How Good is US/European Imperialism

Jeff Widener is "the American photographer who shot the iconic image of a man standing in front of tanks at the 1989 Tiananmen protests says it's time for the Chinese government to come clean about the bloody events of 30 years ago." ('Tell the truth about Tiananmen', AP/Sydney Morning Herald, 3/6/19)

Who could disagree? But it's the following commentary of Mr Widener's that's prompted this particular post:

"'The United States and European countries have made mistakes throughout history and they've reconciled those problems,' Widener says." (ibid)

Let us deal first with the obvious issue of German reparations to Jewish victims of the Nazi holocaust, shall we?

According to US scholar Norman Finkelstein, in his groundbreaking work The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering (2000), "The postwar German government provided compensation to Jews who had been in ghettos or camps," (p 81). He went on to clarify as follows: "The German government sought to compensate Jewish victims with three different agreements signed in 1952. Individual claimants received payments according to the terms of the Law on Indemnification... A separate agreement with Israel subsidized the absorption and rehabilitation of several hundred thousand Jewish refugees. The German government also negotiated at the same time a financial settlement with the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, an umbrella of all major Jewish organizations including the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Bnai Brith, the Joint Distribution Committee, and so forth." (pp 84-85)

Finkelstein then points out that, despite "the final accord [calling] on the Conference to use the monies 'for the relief, rehabilitation on resettlement of Jewish victims' (p 86), "The Claims Conference promptly annulled the agreement. In a flagrant breach of its letter and spirit, the Conference earmarked the monies not for the rehabilitation of Jewish victims but rather for the rehabilitation of Jewish communities... Large sums were circuitously channeled to Jewish communities in the Arab world and facilitated Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe. They also subsidized cultural undertakings such as Holocaust museums and university chairs in Holocaust studies, as well as Yad Vashem showboat pensioning 'righteous Gentiles." (pp 86-87)

Now, back to Widener's assertion. If he could please provide us with details of all of the other US and European "mistakes throughout history," which have been "reconciled," I'll eat my proverbial hat.

Add to the stench of hypocrisy, the abysmal ignorance of these times, ironically referred to as 'received wisdom', and you've just about summed up where we are today.

(I note that, unlike Murdoch's Australian, the non/less-ideological account (Silencing the history of Tiananmen, Kirsty Needham) of the Tiananmen massacre featured in the Sydney Morning Herald of 1/6/19, cites China's Red Cross casualty figures as "likely around 2,600" killed.)

Some Massacres are More Equal than Others

Like Orwell's well-known adage that 'some animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,' it would appear that some massacres, at least in the eyes of the Murdoch's Australian, are also more equal than others.

This could be said of Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre as featured in Saturday's Australian. Forgive me for being cynical, and without, of course, detracting in any way from the gravity of the Tiananmen massacre itself, but I think it is safe to conclude that its commemoration in The Australian arises not from any real, heartfelt sorrow at the fate of its victims, but stems rather from the paper's enthusiastic embrace of Trump's anti-Chinese demonisation, rhetoric, and sabre-rattling:

"The first contingent of troops entered the square at about 1am on June 4. Live rounds were shot at civilians there and at other areas of central Beijing. No official death toll has been released but estimates range from several hundred to several thousand. Following the military engagement, up to 10,000 people were arrested - including most of the leaders of the protests who had refused to or were unable to flee China. Several dozen were later executed.

"The most famous, and poignant, incident to reach world attention featured 'tank man' - a lone, bespectacled figure carrying a shopping bag who walked in front of a contingent of 13 tanks that were driving west from the square on June 5. He moved sideways to try and speak to the soldiers inside before being pulled away by young men who emerged from the watching crowd - whether to rescue him or arrest him after emerging from the nearby Public Security Ministry remains unknown, as is his fate.

"Six days after the army cleared Tiananmen, Australian prime minister Bob Hawke shook with uncontrollable emotion, weeping as he addressed the huge crowd, including hundreds of Chinese students, gathered in Parliament House for a memorial service."(The ghost of Tiananmen still haunts, Rowan Callick, The Australian, 1/6/19)

But note this also:

"Renowned Sinologist John Fitzgerald... tells The Weekend Australian that while the students had an immediate impact on Australia's cities, their long-term contributions were probably more important: 'They brought Shanghai and Beijing dialects on to city streets, swelled the congregations in Pentacostal churches... " (ibid)

So why am I drawing attention to the Australian's coverage of Tiananmen?

