Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Wednesday 13 July 2011

No Birthday Tea With Mazin Qumsiyeh For Aussie Flotilla-Turned-Flytilla Pair

Poor Sylvia Hale.  The ex-Marrickville councillor and former New South Wales state parliamentarian was thwarted in her expectation of sailing to Gaza aboard the Canadian ship Tahrir by the Greek authorities, like fellow Sydneysider flotilla participants Vivienne Porzsolt and Michael Coleman, as well as Perth-based Alex Whisson, convenor of Friends of Palestine WA.


 As a publicity gimmick, Coleman paddled a kayak to impede the Greek coastguard turning back the Tahrir, and was duly fined. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1020539--kayaktivists-from-gaza-flotilla-found-guilty-but-released

But Sylvia, with Vivienne, flew into Tel Aviv today (Tuesday) tp participate in the so-called "Welcome to Palestine" scheme.  Alas, it seems that when the Israeli authorities were told of the pair's intent, the Aussies were detained at the airport for four hours and face deportation to Athens on the first available flight.  So instead of meeting Palestinian activist Mazin Qumsiyeh in Marrickville's sister city of Bethlehem  - Qumsiyeh's a former genetics professor in the USA who has suggested that Jesus was the first Palestinian martyr and who has, among other things, written a book called Sharing The Land of Canaan - Sylvia has been spending her 69th birthday cooling her heels at the pleasure of Israeli security.

Still, I'm sure the Israel-demonising Greens movement back in Oz will be making the most of this setback, spinning it as yet another example of Zionist perfidy.

In fact one of them, a twenty-something blogger ("I write mostly about politics and social justice topics. My current focus is primarily on writing about Israel-Palestine, and the expansion of the coal seam gas industry in Australia") already has.

And so has Greens MP David Shoebridge.
 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-07-13/greens-mp-and-activist-detained-in-israel/2792348
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/two-australians-detained-in-israel-20110712-1hciz.html
http://www.kateausburn.com/2011/07/12/democratic-israel-detains-human-rights-activists-seeking-to-visit-palestine/
See also http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=6&x_article=1383

As for the Greens and Israel, one of my favourite verdicts was made in a Greenie NSW newspaper, The Byron Shire Echo, by Geoff Pahoff, who wrote inter alia to its editor:
'You complain about your "experience with the pro-Israel lobby". Given that you have never published anything that could be remotely described as "pro-Israel", it can only be that you never publish opinions that differ from yours or the "experience" you claim is very limited indeed. None at all. What is your problem? .... Who do you mean by this "lobby" anyway? Israel is solidly supported by every major political party in our country. As you would expect from a liberal democracy for the only liberal democracy in the Middle East and the only state there that provides and guarantees full political and civil rights for Arabs. Only some of your party's candidates and some of "One Nation"'s attack Israel so obsessively.Why? If by the "pro-Israel lobby", you mean Australian Jews, then say so. We need to know. About you. Not them.
 It is impossible to defend Israel, and the democratic secular Zionist principles that underpin it, without being accused of racism. Sooner or later it always happens. Always. It is also true that much of the incessant attacks on Israel, especially from the political extremes, and from militant Islamism, is driven by antisemitism. This cannot be honestly denied. It is everywhere.
....The situation in Gaza can be summed up in a sentence. Israel has the stark choice of either attempting a military blockade or simply allowing Hamas to become as lethally armed as Hezbollah. Gaza is an Iranian colony ruled by a subsidiary of the Muslim Brotherhood. Their grievance with Israel has nothing at all to do with "occupation". Gaza is not "occupied". Their grievance has everything to do with the fact that Israel is free, liberal and democratic and, above all, with the fact that Israel is the Jewish state. They say so again and again.
Nor do I accept that for you this is about the "Palestinians". The old hard left that now control your party in this state does not give a rat's arse about the Palestinians. They never have and they have been around for a long time. If they gave a damn at all they would be hollering from the rooftops for the liberation of these tragic people from the death grip of Hamas. For them, this is not about the Palestinians at all. Even less is it about the millions of people from Tunisia to Syria and beyond right now risking their lives in a desperate brave struggle for some of those freedoms that Israeli Arabs enjoy as of right and have for decades. For the old hard left, this is about something else entirely.'
 (Geoff's letter wasn't published.  See http://webdiary.com.au/cms/?q=node/3181)

9 comments:

  1. I might as well do it here, where I have more chances to be heard than by my Australian government that is held hostage by the Greens who have just about taken over complete power here:

    I strongly protest against my tax dollar being used to promote another holocaust against the Jewish people via the terrorism-supporting Greens of Australia.

    I also protest about the still largely tax-payer funded TV stations like SBS using euphemistic descriptions like "activists", "Peace flotilla" etc. when talking about murderous jihadists, such as were on the first "Kill the Jews" flotilla and who are probably on this one too.

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  2. PS: Note to Sylvia Hale, Vivienne Porzholt and Michael Coleman:

    Go away, live in Gaza, permanently. I hear life there is good: good food, nice big residences, at least for the HAMAS leadership who will probably thank you generously for your help. Medical services, provided by Israel, are also good I hear.

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  3. Go Rita.!! Let's do lunch next week !! Sorry Daphne, I realise this isn't the local chat room

    The next election will finish them off. The ALP too. I think the Greens are now a spent force and Labour will be in the wilderness for many a year

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  4. Beaut day today where I am - the local PSC are out in force picketing the local supermarket.
    En route, I meet the advance guard, atall grey-haired posh-voiced woman, who says to me: "Can I give you a leaflet?"
    Me, spotting a certain flag in her lapel with the words "Free Palestine": "If it's for Free Palestine you cannot!"
    She (imperiously): "May I ask why not?"
    Me: "Because I'm on the side of Israel, you stupid bigoted [catches self just in time] woman!"
    On way back (where she has buttonholed a young Chinese woman who says politely "May I take a leaflet away?") I exclaim "Still doing Hitler's work, I see!"
    When I came out of the supermarket a middle-aged man, an old woman, and a young woman, were busily collecting signatures for BDS. Disturbingly, they were having some luck.
    They watched me glumly, not bothering to approach. Seems my fame has travelled, for had I been approached I'd have written a nice pro-Israel message on their petition!

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  5. They just bring out the tiger in me, Shirlee!
    Wednesday is the day they come out onto the streets when it's sunny and lots of people are about. Rain or shine, they meet for coffee on the local campus - goodness knows what they are plotting. Most of them are late-middleaged or 60-something women, and that intrigues me...

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  6. You are right Shirl...these are NOT the social pages...snigger snigger snigger...I would pay good money to see Shirl in action against the BDS morons. And Rita, you can add the ABC to your list...I want my eight cents a day back.

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  7. Apologies for the delay in putting on your comment, Beertruk - have been well out of range for hours...

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