, in particular, for 'meddling' in a foreign policy issue? Remember how the NSW government of Baruch O'Farrell talked of sacking it? Well, cop this:
"A NSW parliamentary delegation, including a senior government minister, travelled to a disputed region in the Caucasus in defiance of a strong travel warning from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The delegation, which included the NSW Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, went to the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh last month, addressed its parliament and had meetings with its president. Nagorno Karabakh... is not internationally recognised as a country and is considered a breakaway region of Azerbaijan... The delegation's trip followed an extraordinary motion passed through the NSW upper house which, in effect, recognised Nagorno Karabakh as a separate country by recognising it had 'the right to self-determination', and calling on Australia to recognise its independence. The motion, which received no publicity, was passed without dissent last October without even the Foreign Minister being aware of it... Following this, the Armenian National Committee of Australia issued an invitation to NSW parliamentarians to visit Nagorno Karabakh. Christian Democrat Fred Nile said MPs had to pay for the trip themselves, which had reduced the number. The parliamentary delegation was made up of 7 MPs led by Liberal MP Jonathon O'Dea and including Mr Nile, Liberals David Clarke and Marie Ficarra, and Labor MLCs Shaoquett Moselmane and Amanda Fazio." (MPs defy Caucasus travel warning, Mark Coultan, The Australian, 30/8/13)
Perhaps the most puzzling part of the whole business is the inclusion of Labor MLC Shaoquett Moselmane. Why would an MLC who has courageously spoken up in the NSW Legislative Council in defence of Palestinian rights pay for a trip to anywhere with the likes of such pro-Israel zealots as Nile, Clarke, Ficarra and O'Dea?
"A NSW parliamentary delegation, including a senior government minister, travelled to a disputed region in the Caucasus in defiance of a strong travel warning from the Department of Foreign Affairs. The delegation, which included the NSW Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, went to the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh last month, addressed its parliament and had meetings with its president. Nagorno Karabakh... is not internationally recognised as a country and is considered a breakaway region of Azerbaijan... The delegation's trip followed an extraordinary motion passed through the NSW upper house which, in effect, recognised Nagorno Karabakh as a separate country by recognising it had 'the right to self-determination', and calling on Australia to recognise its independence. The motion, which received no publicity, was passed without dissent last October without even the Foreign Minister being aware of it... Following this, the Armenian National Committee of Australia issued an invitation to NSW parliamentarians to visit Nagorno Karabakh. Christian Democrat Fred Nile said MPs had to pay for the trip themselves, which had reduced the number. The parliamentary delegation was made up of 7 MPs led by Liberal MP Jonathon O'Dea and including Mr Nile, Liberals David Clarke and Marie Ficarra, and Labor MLCs Shaoquett Moselmane and Amanda Fazio." (MPs defy Caucasus travel warning, Mark Coultan, The Australian, 30/8/13)
Perhaps the most puzzling part of the whole business is the inclusion of Labor MLC Shaoquett Moselmane. Why would an MLC who has courageously spoken up in the NSW Legislative Council in defence of Palestinian rights pay for a trip to anywhere with the likes of such pro-Israel zealots as Nile, Clarke, Ficarra and O'Dea?
Friday, August 23, 2013
The Devil is in the Detail
Congratulations, Andrew Penfold, founder and chief executive of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) on winning the inaugural NSW Human Rights Award, and many thanks to the Australian's social affairs writer, Rick Morton, for informing us of the fact in his report, Hard yards lead to recognition, in today's edition.
But Rick, why leave out the following devilish detail:
"Also attending the presentation [by NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell] were many representatives of Sydney's Jewish community including the CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff and Shalom Institute's Dr Hilton Immerman. Immerman nominated Penfold. The Shalom Institute, mentioned by Penfold in his acceptance speech, has been responsible for the Shalom Scholarships at the University of NSW. The Shalom Gamarada Scholarship Program offers residence at Shalom College to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying at UNSW... Alhadeff was one of the 3 judges." (Strong Jewish connection to NSW award, Henry Benjamin, jwire.com.au, 22/8/13)
See my 19/5/13 post What Would Raoul Wallenberg Do? for more devilish detail on Baruch O'Farrell's NSW Human Rights Award.
But Rick, why leave out the following devilish detail:
"Also attending the presentation [by NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell] were many representatives of Sydney's Jewish community including the CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff and Shalom Institute's Dr Hilton Immerman. Immerman nominated Penfold. The Shalom Institute, mentioned by Penfold in his acceptance speech, has been responsible for the Shalom Scholarships at the University of NSW. The Shalom Gamarada Scholarship Program offers residence at Shalom College to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying at UNSW... Alhadeff was one of the 3 judges." (Strong Jewish connection to NSW award, Henry Benjamin, jwire.com.au, 22/8/13)
See my 19/5/13 post What Would Raoul Wallenberg Do? for more devilish detail on Baruch O'Farrell's NSW Human Rights Award.
BDS Gets the Parramatta Council Treatment
Here's the latest attempt in Baruch O'Farrell's NSW to crack down on the basic human right to protest for Palestine:
"The Palestine Action Group (PAG) has decided to continue with a protest against Israeli Chocolateria chain, Max Brenner, in spite of threats by Parramatta Council of fines of over $2000. The demonstration, part of the global movement calling for Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, was organized well in advance of the threat of fines being issued today. The PAG has been coordinating with the NSW Police, who are facilitating the demonstration. Lutfi Zayed, a Palestinian activist with PAG, was contacted today and threatened by Council staff to cancel the protest or be fined... Dale Mills, lawyer and researcher at Sydney University in law in the field of political protest, says: 'If this became established council practice in NSW it would be the end of the right to protest'." (From Media Release: Parramatta Council censors Palestine supporters, protesters defiant, August 17, 2013)
This threat follows O'Farrell's threat to sack Marrickville Council over its pro-BDS stance in 2011; an unsuccessful move by the NSW Police in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent last year's Nakba rally and march in the Sydney CBD; and, most recently, the initiation by Israeli lawfare outfit Shurat HaDin of a complaint in the Human Rights Commission against Associate Professor Jake Lynch of Sydney University.
A quick internet search on the subject of the Liberal Party-dominated (7) Parramatta Council (and the Liberal push more generally into the formerly rock-solid Labor heartland of Western Sydney) is a bit of an eye-opener:
Herald journalist Kate McClymont's Backroom deals and ballot rigging - welcome to the NSW Liberals (30/7/12) contains much that should be of interest to those who think that Labor has a monopoly on 'colourful personalities', especially the references to state MP Tony Issa, dubbed 'the Graham Richardson of the Liberal Party', whose son, Steven Issa, is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Parramatta.
Worth a read too is Herald journalist Nicole Hasham's Cranes on the horizon for Parramatta's new Liberal mayor (28/9/12) for a profile of Mayor John Chedid. For an insight into the mayor's winning ways, you might also like to peruse 'Truly offensive': Lord Mayor accused of homophobia (Kristin Shorten, news.com.au, 21/1/13).
Closer to the subject matter of this blog, you would of course be fascinated to learn that Liberal councillor Jean Pierre Abood is big on 'Judeo-Christian morality' ( Michael Conditsis, facebook.com/parramattacitycouncil, 13/12/12).
And did you know that Parramatta Council has a sister city relationship with Beersheva, Israel?
Interesting place, Parramatta.
PS - 31/8/13: "A Parramatta council spokeswoman confirmed it would be taking action. 'The Palestinian [sic] Action Group were informed in writing in September 2012 in a letter from the CEO that they required permission from council to hold such activity,' she said. 'After council became aware of another planned protest on Saturday, 16 [sic] August, 2013, a letter was issued by the council to the Palestinian Action Group that once again explained the requirement... NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff said: 'The decision to impose punitive measures against the PAG is a matter for Parramatta Council'." (Council acts against anti-Israel group, Christian Kerr, The Australian)
No doubt Parramatta Council's offensive against the PAG came as a complete surprise to Mr Alhadeff.
"The Palestine Action Group (PAG) has decided to continue with a protest against Israeli Chocolateria chain, Max Brenner, in spite of threats by Parramatta Council of fines of over $2000. The demonstration, part of the global movement calling for Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, was organized well in advance of the threat of fines being issued today. The PAG has been coordinating with the NSW Police, who are facilitating the demonstration. Lutfi Zayed, a Palestinian activist with PAG, was contacted today and threatened by Council staff to cancel the protest or be fined... Dale Mills, lawyer and researcher at Sydney University in law in the field of political protest, says: 'If this became established council practice in NSW it would be the end of the right to protest'." (From Media Release: Parramatta Council censors Palestine supporters, protesters defiant, August 17, 2013)
This threat follows O'Farrell's threat to sack Marrickville Council over its pro-BDS stance in 2011; an unsuccessful move by the NSW Police in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent last year's Nakba rally and march in the Sydney CBD; and, most recently, the initiation by Israeli lawfare outfit Shurat HaDin of a complaint in the Human Rights Commission against Associate Professor Jake Lynch of Sydney University.
A quick internet search on the subject of the Liberal Party-dominated (7) Parramatta Council (and the Liberal push more generally into the formerly rock-solid Labor heartland of Western Sydney) is a bit of an eye-opener:
Herald journalist Kate McClymont's Backroom deals and ballot rigging - welcome to the NSW Liberals (30/7/12) contains much that should be of interest to those who think that Labor has a monopoly on 'colourful personalities', especially the references to state MP Tony Issa, dubbed 'the Graham Richardson of the Liberal Party', whose son, Steven Issa, is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Parramatta.
Worth a read too is Herald journalist Nicole Hasham's Cranes on the horizon for Parramatta's new Liberal mayor (28/9/12) for a profile of Mayor John Chedid. For an insight into the mayor's winning ways, you might also like to peruse 'Truly offensive': Lord Mayor accused of homophobia (Kristin Shorten, news.com.au, 21/1/13).