In a word, Gaza.

The WHO estimates the still ongoing Israeli killings of Palestinians along the border fence from 30/3/18-30/3/19 at 277.

Before that came:

Operation Cast Lead (2008-09) saw the massacre of 14,000 Palestinians.
Operation Pillar of Defence (2012) saw the massacre of 100 Palestinians.
Operation Protective Edge (2014) saw the massacre of 2,200 Palestinians.

And before those came:

Operation Rainbow (2004) (with 59 Palestinian deaths accord. to HRW).
Operation Days of Penitence (2004) (with 133 Palestinian deaths accord. to B'Tselem).
Operation Summer Rains (2006) (with 416 Palestinian deaths accord. to B'Tselem).
Operation Autumn Clouds (2006) (with 53 Palestinian deaths (?)).
Operation Hot Winter (2008) (with 54 Palestinian deaths accord. to B'Tselem).

And before those came:

Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank (2002) (with 497 Palestinian deaths accord. to the UN Secretary General).

All of the above within this century.

No need, even to cite the casualties of the First Intifada (1987-1993) estimated, for the record, at between 1,162 -1,204 Palestinian deaths.

And so I wonder, rhetorically, has any Australian politician ever cried publicly for these Palestinian victims of Israeli guns, rockets, tanks, planes and warships? Have any ever wept in private?

Is there not a rank stench of hypocrisy in all of this?

'If Michael Danby Had His Way... '

Labor's shadow minister for Israel, Michael Danby, is beside himself that former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr allegedly prodded Labor senators to ask questions in parliament about the prime minister's adviser on China:

"In response to the story on Monday about Carr enlisting Labor senators to ask questions about Mr Garnaut, Labor MP Michael Danby hit out at the former minister, saying his 'false-flag intervention gives chutzpah a new meaning'* 'Bob Carr is a pro-Beijing extremist paid by the pro-Beijing think tank, Australia China Relations Institute (ACRI),' Mr Danby said." (Turnbull's adviser targeted by spies, Nick McKenzie, Sydney Morning Herald, 30/5/18)

Typically, though, when it comes to Australian politicians travelling to Israel, being 'briefed' by God knows who while there, and returning home to 'push' the government to adopt Israel's every foreign policy whim and wish, Danby is noticeably silent:

"As a result of [senator Leyonjelm's] briefings on how Australian money for the United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) is spent, Leyonjelm says he intends to push the government to cease funding the organisation." (See my previous post.)

I'll leave the last word on Danby to Bob Carr: "If Michael Danby had his way we'd be running a Cold War with China, the RAAF would be bombing Tehran and the Australian defence forces would be manning the Gaza fence." (Turnbull's adviser targeted...)

[*Actually, I thought Danby had given chutzpah a whole new meaning when, in 2016, he obtained sick leave from his parliamentary duties only to be found out (by colleagues concerned about his health) attending a conference in Israel. See my 20/10/17 post Michael Danby's Magical Mystery Tour.]

Those with 'Foreign Policy Fixations'

Bob Carr on political donations from those with - ahem - "foreign policy fixations":

"Sooner or later Canberra is going to decide to reset its relationship with Beijing... Here are seven things that can make it possible... Two, on foreign donations... Ban those from any source that may reasonably be thought to be seeking to influence Australian foreign policy, even from Australian citizens who may have foreign policy fixations." (Seven steps to ease fears over dragon at our door, The Australian, 12/12/17)

'Acceptable Opinion': The China Lobby

I love word association games, don't you? Imagine you're engaged in one with an Australian journalist and you said, 'lobby'. What's he/she going to say?

