Secret Fred's Business

Age (82) does not weary him:

"Right-wing Christian firebrand MP the Reverend Fred Nile hid in Parliament House and refused to come out to avoid being served legal documents in a defamation case. Judge Judith Gibson was scathing in her assessment of the Christian Democrat leader's behaviour, telling the District Court earlier this week that evading service of a subpoena was a serious matter and could result in a charge of contempt of court... The defamation case for which Mr Nile was requested to provide documents centres on lawyer and activist Robert Balzola - the head of an anti-Muslim group called Concerned Citizens of Canberra. Mr Balzola is suing The Canberra Times over a story published in 2012 about his opposition to a new mosque. Late last night Mr Nile told The Saturday Telegraph... that since arriving back in the country from Israel on Tuesday morning he had not had the opportunity to inform the court that he had nothing to produce because he was ill with the flu..." (Nile hides in office to dodge subpoena, Kelly Burke, The Daily Telegraph, 22/10 16)

And thereby hangs a tale...

Then There Were Two

There will soon be two openly Islamophobic parties operating in Australia. The first, of course, is Fred Nile's Christian Democrats - see my post Witches Brew 5 (7/10/11).

Here's the second:

"An anti-Islam party based on the hardline views of Dutch politician Geert Wilders plans to field candidates at the next federal election... Australian Liberty Alliance was registered as a not-for-profit business last month by Debbie Robinson, the president of the Q Society, an anti-Islam think tank that was responsible for bringing Mr Wilders to Australia last year." (Anti-Islam party to contest next election, Chip Le Grand, The Australian, 5/3/14)

An anti-Islam think tank?! Just imagine the conniptions in the ms media if someone were to set up an anti-Judaism or anti-Christianity 'think tank'?

The Q Society, BTW, has just held a Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) 'congress' in Melbourne:

I couldn't help but notice that its panelists included such luminaries as Pamela Geller (awarded the 'Queen Esther Award for Jewish Heroism' by the Creative Zionist Coalition in 2013); Robert Spencer (director of Jihad Watch, "a program of the David Horowitz Freedom Center"); Dr Mordechai Kedar (ex-IDF Military Intelligence); and Michael Burd (described as "a passionate Zionist advocate and a critic of the Jewish community representatives' views on multiculturalism and asylum seekers") (See sionaustralia.com for the complete list.)

Maybe the congress should have been called Zap Islamization of Nations (ZION)?

Fred Nile's Big Fat Judeo-Christian Wedding

"Australian laws must be based on the Judeo-Christian ethic and not on any other religious laws." Christian Democratic Party platform, Principle 5

Fred's got his girl at last! Sound the shofars!  

Shofars?

But of course, Fred's is a big, fat Judeo-Christian wedding:

"If the headlines marking their wedding were to say, simply, 'Man marries woman,' it might please the Reverend Fred Nile and his bride Silvana Nero, and it might please their Lord... Nile, the 79-year-old groom and Christian Democrat MP, came with subtle blond streaks in his hair... He welled up with tears as Nero [55] approached the altar of St Thomas' Anglican Church in North Sydney, where guests included O'Farrell government ministers Mike Baird, Greg Smith and Duncan Gay and Labor's Luke Foley and Walt Secord, while the best man was upper house Liberal MP David Clarke. The bridal procession had been preceded by the blowing of the shofar, biblical instruments honed from the horns of rams or other kosher animals... Prime Minister Tony Abbott sent them a message: 'Marriage is about walking the same path together. It is a profound, rich and fulfilling journey that should draw out the better angels of our nature'." (Passions high as Nile celebrates marriage bill win, Rick Feneley, Sydney Morning Herald, 16/12/13)

Angels?

Is Abbott for real?

Surely, he doesn't expect Australia's leading Judeo-Christian warrior to make do with mere angels?

Jeez, Tony, there's a bit more to your Judeo-Christian marriage than bloody angels.

For example:

"Wives must submit to their husbands, and are encouraged to have at least seven children. Condoms and the pill are forbidden. Mainstream medical care is likewise shunned... Community life is strictly regimented. Members rise at 6am... woken by a blast of the 'shofar', or ram's horn. There is a morning gathering... which includes prayers and singing, followed by work, either in the farmhouse, kitchen or fields... There is no TV, internet, magazines, newspapers or radio. Members are discouraged from contacting former friends or family and do not vote." (Secrets of the family, Tim Elliott, Good Weekend, 15/12/13)

Now if Fred's fair dinkum about this marriage, it'll be a blast from beginning to end.

Let Us Pray... For Israel

The Israeli-government-sponsored push to recruit and mobilise Australian politicians to work for Israel has never been more feverish.

