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)

Thursday 9 June 2016

Ms Hodgins-May Not: More Aussie Greens' Israel hypocrisy

How's this for a double dose of hypocrisy?

A fortnight ago, the Australian Jewish News carried an article by Greens' candidate Steph Hodgins-May, who in the imminent federal General Election (2 July) is contesting the Victorian seat of Melbourne Ports  currently held by staunchly pro-Israel Labor MP Michael Danby.

In that article the youthful Ms Hodgins-May criticised Mr Danby for raising concerns regarding Israel's security and about the Green Party's despicable attitude towards Israel, and wrote that it would be more appropriate for candidates to raise bread-and-butter concerns facing voters in the constituency, as she intends to do.

That was, of course, most ironic and hypocritical, in view of the fact that the Green Party, home to such notorious Israel-denigrators as Senator Lee Rhiannon, is itself obsessed with the issue of "Israel/Palestine" virtually to the exclusion of any other international issue.

It is even more ironic and hypocritical now.

According to the 2011 federal Census (another Census is due this year) there are 19,563 Jewish residents in Melbourne Ports.  A debate between the three principal candidates for the constituency (Mr Danby, the Liberal Party's Owen Guest, and Ms Hodgins-May) was scheduled for 22 June, co-hosted by the AJN and Zionism Victoria at the Beth Weizmann Community Centre.

Chaired by AJN editor Zeddy Lawrence, it was arranged to enable Jewish voters to ascertain those three candidates' attitudes regarding a variety of issues, Israel, Iran, the terror threat, and peace in the Middle East among them.

But suddenly Ms Hodgins-May has announced she won't be attending.  As the AJN, in breaking news, now reports, it was in the middle of last month that she agreed to attend the debate.
'On May 30 AJN editor Zeddy Lawrence told Hodgins-May during an email exchange that it would be co-hosted by Zionism Victoria.
However, this Tuesday when questioned about her appearance via Twitter she told a journalist that it was his tweet that alerted her to Zionism Victoria’s involvement.
That prompted her withdrawal from the debate.
Quizzed by The AJN today over the email notifying her on May 30, she claimed she had missed it.Hodgins-May’s comments and withdrawal came as a shock to The AJN and the community because Greens MP Adam Bandt is attending a forum hosted by APAN next week titled, Melbourne candidate forum: Palestine and Israel: adopting a just position.Hodgins-May said it is not “appropriate and right” to speak at an event hosted by a politically active organisation, but APAN calls for people to “spend just one minute to email candidates asking them to pledge to support Palestine” and recently held an event to “bring awareness to and influence Australia’s public policy regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.”
APAN also supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
After being informed that Bandt would be attending a function hosted by APAN Hodgins-May claimed she would not attend the forum because she didn’t like Zionism Victoria’s stance when it comes to the United Nations.
“I was unaware when I accepted that it was also being co-hosted by an organisation that holds strong political views, including in relation to the United Nations,” she said.
“As someone who worked at the UN and holds their work in high regard, I have chosen not to participate in the now co-hosted forum.”
The AJN has contacted Adam Bandt and Greens leader Richard Di Natale this morning for comment but has not received a reply.'
 Time to play that song again, perhaps?

1 comment:

  1. Most Jews do not know that the laws of Islam require that 100% of Israel be destroyed and forever wiped-off-the-map.

    According to Islamic law, the status of Jews is only a little higher than the status of slaves. Therefore, Islam considers an independent Jewish state to be almost as unacceptable as an independent state of slaves.

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