Why, 'China' of course:

"In a 2015 interview with the China Economic Net website... Senator Dastyari is quoted as extending his 'warm congratulations' to the Chinese people on the anniversary of the 'Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War'. Swinburne University China expert John Fitzgerald said the phrase... was a 'loaded term'. Dr Fitzgerald claimed Senator Dastyari... must be speaking from dot points drafted by someone with close links to the Chinese communist party or government - a minder or go-between'... " (Dastyari under pressure as Chinese interview surfaces, James Massola & Nick McKenzie, Sydney Morning Herald, 5/12/17)

Apparently, the hordes of Labor and Liberal politicians who flock to Israel lobby-organised 'Independence Day' gigs and there declare their undying love for all things Israel simply aren't on our journalists' radar. Presumably, that's because, when it comes to Israel, no Israel lobby-generated PR dot points are required as our politicians always speak straight from the heart!

Now, surprise, surprise here's another piece on China - same paper, same edition:

"As New Zealand sinologist Anne-Marie Brady of Canterbury University has written: 'The Chinese government's foreign influence activities have accelerated under Xi. The focus of media attention has been on Australia, but the People's Republic of China's attempts to guide, buy, or coerce political influence abroad are widespread.' But why?... 'At its core,' says an American expert on China's influence operations, Peter Mattis, 'to survive, the party has to manipulate the ideas around it. What questions are asked, what's on the spectrum of acceptable opinion, there's a consistent effort to shape that." (Hexing Beijing's 'magic weapon', Peter Hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald, 5/12/17)

Of course, the Israel lobby doesn't have to put quite the same effort into manipulating the ideas around it - what questions are asked, what's on the acceptable spectrum of opinion etc, etc. And that's because it's got journalists like Hartcher (rambammed 2010) parroting their lines and/or avoiding altogether the kind of in-depth discussion he devotes here to Chinese influence. (And this despite the fact that he once quoted an "Australian official" who told him that it wouldn't matter who Australia's prime minister was because the Israelis had us "by the balls... partly because of the strength of the Israel lobby.")*

Silly me - I would have thought that if a foreign power could be described by a government insider as having us by the balls the matter would be deserving of some journalistic scrutiny, but then that's why I'm not the Herald's international editor, right?

[*See my 22/6/10 post The Best Israel Policy Money Can Buy.]

Beyond Chutzpah

Israel lobby pot calls China lobby kettle black:

"... Labor MP Michael Danby delivered a tough speech... warning of China's rise in 'hard power' and praising the 'pushback by Australia's democratic system' against softpower initiatives. Mr Danby accused China of 'Comintern-like activity' and said it had increasingly pursued efforts to influence the politics and economies of neighbours in Southeast Asia and the Pacific... Mr Danby criticised efforts of China's United Front Work Department to guide activities outside China, 'working with politicians and other high-profile individuals, Chinese community associations and student associations, and sponsoring Chinese language, media and and other cultural activities'." (China's agents of influence run for cover, Paul Maley/Rowan Callick, The Australian, 17/11/17)

Odd One Out

"It is a curious notion that Indians and supporters of Israel can rally for a visiting PM but a similar turnout from the Chinese shows sinister forces at work. [Chris] Uhlmann didn't produce one example of that vast Chinese diaspora lobbying MPs on Chinese foreign policy. Not one, although other migrant communities do it routinely on behalf of former homelands." (From Bob Carr's letter to The Australian re "Four Corners-Fairfax investigation [5/6] headlines about Chinese money," 13/6/17)

Just to clarify here. While most Indian and Chinese Australians share a direct connection with India and China respectively, Carr's aforementioned "supporters of Israel" share NO SUCH CONNECTION with the area of the Middle East formerly known as Palestine. The group referred to is overwhelmingly made up of Jews originating in one or other European country (or South Africa), and/or their progeny, who long ago made Australia their home.

Israel is not their "former homeland." 

Which begs the question: why are they rallying (and, frankly, while Netanyahu was in Australia earlier this year, I wasn't aware of any such rally) for Netanyahu?

And also the question: does Carr really believe in the Zionist dogma that Israel is the homeland of all Jews?

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Why is it that, with regard to the Chinese-occupied Uighur homeland of East Turkestan/ Xinjiang, Western reporters have no trouble in recognising the roots of violence there and sheeting home the blame to those responsible, in this case successive Chinese governments?