Hot on the heels of the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism mass sign-in in May comes this little try-on:

"A bipartisan group in Federal Parliament will form an Australian Israel Allies Caucus (AIAC) after a Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC) delegation met with politicians, including Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott last Friday. KCAC director Josh Reinstein said the delegation, which included KCAC chairman and MK David Rotem, was on a fact-finding mission... 'We want to establish an Australian Israel Allies Caucus, as Australia and Israel share values and have always enjoyed a culture of mutual support. We wanted to find out which politicians would be interested in being involved.' Reinstein said, 'They [the caucus] will take on legislation and resolutions and mobilise support for Israel.'... The delegation met with federal politicians, including Christopher Pyne, Philip Ruddock and Jewish MP Josh Frydenberg... The AIAC will join a growing network, including 5 caucases in America, 7 in Europe and 3 in Asia... The delegation also met with the NSW Parliament and more than 100 religious leaders at a forum organised by NSW Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile." (Israeli allies caucus to be founded in Parliament, The Australian Jewish News, 28/6/13)

A real can of worms this one. Let's dissect a few:

Josh Reinstein, director of the KCAC, is an American-born Israeli who works for Israel's Ministry of Public Diplomacy & Diaspora Affairs, headed by Yuli Edelstein MK (Likud), the main man behind the London Declaration on Combating Antisemitism initiative. (See my 17/5/13 post The Tel Aviv Declaration on Combating Criticism of Israel.)

David Rotem is a Yisrael Beiteinu MK. This is the party led by the thuggish former foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, once known for suggesting that Gaza be nuked and currently on trial for corruption.

In the photograph which accompanies the above report, in addition to the political fraternity, Frydenberg, Reinstein, Abbott and Rotem, we have Christian Zionists, Keith Buxton and Marisa Albert:

Buxton is director of the Queensland-based Bridges for Peace, which has links with the KCAC. His support for the Zionist project in Palestine is apparently unconditional and appears to derive from his own peculiar theological ruminations: "Firstly, I need to emphasise that we do not proselytise. Nor do we focus on an apocalyptic Armageddon scenario [in scripture]. I personally believe that references in Zachariah to Jews being converted and destroyed are a misreading. Sadly, in many ways, the destruction can be seen to have already happened, with the fall of Jerusalem and the events of the Holocaust. We stand with Isaiah's call to 'comfort my people.' We focus on the fact that God is faithful to his covenant promises to the Jewish people and to the land, going right back to Genesis 12... The Jewish people are an integral part of God's redemptive purpose." (A chat with Reverend Keith Buxton, The Australian Jewish News, 1/10/10)

Albert heads the Jerusalem East Gate Foundation, a "Filipino Christian Ministry based in Manila and Jerusalem," which has reportedly "organized and funded" the "Jerusalem-Australia initiative." (Pro-Israel caucus to be formed in Australia, Gill Hoffman, cac.org.il, 21/6/13). Here's a potted biography:

"President of Kol Adonai Foundation (Philippines) and the East Gate Foundation (Jerusalem). The partner organizations are Asia initiatives to bring spiritual, moral and practical support from Asia into Israel. Their main ventures include live praise and worship on the Mt.of Olives, the production and worldwide airing of 'Voice From Jerusalem' programs and the Asia-to-Israel Shavuot Worship Tours. As member to the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, EGFJ was the organizer and major sponsor to the first Jerusalem Summit Asia held in Manila in August 2004. Miss Albert was former President of White Stone Productions, a special events management corporation which serviced top multinational companies in Asia. She is also President of the In His Care Leadership Network Israel."  (jerusalemsummit.org)

Something of the flavour of Ms Albert's particular brand of Christian fruit juice can be gathered from this little item at koladonai.org:

"When in Jerusalem, one of the most authentic and meaningful biblical sites to visit for a time of meditation, prayer and praise fellowship is the Mount of Olives. We know that the presence of God is within us and everywhere that is sanctioned unto Him. But there is a significance also to the places that evidence biblical occurrence and biblical prophecy. The pilgrim and tourist who comes to Israel also 'comes home' to his biblical homeland and enters into a prophetic connection. Coming into the Holy Land also enhances spiritual prayer connection These are prayers of thanksgiving and honour to the Holy One who dwells in Zion; prayers for spiritual aspirations; prayers for loved ones; prayers for the church and for the community of nations; and prayers for peace for Israel. They may be prayers for the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital city of the coming King. They may be prayers calling on the love of Messiah to touch the precious people of the Middle East with His great love, hope, peace and blessings. They may be prayers that cry out, 'Come, Messiah, Come!" (At the most special Prayer Mountain in the world)

Now of course these Christian Zionists aren't always off with the pixies. They also take time off to push a very Israeli political agenda. Like Iran-bashing, for example. I wonder, could an Abbott (or Rudd) government, under the influence of their kool-aid, ever go this far:

"Edelstein and other speakers frequently cited the pressure from members of Canada's Israel Christian Allies Caucus who were successful in lobbying Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to completely sever ties with Iran last week." (Int'l Christian lawmakers vow to stop Iranian nukes, Melanie Lidman, cac.org.il, 10/3/12)

