Following my article in yesterday’s Crikey about John Pilger, the Sydney Peace Prize and the Zionist lobby, the following letter by Justin Templer is published today:
I have always enjoyed Antony Loewenstein, if only as an entertaining foil against the overly influential pro-Israel machine. But in his latest writings Antony’s enthusiasm overwhelms his sense of even-handedness.
First, he attacks apparent attempts by Jewish leaders to heavy the Sydney Peace Foundation over its award of a prize to John Pilger, condemning the intolerance of debate of many Jews. But in the next breath he seems to condone Associate Professor Jake Lynch (director of Sydney University’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies) calling for an academic boycott against Israeli institutions for their complicity in the occupation of Palestine.
Debate has to go both ways, Antony.
Should one have been even-handed about nazism? about stalinism?
There is no room for ‘even-handedness’ when it comes to Israel, as AL’s involvement attests.
A recent article on EI by Faris Giacaman highlights explicitly what ‘dialogue’ is all about.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10722.shtml
It’s about the status quo. which is the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine while denying it.
This is not a ‘debate’. This is a call to arms against a criminal state and a criminally amoral propaganda machine.