Closer to the subject matter of this blog, you would of course be fascinated to learn that Liberal councillor Jean Pierre Abood is big on 'Judeo-Christian morality' ( Michael Conditsis, facebook.com/parramattacitycouncil, 13/12/12).
And did you know that Parramatta Council has a sister city relationship with Beersheva, Israel?
Interesting place, Parramatta.
PS - 31/8/13: "A Parramatta council spokeswoman confirmed it would be taking action. 'The Palestinian [sic] Action Group were informed in writing in September 2012 in a letter from the CEO that they required permission from council to hold such activity,' she said. 'After council became aware of another planned protest on Saturday, 16 [sic] August, 2013, a letter was issued by the council to the Palestinian Action Group that once again explained the requirement... NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff said: 'The decision to impose punitive measures against the PAG is a matter for Parramatta Council'." (Council acts against anti-Israel group, Christian Kerr, The Australian)
No doubt Parramatta Council's offensive against the PAG came as a complete surprise to Mr Alhadeff.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A Tale of Two Propaganda Wars
Corporate media scribblers never cease to amaze with their antics. Take the Sydney Morning Herald's Kirsty Needham for example.
The visit of "the saffron-robed superstar who has transcended his nation's cause to become an oracle for Western TV cameras searching for wisdom and truth in a modern age," aka the Dalai Lama, has prompted her to reflect - or should that be 'meditate'? - on the "laughable" contradiction between HH's popularity with the public and "the desire for most Australian politicians to officially fly under the radar on Tibet." (China's Tibetan whispers hit Dalai Lama visit, The Sun-Herald, 16/6/13)
This, Needham tells us, is because "Beijing disapproves of official meetings or recognition of the Dalai Lama," and "federal and state parliaments, mindful of the trade relationship, comply."
Now as if this kind of craven compliance were not deplorable enough, Needham's exposed something more overt:
"[T]his weekend's visit to Sydney has prompted a new phase in the propaganda war from China that appears to have caught a number of Australia's politicians off guard. Taking a step beyond denying Australia from giving official recognition to the Dalai Lama, the Chinese government has gained Australian political endorsement of its censorship of Tibet."
What she's referring to is an exhibition of photographs on the subject of Tibet, which opened at Sydney's Darling Harbour just prior to the Dalai Lama's visit. Funny that! This, she points out, was sponsored by China Tibet Online, China's "biggest voice on the internet on the topic of Tibet."
"Photographs show state Liberal MP Daryl Maquire, chairman of the NSW Parliament's Asia-Pacific Friendship Group, opening the exhibition on behalf of Premier Barry O'Farrell a fortnight ago. Maguire also held a press conference for Chinese media at State Parliament. The website's editorial says: 'The images on show reflecting Tibetan people's religious freedom and daily life have dramatically enhanced Australian understanding of Tibet and rebutted the shameless lies made by a few Western politicians and the dalai clique'."
As you'd expect, Needham approached Maquire for a comment:
"Questioned on why he had opened the exhibition, Maguire said the NSW Parliament didn't get involved in foreign policy issues, which were a federal matter, and compared the Tibetan situation to the civil war in Syria. 'We don't side with one side or another', he said."
(Got that? The NSW Parliament didn't get involved in foreign policy issues. Hello? China aside, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll be aware that the NSW Parliament, under the regime of Baruch O'Farrell, has become such a hotbed of support for the state of Israel that I've been forced to refer to it as the 'NSW Knesset'. For first timers to this most bizarre metamorphosis, which no corporate media hack has ever seen fit to explore, just click on the 'Barry O'Farrell' label below, read, and be amazed.)
Needham righteously concludes that "by officially endorsing the show at its launch, the NSW Parliament has done exactly that [ie side with China]. The images have been used by the Chinese government in its propaganda war."
Now the reader may well feel inclined to sign off with a 'Good onya, Kirsty Needham, for striking a blow for oppressed Tibetans, unmasking China's shameless propaganda war in Australia, and naming Beijing's useful fools in the NSW Parliament', but there's another angle entirely to this story:
How is it that a journalist specialising in the coverage of state politics can blow the whistle on a low-key Chinese propaganda stunt endorsed by the O'Farrell government, yet show not the least interest in investigating (let alone blowing the whistle on) the blatant pro-Israel propaganda war being waged by useful fools on both sides of the political divide in the NSW Parliament?
Could the fact that Needham was rambammed* back in 2007, when deputy foreign editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, have something to do with it?
Upon her return from a NSW Jewish Board of Deputies 'Journalists Mission' to Israel, the Australian Jewish News reported her as saying that "she was impressed by the vibrant multiculturalism, community spirit and vigorous media debate in the country, and added 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." (Journalists reassess Israel, 22/2/08)
Hm... sounds suspiciously like an endorsement to me!
[*On this phenomenon, see my constantly updated 30/3/09 post I've been to Israel too.]
The visit of "the saffron-robed superstar who has transcended his nation's cause to become an oracle for Western TV cameras searching for wisdom and truth in a modern age," aka the Dalai Lama, has prompted her to reflect - or should that be 'meditate'? - on the "laughable" contradiction between HH's popularity with the public and "the desire for most Australian politicians to officially fly under the radar on Tibet." (China's Tibetan whispers hit Dalai Lama visit, The Sun-Herald, 16/6/13)
This, Needham tells us, is because "Beijing disapproves of official meetings or recognition of the Dalai Lama," and "federal and state parliaments, mindful of the trade relationship, comply."
Now as if this kind of craven compliance were not deplorable enough, Needham's exposed something more overt:
"[T]his weekend's visit to Sydney has prompted a new phase in the propaganda war from China that appears to have caught a number of Australia's politicians off guard. Taking a step beyond denying Australia from giving official recognition to the Dalai Lama, the Chinese government has gained Australian political endorsement of its censorship of Tibet."
What she's referring to is an exhibition of photographs on the subject of Tibet, which opened at Sydney's Darling Harbour just prior to the Dalai Lama's visit. Funny that! This, she points out, was sponsored by China Tibet Online, China's "biggest voice on the internet on the topic of Tibet."
"Photographs show state Liberal MP Daryl Maquire, chairman of the NSW Parliament's Asia-Pacific Friendship Group, opening the exhibition on behalf of Premier Barry O'Farrell a fortnight ago. Maguire also held a press conference for Chinese media at State Parliament. The website's editorial says: 'The images on show reflecting Tibetan people's religious freedom and daily life have dramatically enhanced Australian understanding of Tibet and rebutted the shameless lies made by a few Western politicians and the dalai clique'."
As you'd expect, Needham approached Maquire for a comment:
"Questioned on why he had opened the exhibition, Maguire said the NSW Parliament didn't get involved in foreign policy issues, which were a federal matter, and compared the Tibetan situation to the civil war in Syria. 'We don't side with one side or another', he said."
(Got that? The NSW Parliament didn't get involved in foreign policy issues. Hello? China aside, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll be aware that the NSW Parliament, under the regime of Baruch O'Farrell, has become such a hotbed of support for the state of Israel that I've been forced to refer to it as the 'NSW Knesset'. For first timers to this most bizarre metamorphosis, which no corporate media hack has ever seen fit to explore, just click on the 'Barry O'Farrell' label below, read, and be amazed.)
Needham righteously concludes that "by officially endorsing the show at its launch, the NSW Parliament has done exactly that [ie side with China]. The images have been used by the Chinese government in its propaganda war."
Now the reader may well feel inclined to sign off with a 'Good onya, Kirsty Needham, for striking a blow for oppressed Tibetans, unmasking China's shameless propaganda war in Australia, and naming Beijing's useful fools in the NSW Parliament', but there's another angle entirely to this story:
How is it that a journalist specialising in the coverage of state politics can blow the whistle on a low-key Chinese propaganda stunt endorsed by the O'Farrell government, yet show not the least interest in investigating (let alone blowing the whistle on) the blatant pro-Israel propaganda war being waged by useful fools on both sides of the political divide in the NSW Parliament?
Could the fact that Needham was rambammed* back in 2007, when deputy foreign editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, have something to do with it?
Upon her return from a NSW Jewish Board of Deputies 'Journalists Mission' to Israel, the Australian Jewish News reported her as saying that "she was impressed by the vibrant multiculturalism, community spirit and vigorous media debate in the country, and added 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." (Journalists reassess Israel, 22/2/08)
Hm... sounds suspiciously like an endorsement to me!
[*On this phenomenon, see my constantly updated 30/3/09 post I've been to Israel too.]
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Going Mad in Herds
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." Charles Mackay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds
"Premier Barry O'Farrell and Opposition Leader John Robertson have cast party politics to the side, when they signed the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism*... In Canberra, all 105 federal Coalition parliamentarians have now signed the declaration, with both sides of politics in Victoria also set to commit to the global initiative in the coming days." (Leaders unite against hate, The Australian Jewish News, 24/5/13)
In stunning contrast to this extraordinary display of groupthink, two NSW Greens politicians, David Shoebridge and John Kaye, have publicly declared their refusal to sign the declaration on the grounds that it "wrongly conflates valid criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism." (This is not how you fight anti-Semitism, newmatilda.com, 28/5/13)
Australia has over 800 state and federal politicians. Are Shoebridge and Kaye the only two Australian politicians with sufficient intellectual courage and moral fibre to speak out against this Zionist sleight of hand?
[*See my 17/5/13 post The Tel Aviv Declaration on Combating Criticism of Israel.]