Then there's Jerusalem. Could an Abbott (or Rudd) government, under the influence, ever fall victim to UJS (United Jerusalem Syndrome) and go where no country, not even the US component of USrael, has ever gone before:

"High-profile parliamentarians and congressmen in Washington, Europe and elsewhere around the world are celebrating together the historical date of the reunification of Jerusalem,' [Former tourism minister Benny Elon & president of the Israel Allies Foundation] said, 'and at the same time they are trying to do their best to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem through legislation." (International Israel Allies representatives in US, Europe and Israel for a united Jerusalem, Gil Hoffman, cac.org.il, 6/3/13)

OK, to sum up this terminal madness, we have here a Filipino Christian Zionist happy clapper organising and funding Israeli government representatives on a trip to Australia to recruit Australian politicians to 'do the donkey' for Israel. It doesn't get much more bizarre - or brazen - than that. (In case you've forgotten what doing the donkey entails, allow me to refer you to my posts USrael: The Movie (14/2/13) and Doing the Donkey (2/3/13) - to be read in that order.)

Islamophobia Goes Mainstream

While Australian politicians flock to sign an Israeli government-sponsored declaration committing them to fight criticism of Israel under the pretext that they are fighting anti-Semitism, a marginal form of racism at best in this country, Islamophobia is thriving in the mainstream media. The following instances have occurred within the past two weeks:

Paul Sheehan, Sydney Morning Herald columnist, 27/5

"Here is a sample of the more than 100 verses in the Koran that call Muslims to violence against the Unbelievers [Sheehan lists a handful of unnumbered, contextless quotes]... Most Muslims are peaceful, like most non-Muslims, but the Koran groans under the weight of its own contradictions, with entreaties to kindness co-existing with exhortations to merciless war." (Twisting Islam to justify pure evil)

In attempting to directly link the Qur'an with acts of violence today, Sheehan cites the anti-Islam hate site thereligionofpeace.com, which interestingly links, through a reference to rampaging, murderous 'Muslims' vs 'Jews' working on their "159th Nobel Prize," to Zionist propaganda site, unitedwithisrael.com. (For the full story on thereligionofpeace.com, I refer you to the 10/7/12 post TheReligionOfPeace.com: Working to Streamline the American Empire's 'War on Terror, at loonwatch.com.)

No doubt too busy trawling Islamophobic websites to do his homework, Sheehan's ignorance of the Qur'an was made abundantly clear by the following letter from Yusuf Mansuri of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which I quote in part:

"Paul Sheehan plays a double game (Twisting Islam to justify cruelty, May 27). He starts, rightfully, calling the murderers responsible for the vile and hateful crime committed in Woolwich last week psychopaths and thugs.* But he then jumps to how the Koran is hateful and full of contradictions. He cherry-picks verses to provide evidence. As a responsible journalist, he should be aware that a verse is part of a chapter; and the chapter provides the context. For example, 'And slay them wherever ye find them...', from the Koran, chapter 9, verse 5, is not about killing unbelievers wherever you find them, as Sheehan would have readers think. If he were to read a few verses before and after he would understand the verse is quoted during a battle and is about the breaking of a peace treaty with the Muslims by the polytheists of Makkah. The verse immediately after says: 'And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection (amnesty) so that he may hear the words of Allah. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.' Every verse he has quoted is misleading and is out of context. The only other people who quote these verses out of context are the extremists." (28/5/13)** 

Q&A - 27/5

CHARLES NORTHCOTE: Panel, good evening. In light of recent events in the UK, namely the horrific terrorist murder of the British soldier Lee Rigby, we have terrorism coming from within. Let me quote the words of Ayatollah Khomeini. 'Islam makes it incumbent upon all males to prepare themselves for the conquest of countries so that the writ of Islam, Sharia, is obeyed by every country in the world. Those who know nothing about Islam pretend it counsels against war. Those are witless. Islam says kill all unbelievers just as they would kill you.' How do you propose to make a stand against such radical behaviour and belief systems?

[According to wikiquote.org, this quote, from Amir Taheri's Holy Terror: Inside the World of Islamic Terrorism, is disputed. For Taheri's record as a fabricator, click on the tag below.]

FRED NILE: Well, I'm very concerned about Islam and I have spoken on this before and what is being quoted is correct, it is in the Quran So we have to say the Islamic...

TONY JONES: I don't think it was a quote from the Quran. That was a quote from Ayatollah Khomeini.  

FRED NILE: Yes, but he's quoting the Quran. There are verses in the Quran that say cut off the hands of your enemies, their legs, crucify them and so on...

Suddenly, Nile's an expert on the Qur'an! No one in the audience asked him to substantiate his assertions, chapter and verse. And no one raised the fact that he heads a party which calls for a moratorium on Muslim migration. (See my 7/10/11 post Witches Brew 5.)