For example:

"Xinjiang has for decades been blighted by outbreaks of vicious ethnic violence, a process experts believe has been exacerbated by the government's poor treatment of Uighurs, which includes draconian religious restrictions and social and economic discrimination." (China: Xi Jinping wants 'Great Wall of Steel' in violence-hit Xinjiang, Tom Phillips, the guardian.com, 11/3/17)

And yet, when it comes to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Arab homeland of Palestine/ Israel, and the periodic outbursts of violence there, most Western reporters invariably reference the Israeli claim that it is Palestinian Authority/Hamas incitement against Jews, not Israel's repressive and never-ending occupation, that is at the root of the violence.

Funny that...

Think About It

In the ALP, we have 'Chinese Friends of Labor' and 'Labor Friends of Israel'.

They might sound similar but the word order is telling.

The Australian's Dreaded Senior Labor Source

Beware The Australian's dreaded Senior Labor Source (SLS):

"Bob Carr's think tank at the University of Technology, Sydney, is operating as a 'propaganda arm' of the Chinese communist government, critics say, as they raise concerns that the university sector is compromising academic freedoms and has become a target for Chinese 'soft power'. A senior Labor source said the former foreign minister was responsible for pushing an aggressive pro-China position with Labor MPs in NSW. The Australia China Relations Institute at UTS was established in 2014 with a $1.8 million donation from property developer Huang Xiangmo, whose Yuhu Group also settled a $40,000 legal claim for Labor senator Sam Dastyari... Following Senator Dastyari's resignation, one senior Labor source told The Australian Labor's former foreign minister was responsible for pushing an aggressive pro-China position with Labor MPs in NSW, particularly within the party's Right faction. 'Sam Dastyari was just the monkey - the organ-grinder is Bob Carr'." (Carr 'operating propaganda arm', Sarah Martin, The Australian, 9/9/16)

Ever since Carr blew the whistle (in his 2014 Diary of a Foreign Minister) on the "subcontracting" of our foreign policy to Zionist "party donors" in Melbourne, The Australian's SLS has been biding his time, waiting for an opportunity to smote him. This, alas, was provided by the hapless Sam Dastyari - hence the above guilt-by-association attack.

Sarah Martin reported that Carr "did not respond to a request for comment." Wise man. Had he not, after all, described the Murdoch press in his book as "relentless, manic, cruel." He chose to hit back instead with an opinion piece in today's Sydney Morning Herald, Think tank that sees hope in China needed.

The Teflon Lady

Curious how, with regard to the current hot-button issue of Chinese political donations, the msm is focusing almost exclusively on the relatively insignificant figure of Sam Dastyari while ignoring FOREIGN MINISTER JULIE BISHOP.

After all:

"A... report by Fairfax Media said the Western Australian division of the Liberal Party had benefited to the tune of half a million dollars in the past couple of years from donations from Chinese businesspeople with links to the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop." (On political donations, Canberra is sleepwalking into its own integrity crisis, Katherine Murphy, The Guardian, 2/9/16)

Time to Wake Up to the Herald's Peter Hartcher

Peter Hartcher, the Sydney Morning Herald's international editor, reckons that "Australia's been pretty naive in the way it sees China," and that it's Time to wake up to rats in the ranks:

"We need to be alert to politicians compromised by China's embrace... Perhaps unwitting paid-mouthpieces for the interests of the Chinese regime... Business people so captivated by their financial interests that they demand Australia assume the kowtow position... Front organisations, apparently innocuous friendship societies... " (6/9/16)

But not, it seems, to journalists or politicians compromised by Israel's embrace and acting as perhaps unwitting paid-mouthpieces for the interests of the Israeli regime. Nor to Israeli front organisations. 

In 2009, Hartcher went to Israel on a NSW Jewish Board of Deputies-sponsored/paid trip. This resulted in a SMH puff piece on Israel's infamous Operation Cast Lead, in which he dismissed the UN as a "resolution factory," claimed that Israel had invaded Gaza "to stop the firing" after "enduring 800 rocket attacks," minimised the massacre of over 1400 Gazans (to 13 Israeli deaths) by referring to it as a "clash," regurgitated Israeli propaganda about Hamas using civilians as human shields, described Hamas as a "terrorist group," and quoted only Israeli "experts."