"Premier Barry O'Farrell and Opposition Leader John Robertson have cast party politics to the side, when they signed the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism*... In Canberra, all 105 federal Coalition parliamentarians have now signed the declaration, with both sides of politics in Victoria also set to commit to the global initiative in the coming days." (Leaders unite against hate, The Australian Jewish News, 24/5/13)
In stunning contrast to this extraordinary display of groupthink, two NSW Greens politicians, David Shoebridge and John Kaye, have publicly declared their refusal to sign the declaration on the grounds that it "wrongly conflates valid criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism." (This is not how you fight anti-Semitism, newmatilda.com, 28/5/13)
Australia has over 800 state and federal politicians. Are Shoebridge and Kaye the only two Australian politicians with sufficient intellectual courage and moral fibre to speak out against this Zionist sleight of hand?
[*See my 17/5/13 post The Tel Aviv Declaration on Combating Criticism of Israel.]
Sunday, May 19, 2013
What Would Raoul Wallenberg Do?
If you'd heard that an Australian Coalition government had announced the establishment of a human rights award you'd start wondering what the... was going on, right? And if you'd also heard that a leading Israel lobbyist was to be one of its judging panel you'd fall off your perch in sheer disbelief, right?
Well, strange to tell, both have come to pass, and as far as I'm aware, no one in the ms media has yet reported on either strand of the story!
An annual NSW Human Rights Award was announced by NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell in September last year and Vic Alhadeff of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has just been named as one of its 3 judges.
The Premier's 2012 press release informs us that "[t]he recipient of the award will become the NSW Human Rights Ambassador for 12 months, giving them an opportunity to promote human rights issues." It further informs us that the award will be presented to "an individual from Australia or internationally... and is being established in memory of Raoul Wallenberg, who single-handedly saved tens-of-thousands of lives during the Holocaust." (You may have heard that Wallenberg, to whom I shall be returning later, has just been awarded honorary Australian citizenship by the Prime Minister.)
Now call me a cynic but I can't help wondering whether O'Farrell's Human Rights Award has been designed as a riposte to the Sydney Peace Foundation's Sydney Peace Prize. Could it even be, I wonder, a belated act of revenge for the SPF's awarding of the Sydney Peace Prize to Palestinian activist Hanan Ashrawi back in 2003? This, you'll recall, was an occasion when the Israel lobby massively overreached itself, and suffered a highly embarrassing public backlash as a result. (See my 17/1/12 post Ashrawi Redux.)
All this, of course, is pure conjecture.
However, apart from the chutzpah of appointing an apologist for one of the world's most egregious human rights violators to the award's judging panel, what really interests me here is a certain 'what if?' scenario which I'll sum up with the question: What would Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who heroically risked his neck to rescue thousands of Hungarian Jews in 1944, only to later disappear into the Soviet Gulag, have done if he'd survived the war, gone on to become the 'UN Mediator in Palestine' in 1948, and faced the problem of what to do with hundreds of thousands of uprooted Palestinian refugees?
Without a doubt Wallenberg, "a man of moral courage and heroic example," as Prime Minister Gillard described him, would have stated categorically that:
"It is... undeniable that no settlement can be just and complete if recognition is not accorded to the right of the Arab refugee to return to the home from which he has been dislodged by the hazards and strategy of the armed conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. The majority of these refugees have come from territory which... was to be included in the Jewish State. The exodus of Palestinian Arabs resulted from panic created by fighting in their communities, by rumours concerning real or alleged acts of terrorism, or expulsion. It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries." (Progress Report of the UN Mediator on Palestine, 16/9/48)
As a man of "moral courage and heroic example" he could hardly have done otherwise.
The quotation above came in fact from the pen the actual UN Mediator in Palestine in 1948, Count Folke Bernadotte, another Swede who had, as head of the Swedish Red Cross during the war, rescued thousands of European Jews and others from Nazi concentration camps. And like Wallenberg, Bernadotte too met a sticky end, gunned down in Jerusalem on September 17, 1948 by Stern Gang terrorists.
Now just imagine, if you will, Australia's Arab community trying to interest Gillard and/or her successor, Tony Abbott, in granting honorary citizenship to Count Folke Bernadotte. Hell would freeze over first, right?
Well, strange to tell, both have come to pass, and as far as I'm aware, no one in the ms media has yet reported on either strand of the story!
An annual NSW Human Rights Award was announced by NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell in September last year and Vic Alhadeff of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has just been named as one of its 3 judges.
The Premier's 2012 press release informs us that "[t]he recipient of the award will become the NSW Human Rights Ambassador for 12 months, giving them an opportunity to promote human rights issues." It further informs us that the award will be presented to "an individual from Australia or internationally... and is being established in memory of Raoul Wallenberg, who single-handedly saved tens-of-thousands of lives during the Holocaust." (You may have heard that Wallenberg, to whom I shall be returning later, has just been awarded honorary Australian citizenship by the Prime Minister.)
Now call me a cynic but I can't help wondering whether O'Farrell's Human Rights Award has been designed as a riposte to the Sydney Peace Foundation's Sydney Peace Prize. Could it even be, I wonder, a belated act of revenge for the SPF's awarding of the Sydney Peace Prize to Palestinian activist Hanan Ashrawi back in 2003? This, you'll recall, was an occasion when the Israel lobby massively overreached itself, and suffered a highly embarrassing public backlash as a result. (See my 17/1/12 post Ashrawi Redux.)
All this, of course, is pure conjecture.
However, apart from the chutzpah of appointing an apologist for one of the world's most egregious human rights violators to the award's judging panel, what really interests me here is a certain 'what if?' scenario which I'll sum up with the question: What would Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who heroically risked his neck to rescue thousands of Hungarian Jews in 1944, only to later disappear into the Soviet Gulag, have done if he'd survived the war, gone on to become the 'UN Mediator in Palestine' in 1948, and faced the problem of what to do with hundreds of thousands of uprooted Palestinian refugees?
Without a doubt Wallenberg, "a man of moral courage and heroic example," as Prime Minister Gillard described him, would have stated categorically that:
"It is... undeniable that no settlement can be just and complete if recognition is not accorded to the right of the Arab refugee to return to the home from which he has been dislodged by the hazards and strategy of the armed conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. The majority of these refugees have come from territory which... was to be included in the Jewish State. The exodus of Palestinian Arabs resulted from panic created by fighting in their communities, by rumours concerning real or alleged acts of terrorism, or expulsion. It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries." (Progress Report of the UN Mediator on Palestine, 16/9/48)
As a man of "moral courage and heroic example" he could hardly have done otherwise.
The quotation above came in fact from the pen the actual UN Mediator in Palestine in 1948, Count Folke Bernadotte, another Swede who had, as head of the Swedish Red Cross during the war, rescued thousands of European Jews and others from Nazi concentration camps. And like Wallenberg, Bernadotte too met a sticky end, gunned down in Jerusalem on September 17, 1948 by Stern Gang terrorists.
Now just imagine, if you will, Australia's Arab community trying to interest Gillard and/or her successor, Tony Abbott, in granting honorary citizenship to Count Folke Bernadotte. Hell would freeze over first, right?
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Who Am I to Demur?
Chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and NSW Human Rights Award judging panelist, Vic Alhadeff (said panel having just been chosen by no less a luminary than NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell*) had an opinion piece in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald.
Now in case you missed it, here are the opening lines:
"I'm a Seinfeld aficionado. I've watched every episode a ridiculous number of times, yet still find the humour brilliant. But then there's 'The Soup Nazi' - an episode about a surly delicatessen owner who refuses to serve customers who flout his excessive rules of decorum. It's witty and well scripted, but it commits a cardinal offence: it trivialises the meaning of what a Nazi is, and in doing so degrades the language associated with those who devised, planned and perpetrated the most grotesque genocide in history." (Don't call me a Nazi-Nazi: trivialising a word sends the wrong message about a genocidal regime, 17/5/13)
Got the idea?
Of course, Alhadeff has no such problem with the trivialisation of the word 'anti-Semitic', which once meant simply 'hatred of Jews as Jews', but is now routinely deployed by Zionist propagandists to blunt and deflect perfectly justified criticism of apartheid Israel and its ruling Zionist ideology. Nor, for that matter, did he have any problem, as far as we know, with the BDS movement being smeared as quasi-Nazi during the BDS 'debate' in the NSW Legislative Council in September 2011, despite being present in the visitors gallery throughout. (See my Witches Brew series from 17/9/11 to 17/12/11.)
Be that as it may, I was later reminded of Alhadeff's opinion piece when reading a review by Jordan Mainzer of the new Israeli film The Gatekeepers, which features the reflections of 6 former heads of Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet.
In his review, Mainzer quoted Avraham Shalom, head of the Shin Bet from 1981-1986, saying that "the Israeli occupation of Palestine is a 'brutal force, similar to the Germans in World War II'." (Is occupation sustainable? Thoughts on Dror Moreh's 'The Gatekeepers', huffingtonpost.com, 25/3/13)
My first reaction was: Sort of leaves Seinfeld's 'Soup Nazi' in the shade, doesn't it?
But then, on further reflection, I began to have doubts. After all, I thought, what would a former head of Shin Bet know about the Israeli occupation of Palestine? I mean, if the Sydney Morning Herald's opinion editor, in his/her infinite wisdom, thinks that Alhadeff on Nazis is good enough for its readership, and if Baruch O'Farrell, in his infinite wisdom, thinks Alhadeff's the right man to size up contenders for a prestigious human rights award, who am I to demur?
[*See my 9/5/13 post Barry to Baruch in 60 Seconds.]
Now in case you missed it, here are the opening lines:
"I'm a Seinfeld aficionado. I've watched every episode a ridiculous number of times, yet still find the humour brilliant. But then there's 'The Soup Nazi' - an episode about a surly delicatessen owner who refuses to serve customers who flout his excessive rules of decorum. It's witty and well scripted, but it commits a cardinal offence: it trivialises the meaning of what a Nazi is, and in doing so degrades the language associated with those who devised, planned and perpetrated the most grotesque genocide in history." (Don't call me a Nazi-Nazi: trivialising a word sends the wrong message about a genocidal regime, 17/5/13)
Got the idea?