Q&A - 3/6

KAIA THORPE: Thank you for the opportunity to ask Senator Cory Bernardi my question. I have a problem with a school textbook, entitled [sic] Learning From One Another: Bringing Muslim Perspectives into Australian Schools 2011. Why is Islam part of the syllabus for our primary and secondary school children? Muslims comprise only 2.25% of our population. Buddhists are more at 2.5%, while Christians at 64% are the majority, yet Christianity is not part of the school curriculum. Why are we giving Islam preferential treatment? Why are we promoting to our children a cruel culture which has nothing but contempt for our democracy?

To begin with, the aforementioned is not a textbook, it's a teaching resource. And heaven forbid that our kids should learn about something the old biddy who asked the question knows nothing about!

As for Bernardi's response, the bloke who'd earlier in the show been telling us, apropos racists mouthing off on buses, that "If you hear racist words or slogans being... directed at individuals, you've got to stand up and say, 'That's wrong. Don't do it. It offends me'," started on about "the Judeo-Christian tradition that informs our values," and began dog-whistling that "if we don't have people in public life that are prepared to stand up for those values, then they will be replaced by other values that are not as consistent with our democratic ideals."

No one, of course, raised the issue of Bernardi's Islamophobia, or his promotion of Dutch Islamophobe Geert Wilders.

Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of Murdoch's Australian, 8/6

"This boatpeople phenomenon is essentially determined Muslim immigration. It is important to confront the sensitivities of this situation head on. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in Australia are law-abiding and productive citizens. They should not be made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable because of the necessary debate about this huge, unregulated Islamic inflow. But to dodge the debate because of that sensitivity is a recipe for continued, disastrous policy failure." (Policy failure creating a monstrous problem)

The first sentence says it all really.

[*See my 29/5/13 post In the Name of Afghanistan;** See also my 27/4/13 post Facts & Context: There's Just No Getting Around Them.]

Doing the Donkey* in the NSW Knesset 8

On the speech of The Right Hon. Paul Green, Christian Democrats, in the NSW Legislative Assembly, arising out of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel (PFoI) "study mission" 'debate' of March 14:

This'll be blessedly short. Promise!

First, a Green on Greens attack:

"It was disappointing that my wife and I were the only Greens on the trip. I would have been pleased if other Greens from the full crossbench of the Upper House had joined us. While I appreciate that opinions on issues vary significantly within The Greens - as was evidenced when they voted on the BDS motion - I was disappointed they did not take part in this very valuable study trip... Perhaps next time The Greens might take up the invitation of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies."

But it was more kids than comedy on Green's mind. In particular the kids of the Middle East's only Stalingrad, Sderot:

"[H]ow blessed Australians are to be able to send their children to school without a second thought. Our children return home after school and we all get on with our lives. Imagine the stress of parents in Sderot who must constantly wonder what will happen to their children on any school day... Some 75% of these children suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder..."

And he was off, droning on and on about a study of Sderot's middle schoolers, which reportedly showed that "nearly half" suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and laboriously detailing how they were taught to "cope with anger and loss." You will, of course, be pleased to know that, as a result, "of the 48 pupils who had been diagnosed with PTSD in the intervention group, only 13 were still exhibiting symptoms 4 months later."

Needless to say, of the thousands and thousands of sufferers of permanent-traumatic stress disorder and worse across the border in Gaza, Green had nothing to say.

Finally, cop this:

"The tour group visited Gush Etzion Settlement Block at Efrat. The mayor of Efrat was one of my favourites. As a former mayor I was able to appreciate the work he does with the Arab settlements."

Yes, you heard correctly - Arab settlements! Only in the NSW Knesset!

Next in the Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset: David - I just can't take this shit anymore! -Shoebridge, MLC. Stay tuned.

[*See my 2/3/13 post Doing the Donkey.]

Doing the Donkey* in the NSW Knesset 3

On the speech of The Hon. Fred Nile, Christian Democrats, in the NSW Legislative Council, arising out of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel (PFoI) "study mission" 'debate' of February 28:

Now Fred's a real Israel junkie. As he says, "I spent nearly 3 weeks in Israel in January and visited many of the pilgrim sites following the official tour." What's more, "I have been to Israel on 3 other occasions and have a good association with Israel."

So much for that bit of the motion which says that "the purpose of this study mission was to build an understanding amongst the delegates of the complex and various issues... etc, etc."

Or as Fred put it, "I did not have to go on this study tour to be convinced to give Israel support. I have always been on the record as strongly supporting the... state of Israel."

So there!

Not that we're surprised. After all, Fred has his Zionist talking points down to a fine art:

"I know there are a lot of statements made that Israel has to give up land for peace. Sadly, when Israel gives up land for peace, at it did with Gaza [?!], it gets rockets in return from both Hamas... and Hezbollah..."

