While growing numbers of global unions are showing solidarity with Palestinians calling for BDS, a few groups prefer to ignore the elephant in the room; the occupation. How to manage it? It doesn’t exist. History will record who stood tall against oppression and who equivocated: An Australian version of the British organisation, Trade Unions For…
Showing all posts tagged Israel lobby
Moving forward? Australia’s relationship with Israel is dire
My following lead essay appears in the Australian literary journal Kill Your Darlings: I first discovered the importance of the Israel/Palestine conflict in my early teens, in Melbourne. I remember sitting around the Sabbath table with my parents and cousins, discussing the events of the week as we consumed schnitzels, soggy vegetables and chicken soup.…
Dershowitz in Sydney calls for quick little bombing run of Iran
Last night in Sydney – and what an event to miss! – Sydney Morning Herald political editor Peter Hartcher interviewed Alan Dershowitz. Hartcher is a perfect person, being a close friend of the lobby (along with receiving free trips to Israel). Sounds like there were too many “highlights” to mention but this stands out: Dershowitz…
Roll up for another few decades of settlement expansion in Palestine
My following article appears on ABC’s Unleashed today: Will they or won’t they? The international media were counting down the hours until Israel’s self-described “settlement freeze” ended this week. Most Western journalists, based in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, looked for any signs from the government of Benjamin Netanyahu that would appease the perceived outrage of…
Mearsheimer/Walt enter the best-seller list via Franzen
Great post by MJ Rosenberg on Jonathan Franzen’s new best-seller Freedom and its deep message about the Zionist lobby: I just want to comment on a minor stream that runs through the book: it is that neo-conservatives are loathsome, that they joined up with war profiteers to get us into Iraq, and that they were…
The Zionist lobby sure doesn’t have much appeal anymore with the yoof
The American Jewish student community is increasingly vocal against Israeli crimes and BDS is their justified weapon: “We are not willing to have our money spent on manufacturing cluster bombs or any ingredients that violate the rights of the people of Palestine. Or any people,” explained Matan Cohen, an Israeli student at Hampshire College and…
Moving Forward? Australia’s relationship with Israel
Kill Your Darlings is a wonderful new Australian literary journal. I have a lead essay in the latest edition. Here’s an extract: I first discovered the importance of the Israel/Palestine conflict in my early teens, in Melbourne. I remember sitting around the Sabbath table with my parents and cousins, discussing the events of the week…
Zionist lobbyist just wants an Israel that changes nothing
A Zionist lobbyist in Australia whinges about being under any media spotlight. The poor dear. Frankly, the media should be far more inquisitive about his actions, his relationship with the current Labor government and what kind of Israel he really wants (perhaps he’d like to be asked his views on the settler movement and Jewish…
Keeping the Israel lobby close to the PM’s heart
What will this leading Australian Zionist lobbyist do? The poor dear. He’ll still be helping the Labor Party back every Israeli policy in such a noble act of benevolence. One day, and soon, such figures will be seen as the worst friends of Israel imaginable: Tim Mathieson, the partner of Prime Minister Julia Gillard, has…
Zionist lobby’s achievements are seen in the maddest colonies
Who says Americans have a love affair with Israel? A new study by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs offers some insights: “Contrary to the long-standing, official U.S. position, fewer than half of Americans show a readiness to defend Israel even against an unprovoked attack by a neighbor. Asked whether they would favor using U.S.…