Of course, Alhadeff has no such problem with the trivialisation of the word 'anti-Semitic', which once meant simply 'hatred of Jews as Jews', but is now routinely deployed by Zionist propagandists to blunt and deflect perfectly justified criticism of apartheid Israel and its ruling Zionist ideology. Nor, for that matter, did he have any problem, as far as we know, with the BDS movement being smeared as quasi-Nazi during the BDS 'debate' in the NSW Legislative Council in September 2011, despite being present in the visitors gallery throughout. (See my Witches Brew series from 17/9/11 to 17/12/11.)
Be that as it may, I was later reminded of Alhadeff's opinion piece when reading a review by Jordan Mainzer of the new Israeli film The Gatekeepers, which features the reflections of 6 former heads of Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet.
In his review, Mainzer quoted Avraham Shalom, head of the Shin Bet from 1981-1986, saying that "the Israeli occupation of Palestine is a 'brutal force, similar to the Germans in World War II'." (Is occupation sustainable? Thoughts on Dror Moreh's 'The Gatekeepers', huffingtonpost.com, 25/3/13)
My first reaction was: Sort of leaves Seinfeld's 'Soup Nazi' in the shade, doesn't it?
But then, on further reflection, I began to have doubts. After all, I thought, what would a former head of Shin Bet know about the Israeli occupation of Palestine? I mean, if the Sydney Morning Herald's opinion editor, in his/her infinite wisdom, thinks that Alhadeff on Nazis is good enough for its readership, and if Baruch O'Farrell, in his infinite wisdom, thinks Alhadeff's the right man to size up contenders for a prestigious human rights award, who am I to demur?
[*See my 9/5/13 post Barry to Baruch in 60 Seconds.]
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Barry to Baruch in 60 Seconds
He used to be just plain old Barry O'Farrell, or sometimes, in his earlier, more porcine form, as Fatty O'Barrell. But since becoming premier of NSW in March 2011, he's undergone a transformation. He's now Baruch O'Farrell, Israel's bestie ever in the Premier State.
The first I became aware that Barry was undergoing some kind of metamorphosis was back in April 2011 when he wrote a letter to Marrickville Council threatening to sack it over its support for BDS. Alas, it's been all uphill since then, as I've indicated in a series of earlier posts. (For a quick summary of the Barry-to-Baruch process, read the coda to my 8/4/13 post Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset 12.).
Now in his letter to Marrickville Council, the Premier declared authoritatively that: "Council's core focus should be on the delivery of quality core services to its residents and ratepayers." (Marrickville Council threatened with the sack, abc.net.au, 15/4/11)
Note the key words: "core focus".
And going back to his inaugural speech of 1995, the then Barry O'Farrell piously professed that he was "proud of the fact that my Party is the only political party not beholden to sectional interests. We do not kowtow to business, labour or rural interests... This whole-of-community representation is what allows us to make decisions based on what is right, not on what is demanded of us." (About Premier Barry O'Farrell, premier.nsw.gov.au)
Got the idea? The old Barry we all knew and loved - well, maybe not loved exactly, but you know what I mean - just wasn't into "sectional interests" or "kowtowing".
Now look at him:
"More than 620 guests representing the who's who of NSW society, including diplomats, government ministers, faith, civic and business leaders were treated to two outstanding addresses at the Yom Ha'azmaut [Israel Independence Day] function last night [2/5]... one from NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and the other from Israel's ambassador Yuval Rotem... The Premier presented Ambassador Rotem... with an effigy of himself bearing the name Baruch O'Farrell. The Premier announced the launch of the NSW Human Rights Award and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff has been selected as a member of the 3 person [judging] panel... The function was hosted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Zionist Federation of Australia and the State Zionist Council of NSW." (Double treat for Sydney Yom Ha'azmaut function, jwire.com, 3/5/13)
Not only has Israel become a core focus of NSW politics but it looks like there's a whole lot of kowtowing going on in NSW politics.
Some gems from Baruch O'Farrell's speech:
"If one was restricted to a single word to describe the State of Israel it would be extraordinary."
And if I were restricted to a single word to describe Baruch O'Farrell it'd be...
"Israel has lived up to the prophetic words of Theodore [sic] Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, when he said: 'If you will it, it is no dream'."
So Israel's a dream come true? For Herzl, Baruch and his mates maybe, but for the Palestinian people it's a 24/7 unending nightmare.
"I have always supported Israel because I want Israelis - and people around the world - to be able to enjoy the secure border, lifestyle and liberty we Australians take for granted. Regrettably, President Peres was correct when he noted that while Israel was founded on the principle of equality, its existence was challenged and threatened by countries which neither acknowledge equality nor practise that principle."
Israel was founded on equality - yes, of course, for Jews. Most of the non-Jews got the boot.
"Recently, I was directed to the book, 'Israel: Years of Challenge' by David Ben-Gurion - Israel's first Prime Minister who proclaimed its independence on 14 May 1948. In the book Ben-Gurion wrote that... because Israel was surrounded by hostility, the surest way of arriving at peace and cooperation with its neighbours was by making friends around the world who understood Israel and would convey that understanding to Israel's neighbours. Well tonight we are just some of those friends and supporters that Israel has around the world. And Ben-Gurion reminds us that it's not enough to just be a friend. We need to speak up for our friend too. Whether in response to the latest attack upon Israeli civilians or the latest BDS protest, we need to demonstrate our support for Israel's right to peaceful existence with secure borders. Here in NSW we are trying to do our bit."
So let me get this right: Israel robs the Palestinians blind and its 'friends' clean up the mess. Brilliant! Oh, and anyone over here who dares to say, 'Hang on a minute', will have Baruch on his back.
"I am delighted that... the Parliamentary Friends of Israel was re-established. It is the parliament's largest friendship group and it is fiercely bi-partisan. I am delighted that a multi-party delegation of State MPs visited Israel and I want to acknowledge the wonderful assistance of the Jewish Board of Deputies in helping make that happen. And I am delighted that, later this year, one of my ministers will be part of a second delegation of MPs visiting Israel."
Not another bloody rambamming!
"My visit to Yad Vashem - and many visits to the wonderful Sydney Jewish Museum - certainly furthered my understanding of the incredible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust... That's why I strongly endorsed the decision of the Board of Studies that from next year study of the Holocaust will become compulsory for NSW school students in years 9 and 10. This comes as a direct result of the tireless efforts of the Board of Deputies..."
Using the Holocaust shield to protect Israeli apartheid from criticism.
"I was very grateful the [Israeli] Ambassador [Yuval Rotem] took the time to come to Sydney last December when I was honoured to be presented with the Jerusalem Award by the Zionist Council."
Talk about buying the natives with trinkets. I can see it now, can't you? That patch of green in yonder distance. Ah yes, the 'Baruch O'Farrell Memorial Forest'.
"You'll notice I've even used the Hebrew word for Barry - Baruch - which many of you will know means blessed."
Yes, Baruch, we know, we know...
The first I became aware that Barry was undergoing some kind of metamorphosis was back in April 2011 when he wrote a letter to Marrickville Council threatening to sack it over its support for BDS. Alas, it's been all uphill since then, as I've indicated in a series of earlier posts. (For a quick summary of the Barry-to-Baruch process, read the coda to my 8/4/13 post Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset 12.).
Now in his letter to Marrickville Council, the Premier declared authoritatively that: "Council's core focus should be on the delivery of quality core services to its residents and ratepayers." (Marrickville Council threatened with the sack, abc.net.au, 15/4/11)
Note the key words: "core focus".
And going back to his inaugural speech of 1995, the then Barry O'Farrell piously professed that he was "proud of the fact that my Party is the only political party not beholden to sectional interests. We do not kowtow to business, labour or rural interests... This whole-of-community representation is what allows us to make decisions based on what is right, not on what is demanded of us." (About Premier Barry O'Farrell, premier.nsw.gov.au)
Got the idea? The old Barry we all knew and loved - well, maybe not loved exactly, but you know what I mean - just wasn't into "sectional interests" or "kowtowing".
Now look at him:
"More than 620 guests representing the who's who of NSW society, including diplomats, government ministers, faith, civic and business leaders were treated to two outstanding addresses at the Yom Ha'azmaut [Israel Independence Day] function last night [2/5]... one from NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and the other from Israel's ambassador Yuval Rotem... The Premier presented Ambassador Rotem... with an effigy of himself bearing the name Baruch O'Farrell. The Premier announced the launch of the NSW Human Rights Award and NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Vic Alhadeff has been selected as a member of the 3 person [judging] panel... The function was hosted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Zionist Federation of Australia and the State Zionist Council of NSW." (Double treat for Sydney Yom Ha'azmaut function, jwire.com, 3/5/13)
Not only has Israel become a core focus of NSW politics but it looks like there's a whole lot of kowtowing going on in NSW politics.
Some gems from Baruch O'Farrell's speech:
"If one was restricted to a single word to describe the State of Israel it would be extraordinary."
And if I were restricted to a single word to describe Baruch O'Farrell it'd be...
"Israel has lived up to the prophetic words of Theodore [sic] Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, when he said: 'If you will it, it is no dream'."
So Israel's a dream come true? For Herzl, Baruch and his mates maybe, but for the Palestinian people it's a 24/7 unending nightmare.
"I have always supported Israel because I want Israelis - and people around the world - to be able to enjoy the secure border, lifestyle and liberty we Australians take for granted. Regrettably, President Peres was correct when he noted that while Israel was founded on the principle of equality, its existence was challenged and threatened by countries which neither acknowledge equality nor practise that principle."
Israel was founded on equality - yes, of course, for Jews. Most of the non-Jews got the boot.