"We saw the huge wall that had been built by Israel between Israel and Palestinian territory to protect Israel's security from suicide bombers."

Between Israel and Palestinian territory?!!!

Also, we have it on good authority from Fred that despite everything we've heard about those notorious Israeli checkpoints (chokepoints?) "there is tremendous movement from Palestinian territory into and out of Israel."

And ditto for Gaza, which is "not a concentration camp" because "every day, trucks are carrying in food, construction materials and so on, so that the community gets everything it needs."

Now that visit to the Knesset was certainly a buzz for Fred: "It has 120 members. The deputation learnt that this was based on the historical biblical Jewish Sanhedrin, which had 120 members." Why, he even discovered that "[t]here are some small religious parties that have some similarities to the Christian Democrats..."! (And you - some of you at any rate - think I'm just being satirical when I talk about the NSW Knesset.)

As you'd expect, Fred found Bethlehem "very interesting,"  although it must have come as a bit of a blow because "[i]t was previously a Christian city; now it is Muslim." And, sure enough, Fred being Fred, it was the Mooslims wot done it: "Sadly, a lot of the Christians have experienced persecution and discrimination, and that is why the majority have left..."

And this despite having been briefed by what he calls the "PLO Governor of Jerusalem" (no names of course). But what, one wonders, did Guv have to say? All we get from Fred is that he "shared some of the problems they were facing regarding finance and water."

Now if Fred's any guide here, the PA appears to have something of a PR problem. While  Israel's drama queens are banging on about Palestinian 'terrorism' and getting all the attention with 'Woe is us! We have only 15 seconds before being incinerated by a Hamas/Hezbollah/Iranian rocket', the PA dude just drones  on about money and water. Boooring!

Just to show what a handle the Israelis have on laying these foreign fools in the aisle, check this one out:

We're at Israel's Supreme Court in the awesome presence of one of Israel's "most experienced judges," Justice Dalia Dorner, right?

As Fred tells it: "During her presentation, one of the first things she mentioned was Australia's rejection of Jewish refugees prior to World War II."

Jewish refugees? Remember this is Zionist aristocracy speaking, the representative of a movement that in the 30s and 40s was only interested in importing the right kind of Jews into Palestine, the kind who would later go on to create their own non-Jewish refugees in 1948.

And here's Fred, whose Islamophobic Christian Democrats call for a "moratorium on Islamic [sic] immigration... while monitoring the willingness of the existing Islamic community to abandon support for terrorism...," so overcome with guilt that he tells us: "[E]ven though I was not the delegation leader, I did in my remarks apologise for that rejection - hopefully it will never occur again."

I reckon Justice Dorner's still dining out on that one.
  
Like his colleague Rick Colless, who thought the Israeli colonization of the West Bank was a process of "Palestinian people," "Muslim people," and "Jewish people" all "work[ing] together towards a peaceful solution," when it comes to the settlements Fred can see naught but peace and light:

"We visited [the] remarkable Israeli town of Efrat, in the region of Gush Etzion. We were beriefed by the energetic mayor... Oded Revevi, concerning the remarkable progress by the citizens of Efrat... What impressed me was the way that Jewish families are working in harmony with their Arab neighbours, who farm land right on the borders of Efrat and even within the town council boundaries - without any conflict or violence, but in a peaceful manner."

Apparently, no one told him that those same Arab "neighbours" are currently involved in trying to fend off yet another Israeli land grab in Israel's High Court of Justice.**

Finally, lest the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (listening in with rapt attention, in the form of its omnipresent CEO Vic Alhadeff, to the 'debate') be accused of not lining up a few Arab locals for our 'study' tourists to chat with, Fred cites two.

Although he describes Issa Jaber Abu Ghosh as a "Palestinian leader in [his] own village" of Abu Ghosh, it should be pointed out that he's actually an Israeli citizen and that Abu Ghosh, near Jerusalem, is in Israel (im)proper.

Typically, Fred doesn't refer to the content of Abu Ghosh's "briefing," except to describe it as "quite remarkable." (Still, if you're interested, you can check out a Radio National interview*** Abu Ghosh did with Rachael Kohn in 2008, where he's grandly described as "Chairman of the Interreligious Co-ordinating Council in Israel," and one who "takes his role very seriously as a promoter of peace and inter-religious co-operation.") Suffice it to say that the village of Abu Ghosh, which has a history of collaboration with the Zionist movement dating back to 1912****, was one of only 3 Palestinian villages to survive the Zionist ethnic cleansing of central Palestine in 1948. Any wonder then that Fred found the man "quite remarkable"?

