Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rarely passes an opportunity to comment upon the way Jews in other countries are treated. While the manic hatred directed against Jews remains one of history’s grotesque legacies, opportunism in the Netanyahu government is a ready instinct. With a customary sense of perversion, Netanyahu has managed to mangle Israeli policy, his own political destiny and the interests of Jews in a terrible, terrifying mix. The broad stroke charge of antisemitism is the front name of this venture, and it conveniently presents itself whenever Israeli policy requires an alibi when pursuing particularly unsavoury policies: massacre, starvation and dispossession of Gazans; the continued destruction and intended eradication of a functional Palestinian entity; efforts to prevent criticism of its settler policies in other countries.
The slaughter of 15 people enjoying the festivities of Hanukkah on Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach by the father-son duo of Sajid and Naveed Akram, presented a political opportunity. Having already accused Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of being a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews” earlier in the year, Netanyahu readied another verbal lashing. In prickly remarks made at a government meeting in Dimona, the Israeli PM accused his Australian counterpart of being a leader who had “replaced weakness and appeasement with more appeasement.” His “call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.” It had rewarded “Hamas terrorists” and emboldened “those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets.”
Other Israeli politicians also decided that an unmeasured though monstrous antisemitism stalked the island continent, spawning the Bondi killings. “We felt and experienced the intense antisemitism directed against the Jewish community in Australia,” claimed Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli thought it appropriate to send “a delegation of experts in emergency response” to Australia, promising to “stand with the Jewish community in this difficult time and to ensure that we, as the State of Israel, are giving them everything within our ability.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had a list of lecturing points for his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong. There had to be, he stated with a teacherly certitude, “a real change in the public atmosphere.” This required culling phrases and expressions that had been expressed on behalf of the Palestinian cause in public debate and protest. “Call such as ‘Globalize the Intifada,’ ‘From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free,’ and ‘Death to the IDF’ are not legitimate, are not part of the freedom of speech, inevitably lead to what we witnessed today.”
In Australia, the acceptance of such positions, and the watering down of the Palestinian cause, was rapidly normalised. A procession line of commentators proceeded to state begrudgingly that Israeli government policy could be criticised only to demonstrate how slim such latitude was. This firm, excruciating delineation was offered by Jeremy Leibler of the Zionist Federation of Australia: “Australians can criticise Israeli government policy, Israelis do it loudly and fiercely themselves. But delegitimising Israel’s right to exist, or slipping into a moral equivalence between a liberal democracy defending its citizens and a terrorist organisation that targets civilians, is something else entirely.”
Leibler’s semantic technique is important here, forcibly linking those who claim Israel has no right to exist to critics of Israel’s policy of self-defence after October 7, 2023 that has left 68,000 Palestinians dead, Gaza pulverised and an enclave on life support. At the instigation of South Africa, it is a policy that is being scrutinised by the International Court of Justice as being potentially genocidal. It is a policy that has been deemed genocidal by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory along with a clutch of notable human rights organisations, including the Israeli outfit B’Tselem. Arrest warrants have also been issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Establishment voices from a long moribund press class are also of the view that not enough has been done by the Albanese government to combat a supposedly mad blight of antisemitism, seemingly unique from the other jostling hatreds. (Islamophobia, anyone?) The massacre, according to the unevidenced observation of veteran journalist Michelle Grattan, was “the horrific culmination of the antisemitism epidemic that has spread like wildfire in Australia.”
She noted, with grave disapproval, the failure to “formally” respond to the combative strategy proposed by the antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, one that openly accepts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s stifling definition of antisemitism. Any official embrace of that definition – a point made by that definition’s originator, Kenneth Stern – would be a fashioned spear against free speech, censoring genuine criticism of Israeli policies. The Jerusalem Declaration, by way of contrast, notes that hostility to the Israeli state “could be an expression of an antisemitic animus, or it could be a reaction to a human rights violation, or it could be the emotion that a Palestinian feels on account of their experience at the hands of the state.”
Like most journalists wedded to the holy writ press brief and arid political interview, Grattan shows no sign of having been to a single protest condemning the murderous death toll in Gaza, or any gathering advancing the validity of Palestinian self-determination. Woolly-headed, she freely speculates. “Most of us did not recognise this fact, but this anti-Jewish sentiment must have been embedded in sections of the Australian community – the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 was the spark that lit the conflagration.” Her travesty of an effort to understand the attacks in Bondi becomes evident in cod assessments of various protest marches and demonstrations across Australian university campuses. Without even a suggestion of evidence, she claims that “university encampments” proved “intimidating for Jewish students and staff.” Those Jewish students and staff more than willing to engage in those encampments mysteriously warrant no mention. Efforts on the part of cloddish university managers to harass, suspend and censor students expressing pro-Palestinian causes don’t seem to interest Grattan either.
With laziness, she snacks on the propagandistic samples provided by Israel’s publicity relations buffet, referring to unspecified “others” who believed that the Albanese government’s recognition of a Palestinian state stoked local antisemitism. Foreign Minister Wong’s failure to “visit the sites of the 2023 atrocities when she went to Israel early last year was much criticised in the Jewish community.”
Thus far, Israeli propagandists have shamelessly badgered their opponents down under into accepting a streaky narrative that would fail to survive judicial, let alone historical scrutiny.The agenda is clear enough: the inoculation of Israel against international opprobrium. Much will now depend on Albanese’s fortitude, if he, and his ministers, can find it.
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Maybe if Israel stopped declaring everything under the sun “antisemitism” the world would have a chance to-address the problem. For now, their ludicrous suggestions that amount to placing Jews above all others are not just Islamaphobic but anti everyone.