Hartcher disclosed the identity of his sponsors at the foot of the article. Following a comment thred backlash by Herald readers, he brazenly went on to claim that it was "routine" for journalists "to accept paid travel," so long as they disclosed it. (For the details, see my posts No Hidden Agenda (18/11/09) and Pawns in a Propaganda Game (15/3/10).)

In 2011, he spoke at a forum on Palestine/Israel at the Sydney Opera House. When the subject of the Palestinian right of return arose, he arrogantly dismissed it as "a reversion to old narratives," and variously referred to it as "unrealistc," a case of "Marrickville Council syndrome," and an "old grudge." (For the details, see my 20/6/11 post Hartcher Brings the House Down.)

A MSM Political Donations/Junkets Roundup

Left until the final paragraph:

"Mr [Anthony] Albanese said he was concerned about foreign political funding and said China, Israel and Taiwan were among the biggest spenders of sponsored travel and donations in Australia." (Labor seeks foreign donations revamp as Dastyari row festers, Tom McIlroy, Sydney Morning Herald, 5/9/16)

OMG, Albo's only just noticed that politicians have been popping off to Israel in rather LARGE numbers (including his mate, Plibersek, in 2014).

***

It seems that Australian politicians can always be relied upon to burst into song if the price is right:

"Enjoying a glass of red wine, Chinese businessman William Chiu announced he would donate $25,000 if the NSW attorney-general Greg Smith sang him three songs. Mr Smith obliged with Elvis and Sinatra." (Secret past of China donor, Kirsty Needham, The Sun-Herald, 4/9/16)

But it's not just China that gets Greg Smith going. Here he is in fine voice in 2011:

"The BDS resolution against Jewish businesses passed in December 2010 by the Marrickville Council and, more recently, violent activist protests against Jewish businesses, in particular Max Brenner chocolate and coffee stores, are eerily reminiscent of Jewish pogroms of earlier times." (Israel ban bid 'is anti-Semitic', Imre Salusinszky, The Australian, 24/8/11)

***

Now here's music to Israeli ears:

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, currently in Israel, has just invited Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Australia, cooing, "The Australian public would warmly embrace you, welcome you," and brushing aside Israel's stated intention to try World Vision employee Mohammed Halaby in a secret court with a cheery, "Closed proceedings are not unknown in legal systems around the world." (AM, Radio National, 5/9/16)

OMFG, if that doesn't reflect the influence of Israel-linked donations and propaganda trips in Australian political life, I don't know what does. But will our MSM join the dots? Purely rhetorical question, of course.

***

There are many references to China in George Williams' (Dean of Law, UNSW) opinion piece in today's Sydney Morning Herald, but I'm afraid you've got to read between the lines for any hint that Zionist money and junkets are impacting Australia's foreign policy position on Palestine/Israel:

"When it comes to foreign donors, there can be no suggestion that these corporate, national and other interests are acting out of altruism. They are investing in the hope of a return. That might be a favourable decision in regard to a foreign investment, or to shape Australia's foreign policy. They seek to secure these outcomes by direct payments and all-expenses paid study tours." (Dastyari the canary in coal mine for donations reform, 5/9/16)

Political Donations: The View from Murdoch

The rag you'd least expect to focus on the subject of foreign policy donations, given its slavish devotion to, and promotion of, all things Israel, is Murdoch's Australian.

And yet yesterday's issue has devoted almost a (broadsheet) page-and-a-half to the matter!

Sam Dastyari, of course, gets special treatment, referred to as a 'Manchurian candidate', and there are dark warnings by the outgoing US ambassador John Berry about the influence of 'soft power' by non-democratic countries. (Sam mired by soft power's hard sell, Anthony Klan & Sarah Martin)

There's also a profile of The Mysterious Dr Fu Manchu Minshen Zhu, Dastyari's benefactor, and a report, Junkets searching for a cause, in which we have to wait until the final paragraph for a mention of trips by politicians to Israel.