The other Arab local was "Arabic Christian pastor Steven Khoury of the Arabic Calvary Church," whose presentation Fred describes as "very interesting." Just how "interesting" becomes apparent when you read, in a September 25, 2009 article in Israel's Haaretz newspaper, that Khoury - and here my flabber is well and truly gasted - is a PALESTINIAN CHRISTIAN ZIONIST who believes that "it's the job of the Jews to return to the land and convert to Christianity, while it's the job of Christians to help bring that about."*****

There you go. Just when you'd thought you'd heard it all with Khaled Abu Toameh being a Zionist and all, now you've discovered a Palestinian Christian Zionist. Top that!

Next in the Doing the Donkey in the NSW Knesset series: Walt (I get around) Secord, MLC.

[*See my 2/3/13 post Doing the Donkey; **See Palestinians argue in court against Efrat expansion, Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post, 14/3/13;***The Spirit of Things, 22/6/08; ****Army of Shadows: Palestinian Collaboration with Zionism, 1917-1948, Hillel Cohen, 2008, p 78; *****Bible politics and Palestinian Zionists, Tristan Sturm]

'Parliamentary Trip'? What 'Parliamentary Trip'?

When it comes to Australian politicians going on propaganda tours of Israel, a phenomenon I refer to as 'rambamming', the Australian mainstream media is invariably missing in action, in large part because it too is in on the act.

Should a politician go somewhere else, however, then he/she is fair game. For example, while the case of South Australian Labor MP, Michael Wright, who reportedly "spent $14,000 of taxpayers' money on a 19-day European tour with his wife, just 5 months after Premier Jay Weatherill set rules restricting spousal travel," has found its way into the papers,* a 21-day junket to Israel, involving 10 NSW politicians and their consorts, has not.

Not particularly newsworthy perhaps? But what if it had been enthusiastically announced and promoted  by a premier who has reportedly banned his ministers from venturing overseas for longer than a week as electoral poison?** Then, of course, there's the question of the cost, if any, to the tax payers of NSW.

[*See MP's $14,000 Europe trip raises perks query, Sarah Martin, The Australian, 23/1/13; **See my 13/11/12 post Barry's Fake Ban.]

The media's adherence to an almost omerta-like code of silence on the phenomenon of Zionist propaganda junkets means that the average consumer of news in this country would have had no idea, for example, that  NSW Premier Baruch (Jerusalem Prize) O'Farrell had flagged the multi-party trip, under the rubric of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel group, at an Israel Independence Day function last year, the matter having been reported only in the Australian Jewish News of 8/6/12. (See my 12/6/12 post Goings On in the NSW Knesset.)

And that, in fact, is all I knew about it. Scan the papers as I might this month, the only mention of same, and a most indirect and singularly uninformative mention it was too, came in the form of the following snippet, hardly more than a scrap of salacious gossip actually, in the Sunday Telegraph of 20 January: 

"Morals crusader and family values politician, Fred Nile, took his close friend and political protege Silvana Nero on a parliamentary trip to Israel over the Christmas [sic]. Ms Nero ran for Mr Nile's Christian Democratic Party in the Warringah Council elections last year. Her appearance on the trip follows her attendance with Mr Nile at State Parliament's Spring Ball last year. Mr Nile did not return Tank Steam's [sic] calls but has previously denied there's anything other than friendship going on between the two." (Nero sailing on the Nile cruise, Linda Silmalis & Barclay Crawford, Tank Stream)

The reader might almost be forgiven for thinking that this was little more than a case of two Christian pilgrims, rapt in devotion - to the Lord that is, not each other! - following the paths trodden by Him, and  imbibing deeply of the spiritual sustenance thereof, hallelujah, the better to spread His word on the mean streets of Sydney. Except, of course, for those two words, "parliamentary trip."

Only after much diligent sleuthing on the net could any real light be shed on said "parliamentary trip." And lo, who should it come from but the pen of Fred himself! Tucked away in a far corner of his Christian Democratic Party's website, in a little newsletter called Salt & Light - A black & white voice in a grey world of politics, were the following words:

"The NSW Parliament will send a Deputation to Israel in January 2013 at the invitation of the Israel Government and the Jewish Board of Deputies. I will travel with 10 Members of Parliament and their spouses and partners to Israel. The delegation includes Paul Green and myself from the Christian Democratic Party. David Clarke, Matthew Mason-Cox and Gabrielle Upton from the Liberal Party, Luke Foley and Walt Secord from the ALP, Robert Borsak from the Shooters Party, John Barilaro and Rick Colless from the National Party. Michelle Green, Maria Clarke, Wendy Mason-Cox, Cheryl Borsak, Deanna Barilaro and Geraldine Colless and Silvana Nero will also be part of the group. I have appointed Silvana Nero as the International/National Ethnic Relations Officer for the Family World News to build up strong relationships with all the Ethnic Communities, eg Egyptian, Coptic, Assyrian, Armenian, Korean, Chinese, Jewish etc." (NSW Parliamentary deputation to Israel, 2/1/13)

Clearly, there was more to this than just a pair of humble pilgrims, eyes fixed on the heavens as their sandal-shod feet trod the paths once blazed in the Holy Land by the Lord. No, what we have here is another kind of pilgrimage entirely; nothing less than a hard-core, full-on rambamming! But just how full on was it, I couldn't help wondering?