"Recently, I was directed to the book, 'Israel: Years of Challenge' by David Ben-Gurion - Israel's first Prime Minister who proclaimed its independence on 14 May 1948. In the book Ben-Gurion wrote that... because Israel was surrounded by hostility, the surest way of arriving at peace and cooperation with its neighbours was by making friends around the world who understood Israel and would convey that understanding to Israel's neighbours. Well tonight we are just some of those friends and supporters that Israel has around the world. And Ben-Gurion reminds us that it's not enough to just be a friend. We need to speak up for our friend too. Whether in response to the latest attack upon Israeli civilians or the latest BDS protest, we need to demonstrate our support for Israel's right to peaceful existence with secure borders. Here in NSW we are trying to do our bit."
So let me get this right: Israel robs the Palestinians blind and its 'friends' clean up the mess. Brilliant! Oh, and anyone over here who dares to say, 'Hang on a minute', will have Baruch on his back.
"I am delighted that... the Parliamentary Friends of Israel was re-established. It is the parliament's largest friendship group and it is fiercely bi-partisan. I am delighted that a multi-party delegation of State MPs visited Israel and I want to acknowledge the wonderful assistance of the Jewish Board of Deputies in helping make that happen. And I am delighted that, later this year, one of my ministers will be part of a second delegation of MPs visiting Israel."
Not another bloody rambamming!
"My visit to Yad Vashem - and many visits to the wonderful Sydney Jewish Museum - certainly furthered my understanding of the incredible suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust... That's why I strongly endorsed the decision of the Board of Studies that from next year study of the Holocaust will become compulsory for NSW school students in years 9 and 10. This comes as a direct result of the tireless efforts of the Board of Deputies..."
Using the Holocaust shield to protect Israeli apartheid from criticism.
"I was very grateful the [Israeli] Ambassador [Yuval Rotem] took the time to come to Sydney last December when I was honoured to be presented with the Jerusalem Award by the Zionist Council."
Talk about buying the natives with trinkets. I can see it now, can't you? That patch of green in yonder distance. Ah yes, the 'Baruch O'Farrell Memorial Forest'.
"You'll notice I've even used the Hebrew word for Barry - Baruch - which many of you will know means blessed."
Yes, Baruch, we know, we know...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Nailing Racists or Nobbling BDS?
Baruch O'Farrell's parliamentary Inquiry into Racial Vilification Law in NSW* is now underway and our friends from the Israel lobby, seasoned actors all, have delivered the usual award-winning performance. Particularly strong this time around is their timing:
"On Yom Hashoah last week, Jews around the world commemorated what is arguably the most tragic example of the extreme consequences of racial vilification. That same day, a NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD) delegation - comprising former president David Knoll, CEO Vic Alhadeff and Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) executive director Peter Wertheim - was arguing that NSW's racial vilification laws are inadequate in front of a Legislative Council inquiry. Knoll and Wertheim, both lawyers, have extensive experience in dealing with racial vilification cases. 'We note that we make this presentation on the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the day each year, Yom Hashoah, that the Holocaust is remembered across the world,' Knoll told the committee, which was chaired by Member of the Legislative Council David Clarke... Using anti-Indian posters in shop windows as a practical example - echoing similar signs against Jews displayed in Nazi Germany - Knoll outlined how section 20D of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 currently makes it difficult for racial vilification cases to be prosecuted. 'Requiring proof of actual or likely intimidation or harassment, or of a direct connection between a threat and likely harm to a person or property, constitute - as a practical matter - an insurmountable obstacle to prosecution,' he explained." (Board fronts Racial Vilification Law inquiry, The Australian Jewish News, 19/4/13)
So what do these Israel advocates want?
In their submission they state that a revamped law should target "public conduct that intentionally or recklessly incites racial hatred or racially harasses others." (And please note that they want "the publication of material on the Internet" included under the heading of "public conduct.")
"We do not," they stress, giving the game away, "advocate the criminal proscription of robust public debate on any topic, unless the manner of the debate descends to the level of such conduct."
Now don't you just love the proviso: unless the manner of the debate descends to the level of such conduct?
Since when, for dyed-in-the-wool political Zionists, has the honest defence of Palestinian rights ever not descended to the level of anti-Semitism?
Two aspects of their argument should give pause for concern:
The first is a reference to 'interpretation'. At one point in their submission they talk of a "slogan" being "interpreted as inciting people to exterminate Jews."
If BDS protesters were ever hauled into court, which I believe is the real agenda here, one can easily imagine what kind of interpretation would placed on their chant 'From the river to the sea/Palestine will be free'.
The second is a reference to 'perception'. "The vilificatory act may be perceived by the target person or group as extremely threatening."
So a Zionist alleging racial vilification need only assert that he feels threatened for the matter to end up in court?
The authors of the submission further state that "[t]he harm to specific minority groups who are the targets of vilificatory conduct goes well beyond merely 'offending' them. The harm is in the impairment of their ability to go about their daily lives with a sense of safety and security."
So, if a BDS protest outside a Max Brenner chocolate shop is enough to make 'Max' feel he's back in thirties Berlin with an impaired ability to go about his life with a sense of safety and security, then it's in the slammer with these BDS protesters, is it?
It is my fear that if the current legislation, revamped along such subjective lines, is used against BDS protesters, then a lot of good people could potentially be spending a lot of time in court, and possibly even in jail.
It is worth comparing the Israel lobbyists' nonsense with the submission of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, which argues that only "serious" racial vilification such as "action taken by certain individuals in the lead-up to the 2005 Cronulla Riots," should be the target of this law. In contrast with the kind of subjective elements proposed for inclusion in the legislation by the Zionist lobbyists, the CCL wants there to be an "objective element to the offence [of racial vilification] which references the likely result of the offending conduct," that is "where a breach of the peace is likely to ensue."
[*See my 15/4/13 post And the Real Agenda is... for material on the genesis of this inquiry.]
"On Yom Hashoah last week, Jews around the world commemorated what is arguably the most tragic example of the extreme consequences of racial vilification. That same day, a NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBOD) delegation - comprising former president David Knoll, CEO Vic Alhadeff and Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) executive director Peter Wertheim - was arguing that NSW's racial vilification laws are inadequate in front of a Legislative Council inquiry. Knoll and Wertheim, both lawyers, have extensive experience in dealing with racial vilification cases. 'We note that we make this presentation on the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the day each year, Yom Hashoah, that the Holocaust is remembered across the world,' Knoll told the committee, which was chaired by Member of the Legislative Council David Clarke... Using anti-Indian posters in shop windows as a practical example - echoing similar signs against Jews displayed in Nazi Germany - Knoll outlined how section 20D of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 currently makes it difficult for racial vilification cases to be prosecuted. 'Requiring proof of actual or likely intimidation or harassment, or of a direct connection between a threat and likely harm to a person or property, constitute - as a practical matter - an insurmountable obstacle to prosecution,' he explained." (Board fronts Racial Vilification Law inquiry, The Australian Jewish News, 19/4/13)
So what do these Israel advocates want?
In their submission they state that a revamped law should target "public conduct that intentionally or recklessly incites racial hatred or racially harasses others." (And please note that they want "the publication of material on the Internet" included under the heading of "public conduct.")
"We do not," they stress, giving the game away, "advocate the criminal proscription of robust public debate on any topic, unless the manner of the debate descends to the level of such conduct."
Now don't you just love the proviso: unless the manner of the debate descends to the level of such conduct?
Since when, for dyed-in-the-wool political Zionists, has the honest defence of Palestinian rights ever not descended to the level of anti-Semitism?
Two aspects of their argument should give pause for concern:
The first is a reference to 'interpretation'. At one point in their submission they talk of a "slogan" being "interpreted as inciting people to exterminate Jews."
If BDS protesters were ever hauled into court, which I believe is the real agenda here, one can easily imagine what kind of interpretation would placed on their chant 'From the river to the sea/Palestine will be free'.
The second is a reference to 'perception'. "The vilificatory act may be perceived by the target person or group as extremely threatening."
So a Zionist alleging racial vilification need only assert that he feels threatened for the matter to end up in court?
The authors of the submission further state that "[t]he harm to specific minority groups who are the targets of vilificatory conduct goes well beyond merely 'offending' them. The harm is in the impairment of their ability to go about their daily lives with a sense of safety and security."
So, if a BDS protest outside a Max Brenner chocolate shop is enough to make 'Max' feel he's back in thirties Berlin with an impaired ability to go about his life with a sense of safety and security, then it's in the slammer with these BDS protesters, is it?
It is my fear that if the current legislation, revamped along such subjective lines, is used against BDS protesters, then a lot of good people could potentially be spending a lot of time in court, and possibly even in jail.
It is worth comparing the Israel lobbyists' nonsense with the submission of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, which argues that only "serious" racial vilification such as "action taken by certain individuals in the lead-up to the 2005 Cronulla Riots," should be the target of this law. In contrast with the kind of subjective elements proposed for inclusion in the legislation by the Zionist lobbyists, the CCL wants there to be an "objective element to the offence [of racial vilification] which references the likely result of the offending conduct," that is "where a breach of the peace is likely to ensue."
[*See my 15/4/13 post And the Real Agenda is... for material on the genesis of this inquiry.]
Monday, April 15, 2013
And the Real Agenda Is...?
This will be my fourth post on this subject.*
Let me be clear:
If NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell declared for the very first time, at an Israel Independence Day function in April 2012, that a certain piece of legislation needed revamping, but later told a nosy journalist that the inspiration for said revamp came as a response to an instance of Muslim youth allegedly behaving badly in September 2012, then you'd probably be wondering what the real agenda behind the revamp was, right?