The centrepiece of the Australian's coverage, however, is an alphabetical list of "House of Representatives MPs' sponsored travel. Top five most-visited countries," with ISRAEL, not China, in first place with 24 visits. (China comes in second with 20 visits.)

According to the list the following 22 politicians have been to Israel, some more than once: John Alexander (L/NP); Sharon Bird (ALP); Bronwyn Bishop (L/NP); Gai Brodtmann (ALP) (x2); Mal Brough (L/NP); Terri Butler (ALP); Jim Chalmers (ALP); Michael Danby (ALP); Peter Hendy (L/NP); Stephen Jones (ALP); Craig Kelly (L/NP); Andrew Leigh (ALP); Russell Matheson (L/NP); Rob Mitchell (ALP); Christopher Pyne (L/NP); Wyatt Roy (L/NP) (x2); Andrew Southcott (L/NP); Tim Watts (ALP) (x2); Ken Wyatt (L/NP).

The list, however, is far from complete. MPs Bruce Bilson, Nick Champion, David Feeney, Joel Fitzgibbon, Richard Marles, Kelly O'Dwyer, Tanya Plibersek, Bernie Ripoli, Bill Shorten, Luke Simpkins and Dan Tehan are listed as junketeers but no mention is made of their trips to Israel.

Add those 11 to the Australian's 22, and the total of MPs who have been to Israel rises to 35.

Curiously, the following 25 MPs who have also been to Israel since 2007 are missing from the list: Penny Wong, Josh Frydenberg, Amanda Rishworth, Belinda Neal, Stuart Robert, Alex Hawke, Mathias Cormann, Kevin Rudd, Kim Carr, Stephen Conroy, Anthony Byrne, Mike Kelly, Julie Bishop, Kevin Andrews, Steve Ciobo, Julia Gillard, Peter Costello, Mark Dreyfus, Tony Abbott, Jacinta Collins, Jason Clare, Peter Dutton, Michael Keenan, and Shayne Neuman. Add them in and our total is now 59. (Note that senators and state politicians have been omitted.)

That's 59 visits to Israel and a mere 20 to China! Israel wins, hands down.

(See my 30/3/09 post I've been to Israel too for a fuller, regularly updated, list of Israel junkets by Australian politicians, journalists and other useful fools.)

Just Chinese-Linked Donations?

This rings true:

"Everyone in Australian politics is chasing cash. It's not a random or rogue activity. Everyone. That's the hard fact of the matter. In the 1980s and for most of the 1990s, political fundraising was highly centralised - a handful of people, controlling a single pipeline. The prize was drumming up dollars for television advertising campaigns. Now the process is hardwired into organisational structures of political parties and their associated thinktanks: lots of people, chasing dollars to fund their campaigning activities (which cover a much greater field of activity than during the quaint analogue period) and also cover their own operating costs. It's more prolific, and it's more diffuse, and inside the system, effective fundraisers are rewarded - it helps them aggregate power. For someone like [Sam] Dastyari, who has been a state secretary and who would probably struggle to tell you accurately how much cash he's raised for Labor over the years, an inconvenient bill just north of $1,000 is lunch money, nothing you'd give even 10 seconds thought to." (On political donations, Canberra is sleepwalking into its own integrity crisis, Katharine Murphy, The Guardian, 2/9/16)

This too is revealing:

"As for China's interest in Australian politics - a recent investigation by the ABC found Beijing is now the largest source of foreign-linked donations in this country. Businesses with connections to China coughed up more than $5.5m between 2013 and 2015, according to that report. A separate report by Fairfax Media said the Western Australian division of the Liberal party had benefited to the tune of half a million dollars in the past couple of years from donations from Chinese businesspeople with links to the foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop." (ibid)

But can you imagine the ABC, or Fairfax, or Jonathan Freedland's Guardian ever raising the issue of Zionist-linked donations in Australia, let alone investigating them?

Is Australia's Foreign Policy for Sale?