Actually sick of hearing all this crap about “anti-semitism” being spewed out by all and sundry. Rather than single out one word, anti-semitism, perhaps it would be better if everyone goes right back to the root cause – why do so many hate Jews??? It is unlikely anyone will ever stop anti-semitism but perhaps going back to just why so many hate them is the answer. Whilst many will bring up the whole Gaza thing this goes way back before then.
I will add one thing though, Mel Gibson. He was drunk and said some horrible things about Jews…………but their response was to literally run him out of Hollywood for life, something I would call the grossest overreaction in history. Is this why so many people hate them???
If we are to learn any lessons from Israel’s holocaust against the Palestinians, Germany’s holocaust against the Jews, and the Spanish inquisition’s pogrom against Jews it is the danger of branding a population with labels and blaming them for the ills of the world.
It is vitally important that we reject this conflation of Israel, Israelis, and pro-Israeli support with Jews and Judaism.
The root of the problem here is not Jews. Around 1900 and before, Jews, Muslims and Christians lived peacefully in Palestine, this began to change as Zionists decided Palestine was to be theirs by hook or by crook. It was then set aflame through European governments interference such as the Balfour declaration. There was a great deal of Jewish opposition to this then, just as there now is Jewish opposition to what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.
If we go back as far as the German holocaust, the root of the problem is labelling Jews as the root cause of the problems Germans faced – problems caused by World War 1 reparation payments, not Jews.
If we go back as far as the Spanish inquisition, the problem is religious ideology being used to control the population as a whole.
Would we want to be labelled by what Pauline Hanson and One Nation supporters have to say about Asians and First Nations people?
The Jewish lobby has succeeded in getting favorable treatment in getting these religious cult followers to and from churches, schools, and whatever, because they are very much on the delicate side, and enjoy the attention.
Knowing this keeps the dear little flowers safe, it has to be an act of provocation to run a party on a prominent Australian beachfront wearing full regalia, songs, and dancing. Look at us, we are so special that we are immune to any form of criticism. Very much in your face.
This regrettable event could have been avoided if a private venue had been chosen, but who in our government is gong to tell them to show a bit of common sense?
Certainly not a goyin, because our role on this planet is to serve them
@Jen says
I have been asking myself “where were the cops during this potentially provocative gathering?” And answering myself “oh yeah! That’s right! Busy putting out the eyes of peaceful protestors”
Gonggongche, well-chosen words, thank you. As Philip Adams was wont to say, a koala stamp coming your way.
D Pritchard —
You are SO wrong.
There are countless numbers of peoples who celebrate out of doors, showing in a myriad of ways what they are outdoors celebrating for. e.g. the Dutch at the Holland Festival. No one could mistake what that is all about. And Evangelist meetings, often held out of doors, particularly if a very large number of people will attend, and the Carols by Candlelight – that is somewhat religious in content … and so many more.
Imagine tryng to get groups of people to forego a picnic atmoshere for whatever purpose. Simply wouldn’t happen.
We live in a dangerous world and it is rotten that we even have to consider safety from maniacs these days.
Just a few words from a ‘dear little flower’ who incidentally is not Jewish.
Thanks Canguro, much appreciated; but it is to the Australian Independent Media Network, this website, where most of thanks belong. Not just for the thoughtful and articulate articles, but also for the opportunity for all of us to have our say on topics that are heavily censored in other outlets. I would not have been allowed to say one scintilla of that on The Guardian.
To add to that, thanks to the designers and organizers who, I assume, made a conscious decision not to have ‘likes’ or ‘ticks’ or ‘arrows’ attached to comments, because they, I believe, inhibit, distort, and self-censure commentary.
I heard this morning that Bondi was awash with Israeli flags, not one Australian flag. That, to me, says it all.
Heatened to read this.
The people here have seen the latest round of bullshit.
This has been a broadsheet reaction to Palestine and Israel at AIM.
The response from certain Australian politicians (particularly Hanson and Joyce for gatecrashing today’s memorial) has also been disgusting.
Douglas:
The neo-Nazi who was deported clearly and publicly breached the terms of his visa. That is why he was kicked out.
Never more apparent then right now. The media and press today, trying to work up more Islamophobia. TV utterly cluttered with fantasy claptrap.
Paul there was some commentary on podcasts in the months prior to last Sunday, that the Israel propaganda unit and its pro-Israel supporters had lost the narrative that Israel is justified and moral in what it does because enough people were seeing the horror of genocide livestreamed on social media, and that it had turned to straight out Islamophobia to distract from what Israel is doing.
If it weren’t for Ahmed Al Ahmed would be lurching into another war on terror, an invasion of Iran, or whatever suits?
Annie is right.
The question is not who should be able to go to our public spaces and enjoy a picnic, a celebration together, everyone should be free to; it is who isn’t free to go and celebrate there?
It is not hard to contort anyone’s actions as being provocative, bullies do it all the time.
Every time I go to the beach to wet a line, am I provoking vegans?
Every time I play beach cricket am I saying I’m so special I can command this part of the beach?
Hells bells, the day I can’t go to the beach in a tartan shirt, braces, baggy pants and boots singing the Lumberjack song, because I might be thought of as provoking conservationists, would be a sad day.
It was a nonsensical argument – you were right Annie, everyone has the right to go to such public spaces and celebrate as long as they don’t break our laws.
Netanyahu is not just a moron, but a delusional malicious evil moron… Perhaps the most malignant growth on our planet right now.
Until the quality of our polity lifts to the expectations that our country demands, we will be doomed to repeat this shit indefinitely.As for the mainstream media,they need to be scrubbed right out, and replaced with unbiased journalism,because, as we all know, they are a large part of the problem.
Meanwhile the duopoly can only aspire to mediocrity,whilst the ratbag right continue to draw their clues from the American insanity.