Here's the latest skerrick of information on the subject to filter down to us:
"A NSW parliamentary inquiry has been told that strengthening laws to make it easier to convict people for serious racism could restrict the democratic right to free speech. Current anti-discrimination laws have failed to result in any successful prosecutions since they were introduced in 1989, despite more than 27 public complaints about alleged breaches. Premier Barry O'Farrell launched an inquiry last year to examine whether the laws are too restrictive and should be broadened beyond the focus on physical harm. Simon Breheny, from the Institute of Public Affairs, said the law was appropriate, however it should not be expanded to catch any form of conduct less than specific threats of physical violence." (Sydney Morning Herald, 9/4/13)
[*See my posts Where's This All Going? (14/1/13); A Matter of Motive (27/1/13) and Not So Fast, Baruch O'Farrell (29/1/13)]
Let me be clear:
If NSW Premier Baruch O'Farrell declared for the very first time, at an Israel Independence Day function in April 2012, that a certain piece of legislation needed revamping, but later told a nosy journalist that the inspiration for said revamp came as a response to an instance of Muslim youth allegedly behaving badly in September 2012, then you'd probably be wondering what the real agenda behind the revamp was, right?
Here's the latest skerrick of information on the subject to filter down to us:
"A NSW parliamentary inquiry has been told that strengthening laws to make it easier to convict people for serious racism could restrict the democratic right to free speech. Current anti-discrimination laws have failed to result in any successful prosecutions since they were introduced in 1989, despite more than 27 public complaints about alleged breaches. Premier Barry O'Farrell launched an inquiry last year to examine whether the laws are too restrictive and should be broadened beyond the focus on physical harm. Simon Breheny, from the Institute of Public Affairs, said the law was appropriate, however it should not be expanded to catch any form of conduct less than specific threats of physical violence." (Sydney Morning Herald, 9/4/13)
[*See my posts Where's This All Going? (14/1/13); A Matter of Motive (27/1/13) and Not So Fast, Baruch O'Farrell (29/1/13)]
Monday, April 8, 2013
Doing the Donkey* in the NSW Knesset 12
On the speech of of The Hon. Trevor Khan, National Party, in the NSW Legislative Assembly, arising out of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel (PFoI) "study mission" 'debate' of March 14:
Trev's a no-nonsense man, bless him. Back in 2011 when his MLC colleagues were 'debating' BDS in the Upper House, he dismissed BDS protesters as a bunch of ratbags,* and this time around, he's given the whole bloody Parliamentary Friends of Anywhere the big thumbs down:
"I have made a deliberate decision not to be a member of the NSW PFoI, the NSW PFo Lebanon or any group in that regard. In my view, the issues of the Middle East are extraordinarily complex and it is impossible to be a member of one group without offending the other groups. As I have said in other circumstances, my concern is that we live in a liberal democracy and a melting pot of cultures. All cultures must be respected in our country, whether it is in respect of this conflict or the conflict in my grandfather's country, India. If we bring those disputes to Australia we risk bringing upon ourselves a nightmare of ethnic and religious disputes that we will always regret and that has been reflected in part in some of the debate today."
Trev reckons that Max Brenner bloke's got a lot to answer for:
"I remember standing here dealing with the famous issue of Max Brenner and The Greens' passion in that respect. One can only be left appalled with regards to the hysteria that he is capable of bringing to a debate simply because of some bizarre political reason."
But hey, Shaoquett Moselmane's a top bloke:
"The passion The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane brings to this debate is different. He is to be congratulated on the passion he brings both to the broader ethnic community, and not just the Christians or Muslims."
Alas, despite his down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach, Trev still seems clueless when it comes to the mob who are really stirring the ethnic and religious pot in the NSW Knesset:
"I pay tribute to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies for encouraging and assisting this tour to go ahead..."
Be that as it may, the absolute final word fell to fellow Nat and mover of the original motion, Rick Colless:
Having taken the plunge and chugalugged the Zionist Kool-Aid like a schoolie on a bender in Bali, Colless' reply lays bare the truly shocking mental price he's paid for such foolishness:
"The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane said that what was originally Palestine is now Israel. As he would know, originally Palestine includes all of Jordan, so why are the Palestinians not forcing themselves back into Jordan? Most Jordanian people are of Palestinian origin. There is more to the story than simply saying that Israel has taken their land. The honourable member made reference to the Gaza Strip. The 2006 election gave Hamas control of Gaza and the Jews and Christians living there left because they knew what would happen. Some 18 months later, Hamas threw about 600 Fatah people off roofs and killed them. All of these issues must be considered."
Where does one even begin with this guy?
Needless to say, the NSW Knesset being the NSW Knesset, the motion was put and resolved in the affirmative.
To sum up, although the subject of Palestine/Israel has cropped up before in state politics, this time around we seem to be witnessing a concerted move by the Israel lobby to achieve the kind of full spectrum dominance, to borrow the American military term, it already takes for granted in the federal sphere.
I've already marshaled much of the supporting evidence in my 5/8/12 post Israel Now Core NSW Government Business, but here I go again:
Under Baruch O'Farrell's regime we've so far seen:
1) A threat to sack the pro-BDS Marrickville Council in 2011.
2) The inauguration of a Liberal Friends of Israel in August 2012, part of whose activities reportedly involve "intelligence and policy briefings."
3) The further inauguration of a Parliamentary Friends of Israel.
4) The announcement, at a June 2012 Israel Independence Day function, of the formation of a parliamentary committee to revamp NSW's anti-vilification laws. (With a view to criminalising anti-Zionism, BDS?) Note that he also swore, at the same function, to "reaffirm his unwavering commitment to Israel."
5) NSW Police trying (but failing) to prevent a Nakba march taking place in the NSW Supreme Court in May last year (See my 13/5/12 post NSW Police Seek to Can Nakba Commemoration).
6) Jewish Board of Deputies seminars for the NSW Police (See my 28/10/11 post Israel 101 for Cops).
7) The great BDS 'debate' of September 2011, the subject of my Witches Brew series.
8) The January 2013 PFoI 'study tour' to Israel and resulting 'debate', the subject of this Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset series.
9) The holding of functions in state parliament occasioned by events in the Jewish religious calendar. (For example, a November 2012 pre-Chanukah function in which the premier revealed that his name was the equivalent of Baruch in Hebrew.)
I rest my case.
[*See my 2/3/13 post Doing the Donkey.]
Trev's a no-nonsense man, bless him. Back in 2011 when his MLC colleagues were 'debating' BDS in the Upper House, he dismissed BDS protesters as a bunch of ratbags,* and this time around, he's given the whole bloody Parliamentary Friends of Anywhere the big thumbs down:
"I have made a deliberate decision not to be a member of the NSW PFoI, the NSW PFo Lebanon or any group in that regard. In my view, the issues of the Middle East are extraordinarily complex and it is impossible to be a member of one group without offending the other groups. As I have said in other circumstances, my concern is that we live in a liberal democracy and a melting pot of cultures. All cultures must be respected in our country, whether it is in respect of this conflict or the conflict in my grandfather's country, India. If we bring those disputes to Australia we risk bringing upon ourselves a nightmare of ethnic and religious disputes that we will always regret and that has been reflected in part in some of the debate today."
Trev reckons that Max Brenner bloke's got a lot to answer for:
"I remember standing here dealing with the famous issue of Max Brenner and The Greens' passion in that respect. One can only be left appalled with regards to the hysteria that he is capable of bringing to a debate simply because of some bizarre political reason."
But hey, Shaoquett Moselmane's a top bloke:
"The passion The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane brings to this debate is different. He is to be congratulated on the passion he brings both to the broader ethnic community, and not just the Christians or Muslims."
Alas, despite his down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach, Trev still seems clueless when it comes to the mob who are really stirring the ethnic and religious pot in the NSW Knesset:
"I pay tribute to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies for encouraging and assisting this tour to go ahead..."
Be that as it may, the absolute final word fell to fellow Nat and mover of the original motion, Rick Colless:
Having taken the plunge and chugalugged the Zionist Kool-Aid like a schoolie on a bender in Bali, Colless' reply lays bare the truly shocking mental price he's paid for such foolishness:
"The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane said that what was originally Palestine is now Israel. As he would know, originally Palestine includes all of Jordan, so why are the Palestinians not forcing themselves back into Jordan? Most Jordanian people are of Palestinian origin. There is more to the story than simply saying that Israel has taken their land. The honourable member made reference to the Gaza Strip. The 2006 election gave Hamas control of Gaza and the Jews and Christians living there left because they knew what would happen. Some 18 months later, Hamas threw about 600 Fatah people off roofs and killed them. All of these issues must be considered."
Where does one even begin with this guy?
Needless to say, the NSW Knesset being the NSW Knesset, the motion was put and resolved in the affirmative.
To sum up, although the subject of Palestine/Israel has cropped up before in state politics, this time around we seem to be witnessing a concerted move by the Israel lobby to achieve the kind of full spectrum dominance, to borrow the American military term, it already takes for granted in the federal sphere.
I've already marshaled much of the supporting evidence in my 5/8/12 post Israel Now Core NSW Government Business, but here I go again:
Under Baruch O'Farrell's regime we've so far seen:
1) A threat to sack the pro-BDS Marrickville Council in 2011.
2) The inauguration of a Liberal Friends of Israel in August 2012, part of whose activities reportedly involve "intelligence and policy briefings."
3) The further inauguration of a Parliamentary Friends of Israel.
4) The announcement, at a June 2012 Israel Independence Day function, of the formation of a parliamentary committee to revamp NSW's anti-vilification laws. (With a view to criminalising anti-Zionism, BDS?) Note that he also swore, at the same function, to "reaffirm his unwavering commitment to Israel."
5) NSW Police trying (but failing) to prevent a Nakba march taking place in the NSW Supreme Court in May last year (See my 13/5/12 post NSW Police Seek to Can Nakba Commemoration).
6) Jewish Board of Deputies seminars for the NSW Police (See my 28/10/11 post Israel 101 for Cops).
7) The great BDS 'debate' of September 2011, the subject of my Witches Brew series.
8) The January 2013 PFoI 'study tour' to Israel and resulting 'debate', the subject of this Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset series.
9) The holding of functions in state parliament occasioned by events in the Jewish religious calendar. (For example, a November 2012 pre-Chanukah function in which the premier revealed that his name was the equivalent of Baruch in Hebrew.)