Further sleuthing led me to an obscure website called dayofrepentance.org and a post by one Jeff Daly, under the heading, Australia, New Zealand: standing up for Israel,* which revealed that our NSW parliamentarians, and their spouses and partners (hmmm...) would be in Israel from January 3 to 24! 

Now, to sum up, here we have 10 polliewaffles and their spouses/partners, over the hills and far away in Israel, sucking up 3 whole weeks worth of Zionist pheromones at what must be a considerable cost to someone, if not the NSW taxpayer, and not a peep about it from the ms media, save for the above smidgeon in the Sunday Telegraph!

I rest my case.

[*Daly's post yields other riches which I'll here reveal. He quotes as follows from "a current newsletter from a dear brother in Israel." Make of these strange musings what you will. They are surely proof positive that, like God, the minds of Christian Zionists 'work' in mysterious ways: "On October 31, 1517, a great Reformation took place in the Church, restoring the understanding that salvation was by grace through faith in Yeshua and could not be purchased. In the same year, 1517, the land of Israel (then called Palestine) was brought under Turkish/Moslem rule. On October 31, 1917, exactly 400 years to the day from the beginning of the Reformation, Beer Sheba was liberated from the Ottomans. This victory literally opened the way for the re-establishment of the State of Israel. The overcoming force was the ANZAC 4th Light Horse Brigade, made up primarily of soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. The historical/spiritual significance of Beer Sheba in God's plan is unmatched." Religious nutters afflicted with Jerusalem Syndrome I've heard of, but 'Beersheba Syndrome'? Now that's a new one on me, folks.]

Fred Nile's History of Australia

Greece gave us Herodotus. Rome, Tacitus. England, Gibbon. Australia, Fred Nile.

From Your Kingdom Come 080808, A New Day for Australia's Prayer Gathering at yourkingdomcome.com.au. The highlights are mine. The delights all yours:

"1. AUSTRALIA's PROPHETIC ROLE IN WORLD AFFAIRS

(a) Australia's title - 'The Great South Land of the Holy Spirit', and Southern Cross in the sky above Australia.
(b) Australia's beginning in modern history. A dumping ground for convicts who were reformed and renewed.
(c) First evangelical Minister with the First Fleet - RICHARD JOHNSON, who laid evangelical foundations.

"2. WORLD WAR I

(a) Gallipoli - miraculous evacuation with not one casualty.
(b) Beersheba - Australia's Light Horse victory over Turkish Muslim Fortress.
(c) Jerusalem - Victory opened the door for the liberation of Jerusalem, which climaxed with the formation of Israel in 1948. (ZEPHANIAH 3:14-15 'HE HAS CAST OUT YOUR ENEMY'.)

"3. WORLD WAR II

(a) Australian victory at El Alamein Egypt, over Rommel's Africa Corp.
(b) First victories against Japanese Army in Malaya and New Guinea - Kokoda Trail.
(c) KOREA - Royal Australian Regiment stopped and delayed Communist Chinese advance.
(d) VIETNAM - Australian victory at LONG TAN.
(e) GULF WARS - Australian SAS destroyed SCUD Missiles aimed at Israel.
(f) IRAQ - Liberation of Iraq.
(g) AFGHANISTAN - Defeated Taliban Islamic Regime.
(h) EAST TIMOR - Defeated Muslim Militia, restored democratic Government.

"As a small nation, Australia has made an important impact on World Affairs in the providence of God."

Bonus offering from the above document: Fred reckons Australia faces "serious challenges." Could the last of the seven he lists be the most serious of the lot?: "Opposing the growing power and influence of 1 billion Muslims who are forcing their religious-political ideology, based on the Koran on Western Christian nations including Australia because it is an anti-Christ, which was formed by a false prophet Mohammed. (1 John 2: 20-26, 4:1-3, 4:15)."

Witches Brew 5

The Reverend Fred Nile of the openly Islamophobic Christian Democrats was practically beside himself in support of David Clarke's 15 September anti-BDS motion in the NSW Legislative Council. But first, he just had to say hello to his beaming mates sitting in the gallery:

"I also acknowledge the representatives of the Jewish Board of Deputies in the gallery and thank them for their support. Some members of the House are Jewish and I do not think the rest of us can fully comprehend the impact that an attack of this type would have on Jewish people. As a non-Jew, I wish to identify with the Jewish people at this time and sympathise with them for the strong feeling of revulsion that these types of campaigns cause in the hearts of every Jewish person."