This is certainly concerning:

"The role of Chinese donations to Australian political parties has been in the spotlight, with Mr Swan, a former treasurer and deputy prime minister, warning foreign donations could be 'skewing' Australian democracy. Last week the ABC reported $5.5 million had been donated by Chinese interests to the Labor and Coalition between 2013 and 2015. 'I certainly think we should be having a stronger debate about the role of political donations and how that potentially is leading to political decision-making being skewed in favour of foreign countries,' Mr Swan told the ABC." (Senator had Chinese interests pay for part of his travel bill, Latika Bourke, Sydney Morning Herald, 31/8/16) 

But would either the ABC, Wayne Swan or the Herald ever question the role of Zionist donations to LibLab in skewing Australia's political decisions in favour of Israel?

Even with this appearing on the same website and on the same day as the above:

"Most of the world considers the Jewish settlements on the West Bank to be illegal, a conclusion that the Israeli government rejects and which Foreign Minister Julie Bishop - who is about to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories before attending the launch of the EU-Australia Leadership Forum - has questioned." (As Julie Bishop prepares to visit the Holy Land, one village tells whole story, William Booth, Washington Post/Sydney Morning Herald, 31/8/16)

You may recall Bob Carr in his Diary of a Foreign Minister quoting Kevin Rudd as saying that one fifth of the money raised for his 2007 election campaign had come from the Jewish community. (See my 20/4/14 post The Carr Diary 12: Reflections 6.)

Gutless Wonder

"... Mr Turnbull used a key speech in... Shanghai to... call on the Communist leadership to grant greater freedoms and develop a stronger rule of law... " (PM urges new commitment to rule of law, Mark Kenny/Philip Wen, Sydney Morning Herald, 15/4/16)

What a fearless crusader for human rights is M'Lord Turnbull! Imagine saying that to the Chinese in China!

But would he say the same to the Israelis in Israel? Just imagine:

'Mr Turnbull used a key speech in... Tel Aviv to call on the Zionist leadership to grant greater freedoms to Palestinians and develop a stronger rule of law in the occupied West Bank...'

After all, as a recent Haaretz editorial stated:

"When the prime minister, defense minister, education minister and justice minister are all working against the highest court of the land, it shows Israel is not ruled by law, certainly not when it comes to what happens beyond the Green Line." (Israeli ministers vs the rule of law, 29/7/15)

No, it's impossible to imagine M'Lord Turnbull coming within cooee of such a call.

I'm afraid his Message from the Prime Minister: Passover 2016 is about as close as he'll ever get to the subject:

"The enduring example of the Israelites' deliverance from slavery resonates down through the ages, and with all who seek freedom from oppression." (jwire.com.au)

Setting the Bar Too High

"Beijing has raised the bar for fresh talks with the Dalai Lama - requiring him to defer publicly to contentious historical claims. China has published a new white paper on Tibet, which demands that if negotiations were to resume about his return after 56 years of exile, he must first make 'a public statement that Tibet has been an integral part of China since antiquity'." (Beijing sets bar too high for Lama, Rowan Callick, The Australian, 18/4/15)

Outrageous! Completely unacceptable! A demand not to be contemplated. 

But Israel's demand that the Palestinians give up on their homeland and concede that it really belongs to 'the Jewish people' - based again on some obscure, antique connection (formulated hyperbolically these days as 'Israel's right to exist' as a Jewish state) - now that's a different matter.

Unlike the Chinese demand, however, our Zionised msm pundits and scribblers invariably find Israel's demand not only eminently reasonable, but the Palestinians' acquiescence in it absolutely essential if peace is ever to come to the Holy Land.

And that's why you'll never see a headline like Tel Aviv sets bar too high for Palestinians.

Mossad & Associates 1

The following investigation into the Israeli lawfare outfit, Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Centre (ILC) by the UK organisation, Spinwatch (spinwatch.org), is a must-read. You may remember Shurat HaDin's characterisation in the Murdoch press here as a 'civil rights' organisation. As Spinwatch's research shows there's a little more to it than that. Given its length, I'm posting it in two parts:

BDS campaigner targeted by law firm with links to Israeli intelligence

by Tom Griffin & David Miller (5/10/13)

"A law firm targeting the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement has close links to Israeli intelligence, US government cables leaked by Wikileaks show:

"Shurat HaDin - Israel Law Centre (ILC) made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission last month against Jake Lynch, the director of the Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies at Sydney University, over Lynch's support for BDS. The ILC, set up in 2003, claims to be 'a fully independent non-profit organization, unaffiliated with any political party or government body.' However, the organisation's director, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, has privately admitted to taking direction from the Israeli Government over which causes to pursue and relying on Israeli intelligence contacts for witnesses and evidence.

