My following book review appears in today’s edition of Sydney’s Sun-Herald newspaper: Israel and the Clash of Civilisations Jonathan Cook (Pluto Press, $42.95) The September 11 attacks on New York and Washington caused the Western media and political elite to seriously examine their behaviour in the Middle East. Most concluded that maintaining client states was…
Showing all posts tagged Gaza
Bowing to the Zionist religion
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, March 23: The amount of support being shown for Israel these days is almost embarrassing. The parade of highly-placed foreign guests and the warm reception received by Israeli statesmen abroad have not been seen for quite some time. Who hasn’t come to visit lately? From the German chancellor to the leading frontrunner…
The poison of occupation
A disturbing but unsurprising poll result: A new poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Palestinians support the attack this month on a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem that killed eight young men, most of them teenagers, an indication of the alarming level of Israeli-Palestinian tension in recent weeks. The survey also shows unprecedented support for…
Kill them all (but make sure they’re Arabs first)
Following my recent article in Crikey – discussing Australia’s parliamentary motion celebrating Israel’s 60th anniversary as well as the local Zionist lobby’s shenanigans – a number of letter writers responded yesterday: Bren Carlill, analyst at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, writes: “Re. “Our “passionately pro Israel” PM throws compassion out the window” (13 March,…
The threat from within
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, March 16: Defense Minister Ehud Barak is a bitter disappointment. He was the first statesman who dared suggest brave, though lacking, solutions. Now, he has turned into the chief saboteur of any chance for a calm in the fighting, a cease-fire or diplomatic progress. Barak has long forsaken talk of peace. He…
Smelling fear
Following my involvement with Independent Australian Jewish Voices in the recent public response to Australia’s endorsement of Israel’s 60th anniversary – something that has now been noted by leading Jewish bloggers in America and Britain – the group is receiving, along with a great deal of support, messages such as this: You bunch of dirty…
Jewish voices condemn pro-Israeli solidarity
Watch out if you’re Jewish and don’t entirely support Israeli policies. Today’s Australian reports: A pro-Palestinian advertisement protesting against parliament’s motion in support of Israel has divided members of a Jewish group critical of Israeli national policy. Antony Loewenstein, a founder of Independent Australian Jewish Voices, was a signatory to the advertisement, published in The…
Jews who can’t handle debate
Israeli peace activist Uri Avnery placed the following statement in Haaretz on March 14: I am shocked by the silence of the Israeli media after the government’s decision to boycott the Aljazeera network as punishment for its coverage of the bloody events in Gaza. As journalists and citizens of the “Only Democracy in the Middle…
Why I won’t be celebrating 60 years of Israel
My following article appears in today’s ABC Unleashed: Like Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s recent apology to the Stolen Generations, the local Jewish community celebrated the gesture of reconciliation to the indigenous population, but as I wrote in Haaretz remained unwilling to extend this sentiment to the Palestinians. Rudd’s parliamentary motion to celebrate Israel’s 60th…
Our “passionately pro Israel” PM throws compassion out the window
My following article appears in today’s edition of Crikey: A recent report released by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel exposed shocking racism in the Jewish state. 50 per cent of Israelis said they would not live in the same buildings as Arabs or allow Arabs to enter their homes. Also, Israel announced the…