By Jeffrey Loewenstein LL.B - Jeffrey was a member of the Victorian Bar and a one-time Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission and member of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria
There has been almost total silence, if not complicity, in the mainstream media not challenging, or even simply questioning, the usual pro-Israel suspects – be they the likes of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), AIJAC, the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA), the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) or the Lions of Zion.
Yet these very organisations and their ever-incessant public spokespeople are forever defending Israel’s actions, however egregious, or labelling anyone who criticises or challenges Israel’s actions as antisemitic.
The Labor-appointed antisemitism envoy, Jillian Segal, asserts quite falsely that antisemitism in Australia is “almost fashionable”.
One can argue that the mainstream media has been cowed into not challenging the various Zionist Jewish bodies on their often-outlandish assertions and claims, or defences of Israel, and simply steer clear as they know the fallout – including being accused of antisemitism – is just not worth it.
The bully-boy tactics of these organisations will always be seen to come to the fore. Witness the unconscionable pile-on at the ABC in relation to Antoinette Lattouf – resulting in her Federal Court case – and the unmeritorious litigation launched against Mary Kostakidis. In the former ‘case’, the ABC was found to have wrongly sacked Lattouf, and in the latter the applicant – ZFA CEO Alon Cassuto – this month discontinued (that is, effectively abandoned) his claim in the Federal Court.
ECAJ and the like are patently more interested in playing up how antisemitism is plaguing Australia so the subject dominates the headlines instead of, for example, what Israel has done, and continues to do in Gaza. Famine in Gaza? The outrageous violence of so-called settlers in the occupied West Bank? Nothing to see here.
One then adds into the mix people like Sharri Markson and her co-author (and co-head of ECAJ) Alex Ryvchin, who this month launched a book relating to the Bondi massacre. One has to wonder for what purpose? It is fairly clear from Markson’s previous statements – including denying that Israel commits war crimes or that it’s “libel” to accuse Israel of genocide – that she is not across Israel’s actions in relation to Gaza and the West Bank, let alone the backstory relating to those two areas. We all know where Ryvchin stands.
NSW Premier Chris Minns, together with the usual suspects, plus the likes of Lachlan Murdoch, attended the launch and made all manner of pronouncements, many inappropriate, if not improper, whilst we all await the handing down of the Royal Commissioner’s report and any recommendations. The premier said, “It’s the first job of government to protect its citizens, and we failed our Jewish brothers and sisters on December 14. We made some big mistakes …”
If one is to believe the little which has been reported about the launch other than in the Murdoch press, Lachlan Murdoch said that “at News Corp, we stand with the Jewish community. We will be there for you. We will not walk away from this, and we will not let you down.” What does this mean exactly? And to what effect? And why is it that the premier is so much out there seeking to appease the Jewish community? There is a seeming indifference – and rare public pronouncements – about what the Muslim and Arab communities are experiencing by way of hate, personal attacks, denigration and the need to protect Muslims personally and their mosques.
Which brings us the questions the mainstream press are not directing (or deliberately avoiding) at the ECAJ, AIJAC, the ZFA, the AJA or the Lions of Zion. So, I will throw out a public challenge to these organisations to answer the following important questions:
Do you regard it as acceptable that Israel starved – or even if that is not accepted as what Israel did – at least severely limited and restricted food, including infant formulas, entering Gaza?
Do you support Israel’s prohibition / barring of medical supplies / equipment or vital medication (for example to treat cancer) entering Gaza?
Even if you baulk at and are outraged at when Israel is accused of engaging in genocide, do you not see Israel’s actions as at least constituting crimes against humanity?
Do you find the pronouncements of various Israeli ministers to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza as acceptable?
Do you condemn the sort of antics of some Israeli ministers, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leading Jews provocatively into the sacred Muslim Al-Aqsa Mosque site?
Why have you not spoken out about the various actions of Israel, in particular, the disproportionate killing of medicos and journalists in Gaza and Zomi Frankcom?
Why should Jews in Australia, their usual place of residence, regard Israel as their homeland and the Israeli president as their leader?
Do you accept that so-called settlers in the occupied West Bank are killing and terrorising Palestinians, and plundering and destroying Palestinian villages and the property?
Why is that none of your organisations – who have the ear of and ready access to the mainstream media – do not issue regular statements condemning or criticising Israel?
Finally, to Segal. There are many criticisms which can be levelled against her in relation to many of her pronouncements and some of her activities (all ideological from her perspective). But paramount in all of that are her calls for what can only be described as seeking to curb free speech in as much as it relates to Israel and Jews – coupled with her proposed regime for monitoring it all.
It is stating the obvious that this is singularly dangerous in a country which stands by and values its democratic principles. All Australians should be alarmed by what Segal proposes, in particular all the media. The mainstream media stands particularly condemned for not taking it up to Segal. One has to ask: why not?
The apparent power of the extremist zionist in Australia with the capture of the "traditional" or corporate media and the vast majority of our politicians should be of concern to us all. I despair at Wong and Albanese.. is it fear that the zionist lobby will affect their re-election or pressure from the US that drives their denial of the horrors of Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon?
I have noticed substack, not showing photos of articles, and even though I subscribe my feed does not show articles from you and deepcut, I have to go and get the news from you. Its not only mainstream media it is social media controlled by US.