I rest my case.
[*See my 2/3/13 post Doing the Donkey.]
Monday, March 11, 2013
Besties
"Tony Abbott and his team are ready to govern, according to voters... The Sunday Telegraph's exclusive Galaxy poll reveals 59% of voters think he's ready." (Abbott is ready say voters, The Sunday Telegraph, 10/3/13)
"Macquarie Radio's 2GB has retained the title of Sydney's most popular station... Morning host Ray Hadley led 2GB's dominant performance, racking up total audience share of 18%." (Ray Hadley remains Sydney's most listened to radio broadcaster as 2GB tops first ratings result of 2012, AAP, 23/2/13)
Abbott and Hadley, kings of the polls and Sydney's airwaves respectively, are good mates:
"... Mr Abbott had lunch yesterday at Penrith Panthers with his daughters, 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley and friends from his days at Emu Plains as a trainee priest."* (Our leaders say it's not an election campaign, Gemma Jones & Simon Black, The Daily Telegraph, 8/3/13)
So, apart from their popularity with the punters, what do Abbott, the prime ministerial wannabe and Hadley, the foul-mouthed shock jock, have in common? Well, a love of Muslims would have to be high on the agenda. Here's Abbott on a mall crawl:
"Bailed up by an elderly woman at a shopping centre, Abbott experienced this exchange: Old Woman: I want to be in a country that's not run by Muslims. Tony Abbott: I understand what you're saying ma'am, and as I said the important thing is to make the borders secure and that way people will be happier that the right people are coming to our country." (Abbott's Muslim comment shows the need for a Human Rights Act, Mark Blumer, crikey.com, 10/3/13)
And here's Hadley chatting on air with his bonza mate Baruch O'Farrell, Premier of NSW** about those Muslim protesters last September***:
Ray Hadley: Why the bloody hell weren't they arrested on Saturday, Premier? Barry O'Farrell: Good question, Ray. I know some were arrested on Saturday. Ray Hadley: Someone in the police hierarchy needs to grow a backbone. I have spoken to any number of operational police officers in the last 24 hours who were there on Saturday. They wanted to go in after them, but they were pulled back out of it. They wanted to get them - not just with their dogs - they wanted to get in there, arrest them, handcuff them, put them in the back of vans, but they kept being told, 'No, no, no, don't do that, stay away'. (Protests against anti-Islam film flare worldwide, Brendan Trembath, abc.net.au, 17/9/12)
And Abbott of the simian gait and Hadley the hulk are both blessed with the common touch. Here's young Tony winning friends and influencing people:
"Tony Abbott and the woman who accused him of indecent assault were both passionate political activists. Helen Wilson was a trainee teacher and student newspaper editor at Ku-ring-gai College of Advanced Education... At the more cosmopolitan Sydney University, Mr Abbott burst like a snapping terrier into student politics. He took on left-wing students in aggressive battles for positions on the student council and was a spear-carrier in a push to dissolve the powerful Australian Union of Students (AUS). It was the late 1970s, and Mr Abbott and others who would later become prominent public figures were cutting their political teeth... Political parties, and influential anti-communist groups such as the powerful National Civic Council, were active recruiters at a student level. Never before or since had university students held such political appeal - or power... The end result, for Mr Abbott and Ms Wilson, was a sensational charge of sexual assault and a date in North Sydney court.
"An investigation by The Sun-Herald into Mr Abbott's controversial student days reveals that he spawned many more enemies than friends during those heady days. 'He was a very offensive, a particularly obnoxious sort of guy,' said Barbara Schaffer, a Sydney teacher who was at Sydney University with Mr Abbott. 'He was very aggressive, particularly towards women and homosexuals'. Published university reports show that after a narrow defeat in the university senate elections in 1976 - Mr Abbott's first year of an economics-law degree - he kicked in a glass panel door. In the ensuing two years, he was repeatedly accused in the university paper of being a right-wing thug and bully who used sexist and racist tactics to intimidate his opponents. Lawyer David Patch, who is a Labor candidate in the federal seat of Wentworth, recalls an AUS conference in the mid-70s which had initiated a special 'women's room' for females to discuss political issues. 'Tony used to stand outside the women's room with his right-wing mates and loudly tell sexist and homophobic jokes,' he said.
"Another ex-student, Peter Murphy, who described Mr Abbott as a 'warrior on the Right' believes he was the one most responsible for creating the atmosphere of terror that reigned on campus in 1977. In August 1977 students on every NSW campus were preparing to vote in a referendum on the future of the AUS. That's when Ms Wilson's and Mr Abbott's paths crossed. Both were addressing a rally of students, held in the Ku-ring-gai campus dining room. The incident that prompted Ms Wilson's accusation occurred while she spoke. When it came to court the following January, Mr Abbott was flanked by his parents, a legal team including a QC, and 7 witnesses. Advocates for Ms Wilson are to this day flabbergasted at the firepower Mr Abbott wheeled in, which left their under-represented side wilting.
"The incident didn't seem to break Mr Abbott's stride, although his second tilt at election to the Student Representative Council (SRC} - which was happening at the same heady time - ended in tears. Barbara Ramjan, now a social worker, who defeated Mr Abbott for the SRC presidency that year, remembers the night of September 7, 1977 when officer elections were held. Two letters she wrote then to Honi Soit, a student newspaper, outlined her version of the evening. One letter described how throughout the evening Mr Abbott and his mates, including a dentistry student, harassed and insulted the women standing for election. Outside the meeting, one woman, 'was confronted by J [the dentistry student], who decided to 'have a bit of fun' and exposed his genitalia to her as well as urinating against a tree,' Ms Ramjan wrote. 'He dropped his pants [perhaps for Mr Abbott's entertainment, he seemed highly amused] and bowed in Abbott's direction, flashing his bum towards the woman,' the letter said. In letters of reply, Mr Abbott compared the accusations to Nazi propaganda and said that the 'facts' presented were 'bare-faced lies or gross distortions.'
"Another letter by students Michelle Martin, Anne Woods, Garry Bennett and Ross Vines complained the meeting had been 'characterised by an unending stream of sexist incidents and attacks by right-wing representatives and their cohorts' as well as a 'racist attack against the newly elected ethnic relations officer Takis Constantopedos." (Fellow students recall a champion of the right, Kerry-Anne Walsh & Candace Sutton, The Sun-Herald, 18/7/04)
And here's the easy going, happy-go-lucky Hadley in action:
"Ray Hadley picked on the wrong guy. Fed up with the radio host's constant bullying and physical threats, Mark Piepers did a rare thing: he stood up. When Hadley threatened Piepers physically, the imposing broadcaster must have thought he had an easy target. Like many of Hadley's targets, Piepers, at 175cm, appeared no match for the host's hulking frame. And given Piepers' relatively lowly position as 2UE's overnight newsreader, Hadley wielded significant power over him. But there was one thing Hadley did not know about the newsreader. 'He didn't know any of my boxing or martial arts history,' Piepers said.
"Piepers has decided to speak on the record about Hadley's serial bullying to stand up for dozens of colleagues who have been too scared to tell their stories. Hadley's bullying and intimidation of junior colleagues is an open secret in the radio industry but until recently has been hidden from public view.
"The argument between Hadley and Piepers began one morning in 2001. Hadley was driving into work listening to the 2UE news bulletin. Pieper's made the mistake - in Hadley's eyes - of replacing some two-day old rugby league scores with fresh AFL results. The phone rang. It was Hadley. 'I heard the f... more times in a sentence than I'd ever heard anyone put together before,' Piepers said. But Hadley was not finished. When he arrived at the office he marched up to Pieper's desk and continued his tirade in the middle of the newsroom. If Hadley was abusing anyone else, the incident would have ended there.. But Piepers was tired of the bullying. 'I went into the sports department... and said, 'Ray, that's not acceptable to talk to me in that fashion. Then [Hadley] said: 'If you don't f... off now I'm gonna punch you through that f...ing wall.'
"Colleagues of Piepers say this was not Hadley's wisest move. An article in the Australian martial arts magazine Blitz describes Piepers as having trained in 'close-quarter fighting and ambush drills.' He is an amateur boxer with skills in jujitsu, karate and kung fu. 'Once he'd threatened to punch me out... I kept telling him, 'Mate, step up to the plate,' Piepers said. 'I don't get threatened like that and take it lying down.' But 'lying down' is exactly how Hadley's juniors endure his bullying. Hadley's behaviour has been protected for decades by successive management teams at 2UE and now 2GB.
"... Last month Hadley's bullying was exposed in newspapers after a younger colleague secretly recorded one of Hadley's vicious tirades on his phone. Managing director Rob Loewenthal suspended the top-rating host for the bullying incident, but instead of accepting his punishment Hadley called his friend John Singleton, the network's majority owner, who overruled Loewenthal's decision and ensured the broadcaster remained on air. Since reporting the story, Fairfax Media has been contacted by more than a dozen of Hadley's current and former colleagues. Most spoke off the record because they fear retribution. According to numerous sources, Hadley often demands employees be fired for mistakes as minor as mispronouncing a suburb's name or misreading a football score. This is why Piepers has decided to speak out. 'Hadley's been allowed to get away with this for so long,' he said. His account has been confirmed by former 2UE host Mike Carlton and 3 others who worked at the station at the time.
"By the time Hadley was threatening to punch Piepers through a wall, an audience had gathered near the sports department. A witness recalls Pieper saying to Hadley: 'Let's go, baby.' Hadley 'very quickly' sat down. Hadley did not respond to Fairfax Media's requests for an interview." (How I refused to back down to Ray Hadley, Jonathan Swan, Sydney Morning Herald, 10/3/13)
[*For another dinner date with Tony, see my 27/4/12 post Dinner With Tony; **On Hadley's too-close for comfort links with the NSW Police & Government, see How the NSW Police helped Ray Hadley, Peter Wicks, independentaustralia.net, 6/3/13; ***On the so-called Muslim riots, see my 23/9/12 post NSW Police Riot, September 15, 2012.]