"Darshan-Leitner made the comments in 2007 to diplomats from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, who reported the conversation in a cable leaked by WikiLeaks four years later. It states:

Leitner said that in many of her cases she receives evidence from GOI [Government of Israel] officials, and added that in its early years ILC took direction from the GOI on which cases to pursue. 'The National Security Council (NSC) legal office saw the use of civil courts as a way to do things that they are not authorized to do,' claimed Leitner. Among her contacts, Leitner listed Udi Levy at the NSC and Uzi Beshaya at the Mossad, both key Embassy contacts on anti-terrorist finance cooperation. Leitner offered a case against Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as [an] example of ILC's close cooperation with the GOI. After obtaining a judgement against PIJ for NIS 100 million (USD 25 million), ILC requested a lien for that amount against the Abu Akker Trading Company as a third party defendant. At the time, Abu Akker was one of the largest Palestinian importing companies, and Leitner said the Mossad provided her with the intelligence (similar to information provided to USG officials in a classified briefing) to prove that the company was funneling money to PIJ. According to Leitner, the ILC now decides its cases independently, but continues to receive evidence and witnesses from Israeli intelligence.

"The US cable goes on to comment that:

While the ILC's mission dovetails with GOI objectives of putting financial pressure on Israel's adversaries, the often uncompromising approach of ILC's attorney's seems to overreach official GOI policy goals. ILC's relentless litigation has proven to be an obstacle to the GOI's releasing of all customs revenues previously withheld from the PA [Palestinian Authority].

"ILC has engaged in a wide variety of other actions in the US, Australia, Israel itself and in Egypt as well as targeting Iran, Syria, North Korea and the Palestinian Authority. Amongst its targets have been financial situations including UBS, American Express Bank and the Lebanese-Canadian Bank, President Jimmy Carter, World Vision Australia (a Christian aid agency) and, most notably, the largely successful attempt to stop the second Free Gaza Flotilla. This involved a blizzard of legal threats against insurance companies, port authorities and satellite firms. They were informed they would open themselves to criminal liability for 'aiding and abetting' a 'terrorist' organisation or would become 'legally liable' for any future attacks by Hamas.

The Bank of China Affair

"Further details of the ILC's links with Israeli intelligence have emerged amid fallout from a case brought by the firm against the Bank of China. According to accounts in the Israeli press, officials from the NSC approached Darshan-Leitner, after identifying the bank as a conduit for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Darshan-Leitner found a suitable plaintiff to bring the case in the family of Daniel Wultz, a 16-year-old American citizen killed in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv in 2006. Yediot Ahronot reported: 'In her discussions with the intelligence agents, Darshan-Leitner insisted that she receives massive assistance from the government. She demanded convicting information on the bank's activities, affidavits from authorized people and a commitment to provide for the trial an authorized witness who will say that the Chinese knew about the nature of the accounts and refused to close them. The consent was given - orally. In 2009, a lawsuit was filed to the NY Federal Court.'

"This arrangement began to collapse in the face of Chinese Government pressure ahead of a visit to Beijing by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year. The Wultz family has accused the Israeli Government of sabotaging the case by failing to provide the documents it promised at the outset. The standoff is particularly embarrassing because Daniel Wultz's mother, Sheryl Cantor Wultz, is a cousin of Eric Cantor, the House Majority Leader in the US Congress.

"Among the key documents at the centre of the case is an affidavit by Uzi Shaya, who may be the same person as 'Uzi Beshaya', the Israeli security official named in the 2007 cable as a contact of both Shurat HaDin and the US Embassy. Another US cable describes Shaya as an officer of Israel's Shin Bet [security] service, working in the Counter Terror Finance Bureau of the Israeli NSC alongside Udi Levi, Darshan-Leitner's other intelligence contact."

To be continued...

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.]