Just what the Australian Jewish community needs. A leading Jewish American, Zionist lobbyist – David Harris is the Executive Director of the the American Jewish Committee – comes here and talks about how weak Jews are and how the world hates Jews/Israel/democracy. Make people scared. Keep them ignorant. Don’t explain why growing numbers of people globally don’t accept the never-ending occupation of Palestinian land. It’s all about anti-Semitism. Why, of course, why hadn’t I thought of that?
This is what Harris told Sydney (occupation? What occupation?)
Harris brought the meeting sharply into the focus of today’s world saying: “As we face the risks and the dangers today in the new vocabulary including words like delegitimisation, demonisation of Israel, UDI – Unilateral declaration of Independence for Palestinian, BDS – Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions, lawfare and all the other elements of the new lexicon of the enemies of the State of Israel who wish to deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination which has been ours for over 3000 years.
We need to stand up need to stand tall need to stand proud need to stand unafraid
This is the moment for each of to stand up to the moment and dig deep into that… reservoir… of courage and… commitment… which has been an essential part of the Jewish people for over 3000 years.”
He continued: “We have defied all the odds at every stage of our … history and we will… continue… to defy the… odds because we are here to stay. Israel is here to stay. Our presence is… permanent.”
Stating that “our job is unfinished”, Harris said that our job is not simply surviving or of proving our enemies wrong … but “to try and repair a broken world”.