"Macquarie Radio's 2GB has retained the title of Sydney's most popular station... Morning host Ray Hadley led 2GB's dominant performance, racking up total audience share of 18%." (Ray Hadley remains Sydney's most listened to radio broadcaster as 2GB tops first ratings result of 2012, AAP, 23/2/13)
Abbott and Hadley, kings of the polls and Sydney's airwaves respectively, are good mates:
"... Mr Abbott had lunch yesterday at Penrith Panthers with his daughters, 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley and friends from his days at Emu Plains as a trainee priest."* (Our leaders say it's not an election campaign, Gemma Jones & Simon Black, The Daily Telegraph, 8/3/13)
So, apart from their popularity with the punters, what do Abbott, the prime ministerial wannabe and Hadley, the foul-mouthed shock jock, have in common? Well, a love of Muslims would have to be high on the agenda. Here's Abbott on a mall crawl:
"Bailed up by an elderly woman at a shopping centre, Abbott experienced this exchange: Old Woman: I want to be in a country that's not run by Muslims. Tony Abbott: I understand what you're saying ma'am, and as I said the important thing is to make the borders secure and that way people will be happier that the right people are coming to our country." (Abbott's Muslim comment shows the need for a Human Rights Act, Mark Blumer, crikey.com, 10/3/13)
And here's Hadley chatting on air with his bonza mate Baruch O'Farrell, Premier of NSW** about those Muslim protesters last September***:
Ray Hadley: Why the bloody hell weren't they arrested on Saturday, Premier? Barry O'Farrell: Good question, Ray. I know some were arrested on Saturday. Ray Hadley: Someone in the police hierarchy needs to grow a backbone. I have spoken to any number of operational police officers in the last 24 hours who were there on Saturday. They wanted to go in after them, but they were pulled back out of it. They wanted to get them - not just with their dogs - they wanted to get in there, arrest them, handcuff them, put them in the back of vans, but they kept being told, 'No, no, no, don't do that, stay away'. (Protests against anti-Islam film flare worldwide, Brendan Trembath, abc.net.au, 17/9/12)
And Abbott of the simian gait and Hadley the hulk are both blessed with the common touch. Here's young Tony winning friends and influencing people:
"Tony Abbott and the woman who accused him of indecent assault were both passionate political activists. Helen Wilson was a trainee teacher and student newspaper editor at Ku-ring-gai College of Advanced Education... At the more cosmopolitan Sydney University, Mr Abbott burst like a snapping terrier into student politics. He took on left-wing students in aggressive battles for positions on the student council and was a spear-carrier in a push to dissolve the powerful Australian Union of Students (AUS). It was the late 1970s, and Mr Abbott and others who would later become prominent public figures were cutting their political teeth... Political parties, and influential anti-communist groups such as the powerful National Civic Council, were active recruiters at a student level. Never before or since had university students held such political appeal - or power... The end result, for Mr Abbott and Ms Wilson, was a sensational charge of sexual assault and a date in North Sydney court.
"An investigation by The Sun-Herald into Mr Abbott's controversial student days reveals that he spawned many more enemies than friends during those heady days. 'He was a very offensive, a particularly obnoxious sort of guy,' said Barbara Schaffer, a Sydney teacher who was at Sydney University with Mr Abbott. 'He was very aggressive, particularly towards women and homosexuals'. Published university reports show that after a narrow defeat in the university senate elections in 1976 - Mr Abbott's first year of an economics-law degree - he kicked in a glass panel door. In the ensuing two years, he was repeatedly accused in the university paper of being a right-wing thug and bully who used sexist and racist tactics to intimidate his opponents. Lawyer David Patch, who is a Labor candidate in the federal seat of Wentworth, recalls an AUS conference in the mid-70s which had initiated a special 'women's room' for females to discuss political issues. 'Tony used to stand outside the women's room with his right-wing mates and loudly tell sexist and homophobic jokes,' he said.
"Another ex-student, Peter Murphy, who described Mr Abbott as a 'warrior on the Right' believes he was the one most responsible for creating the atmosphere of terror that reigned on campus in 1977. In August 1977 students on every NSW campus were preparing to vote in a referendum on the future of the AUS. That's when Ms Wilson's and Mr Abbott's paths crossed. Both were addressing a rally of students, held in the Ku-ring-gai campus dining room. The incident that prompted Ms Wilson's accusation occurred while she spoke. When it came to court the following January, Mr Abbott was flanked by his parents, a legal team including a QC, and 7 witnesses. Advocates for Ms Wilson are to this day flabbergasted at the firepower Mr Abbott wheeled in, which left their under-represented side wilting.
"The incident didn't seem to break Mr Abbott's stride, although his second tilt at election to the Student Representative Council (SRC} - which was happening at the same heady time - ended in tears. Barbara Ramjan, now a social worker, who defeated Mr Abbott for the SRC presidency that year, remembers the night of September 7, 1977 when officer elections were held. Two letters she wrote then to Honi Soit, a student newspaper, outlined her version of the evening. One letter described how throughout the evening Mr Abbott and his mates, including a dentistry student, harassed and insulted the women standing for election. Outside the meeting, one woman, 'was confronted by J [the dentistry student], who decided to 'have a bit of fun' and exposed his genitalia to her as well as urinating against a tree,' Ms Ramjan wrote. 'He dropped his pants [perhaps for Mr Abbott's entertainment, he seemed highly amused] and bowed in Abbott's direction, flashing his bum towards the woman,' the letter said. In letters of reply, Mr Abbott compared the accusations to Nazi propaganda and said that the 'facts' presented were 'bare-faced lies or gross distortions.'
"Another letter by students Michelle Martin, Anne Woods, Garry Bennett and Ross Vines complained the meeting had been 'characterised by an unending stream of sexist incidents and attacks by right-wing representatives and their cohorts' as well as a 'racist attack against the newly elected ethnic relations officer Takis Constantopedos." (Fellow students recall a champion of the right, Kerry-Anne Walsh & Candace Sutton, The Sun-Herald, 18/7/04)
And here's the easy going, happy-go-lucky Hadley in action:
"Ray Hadley picked on the wrong guy. Fed up with the radio host's constant bullying and physical threats, Mark Piepers did a rare thing: he stood up. When Hadley threatened Piepers physically, the imposing broadcaster must have thought he had an easy target. Like many of Hadley's targets, Piepers, at 175cm, appeared no match for the host's hulking frame. And given Piepers' relatively lowly position as 2UE's overnight newsreader, Hadley wielded significant power over him. But there was one thing Hadley did not know about the newsreader. 'He didn't know any of my boxing or martial arts history,' Piepers said.
"Piepers has decided to speak on the record about Hadley's serial bullying to stand up for dozens of colleagues who have been too scared to tell their stories. Hadley's bullying and intimidation of junior colleagues is an open secret in the radio industry but until recently has been hidden from public view.
"The argument between Hadley and Piepers began one morning in 2001. Hadley was driving into work listening to the 2UE news bulletin. Pieper's made the mistake - in Hadley's eyes - of replacing some two-day old rugby league scores with fresh AFL results. The phone rang. It was Hadley. 'I heard the f... more times in a sentence than I'd ever heard anyone put together before,' Piepers said. But Hadley was not finished. When he arrived at the office he marched up to Pieper's desk and continued his tirade in the middle of the newsroom. If Hadley was abusing anyone else, the incident would have ended there.. But Piepers was tired of the bullying. 'I went into the sports department... and said, 'Ray, that's not acceptable to talk to me in that fashion. Then [Hadley] said: 'If you don't f... off now I'm gonna punch you through that f...ing wall.'
"Colleagues of Piepers say this was not Hadley's wisest move. An article in the Australian martial arts magazine Blitz describes Piepers as having trained in 'close-quarter fighting and ambush drills.' He is an amateur boxer with skills in jujitsu, karate and kung fu. 'Once he'd threatened to punch me out... I kept telling him, 'Mate, step up to the plate,' Piepers said. 'I don't get threatened like that and take it lying down.' But 'lying down' is exactly how Hadley's juniors endure his bullying. Hadley's behaviour has been protected for decades by successive management teams at 2UE and now 2GB.
"... Last month Hadley's bullying was exposed in newspapers after a younger colleague secretly recorded one of Hadley's vicious tirades on his phone. Managing director Rob Loewenthal suspended the top-rating host for the bullying incident, but instead of accepting his punishment Hadley called his friend John Singleton, the network's majority owner, who overruled Loewenthal's decision and ensured the broadcaster remained on air. Since reporting the story, Fairfax Media has been contacted by more than a dozen of Hadley's current and former colleagues. Most spoke off the record because they fear retribution. According to numerous sources, Hadley often demands employees be fired for mistakes as minor as mispronouncing a suburb's name or misreading a football score. This is why Piepers has decided to speak out. 'Hadley's been allowed to get away with this for so long,' he said. His account has been confirmed by former 2UE host Mike Carlton and 3 others who worked at the station at the time.
"By the time Hadley was threatening to punch Piepers through a wall, an audience had gathered near the sports department. A witness recalls Pieper saying to Hadley: 'Let's go, baby.' Hadley 'very quickly' sat down. Hadley did not respond to Fairfax Media's requests for an interview." (How I refused to back down to Ray Hadley, Jonathan Swan, Sydney Morning Herald, 10/3/13)
[*For another dinner date with Tony, see my 27/4/12 post Dinner With Tony; **On Hadley's too-close for comfort links with the NSW Police & Government, see How the NSW Police helped Ray Hadley, Peter Wicks, independentaustralia.net, 6/3/13; ***On the so-called Muslim riots, see my 23/9/12 post NSW Police Riot, September 15, 2012.]
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