Now for those who don't already know, Fred's got quite a track record when it comes to Jews (Good!) and Muslims (Bad! Really, really baaad!). He's the guy reportedly behind the virulent opposition to a Muslim school in Camden in Sydney's south-west (Nile party behind anti-Muslim school rally, Wendy Frew, SMH, 21/12/07); whose election slogans have included 'No nukes for Iran - we must defend Israel', and 'Ten-year moratorium on Muslim immigration'. (Nile raises crusade in by-election, Imre Salusinszky, The Australian, 6/11/09); whose campaign manager's son, CDP member Douglas Darby, was caught out sending emails telling Muslims, whom he claimed "habitually engage in child molestation, incest [and] pack rape," to "obey the laws of this country or f..k off to Afghanistan where Australians are allowed to shoot you people." (Obscene anti-Muslim emails put Nile on the defensive, Sean Nicholls, SMH, 21/11/09); and who thought so highly of a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he actually read it out in the NSW Parliament (Long may Israel live!, cdp.org.au, 22/6/11)

But, to really get a deeper insight into CDP 'thinking', especially on the subject of Israel, the potted bio of Fred's Parliamentary Secretary, Judith (Judy) Russell, at christianworldview.org.au is hard to beat:

"Judy is the great granddaughter of Maud & Donald McBean, Donald being a Light Horseman... who saw service in Palestine (now Israel) in 1917, in particular Beer Sheba. Judy's delight in knowing her great grandfather was involved in the liberation of Jerusalem from Ottoman rule, thus paving the way for the rebirth of Israel in 1948, enhances her zeal and love for Israel and the continuing covenants all made by God with Israel. Judy has had 4 tours of Israel and looks forward to others, as the Lord leads. Her tours are specifically tailored to see what the Lord is doing today in Israel and interacting with the Jewish people... Judy has a passion for the Scriptures and in particular seeing the Lord's prophetic plans come to pass. Through her private studies she has found the entire Bible is a love story between God and His chosen people, Israel. The Church, born after the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, had to wait until Acts 10 where the gentiles were grafted into the Jewish root, via the precious blood of our Jewish Messiah. Judy gives thanks and praise to God for placing her in the strategic position in the NSW Parliament. It is with gratitude to Rev Fred and Hon Elaine Nile whose dedication and faithfulness opened the way for the CDP to have a place in the NSW Parliament that we have such opportunities to host so many Christian, pro Israel functions and activities."

Whether Fred & Co think we're all on the road to Armageddon (tellingly a question no journalist or researcher that I'm aware of has ever bothered asking) I don't know, but if Judy's theological musings and rambles among the chosen don't set off the warning signs, I don't know what will. Anyway, I digress. Back to Fred's speech:

"I believe that we should not be in any way tolerant of this campaign but reject it absolutely and stop it in its tracks. It is a most evil activity and one that should not be tolerated. I mentioned in my adjournment speech what happened in Germany. Probably, in some people's minds, they were just watching stormtroopers standing outside various businesses that were owned by Jewish people, stopping customers from entering those shops. The Nazis tested public opinion and, when there was no reaction, they moved to the next stage of closing those shops, smashing shop windows and so on. Then we had what the Nazis regarded as the final solution, which was taking Jewish people to concentration camps and removing them from the face of the Earth. That was the end of their campaign. We cannot be tolerant of even the smallest beginnings of this anti-Semitic campaign."

Stone the crows! You have landed on Max Brenner. Go straight to the Final Solution.

On the anti-BDS smear and loathing scale (see my 13/9/11 post Smear & Loathing), that'd only require references to lampshades made of human skin and soap from body fat to make it a ten-out-of-ten smear. And this clown draws a taxpayer-funded salary of over $233,000!

There is no God.

A True Blue Friend of Israel

Islamophobia, Zionism, climate-change denial - a seamless fit:

"Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party plans to run an emotive anti-Muslim, anti-carbon trading campaign in the by-election for the northern Sydney seat of Bradfield... The party's propaganda for the December 5 by-election... declares 'Enough!' and urges Australians to 'Stand your ground in defence of Christian values'. It uses a selection of alternating slogans, including, 'Ten-year moratorium on Muslim immigration', 'No nukes for Iran - we must defend Israel' and 'No carbon tax - stop the ETS'. Mr Nile - who sits alone in the NSW upper house since expelling fellow MP Gordon Moyes* from the CDP 6 months ago - yesterday denied the CDP was dragging the politics of race into the battle for Bradfield. 'The CDP is opposed to racism and we have people of all races on our team', he said. 'But Muslim is not a race. It's a religious and political ideology'." (Nile raises crusade in by-election, Imre Salusinszky, The Australian, 6/11/09)

[*"Dr Moyes once described Mr Nile as a pathetic, friendless figure who works all day with his door closed and 'eats his fast-food meals alone and he spends every night alone in a cheap motel in western Sydney'." (Nile calls on the power of prayer to remove a political thorn in his side, Rick Fenely, Sydney Morning Herald, 4/2/09)]