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 1 June 2016

Their Israel Questions: In Australia, party time & pickles

 In Australia, there's to be a General Election on 2 July.

And as we see, the Israel-haters from the "Australia Palestine Advocacy Network"are on the campaign trail:

And first off the mark are:

AIJAC, meanwhile, has posed thirteen questions a-piece to current prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his main rival, ALP leader Bill Shorten, regarding their respective policies  regarding Israel.

As will be seen by clicking this link, both parties are broadly similar on most issues. There is nothing that can be considered over-the-top hostile or alarming from either of them. Nevertheless, there seems to be little doubt that the ALP is worse from a Jewish communal perspective, especially if we read between the lines.

For unlike the Coalition the ALP is increasingly dependent on the Muslim vote, especially in western Sydney and in north Melbourne. It also is dependent on the Greens, who are openly hostile to Israel. The ALP also has various left-wing anti-Israel activists. 

Reading the answers to the questions, there are several areas of concern:
- Counter-terrorism": The ALP emphasises "early intervention and community engagement" and quotes that "we can't arrest our way to success". These are cop-outs, and suggest that terrorists won't be monitored and stopped as effectively under an ALP government as under the Coalition.
- Schools: There is little between the two parties, but the ALP purely needs-based policy should be looked at closely for its possible impact on Jewish day school funding.
- The ABC (Australia's equivalent of the BBC): The Coalition hasn't been great, not with Turnbull as Communications Minister, but it seems clear that an ALP government would adopt a hands-off policy towards the ABC, even if (as it is) it is blatantly controlled by the Left and is hostile to Israel.
- 18C: This legislation can be used, and has been used, by leftists to silence conservative columnist Andrew Bolt and others, and should be repealed or modified. It is an open invitation, under an ALP government, to silence anti-Muslim blogs. It should have been repealed by Tony Abbott, who chickened out, but at least it is not being used as a left-wing weapon.
- UN Votes: An ALP government would obviously be more critical of Israel at the UN than a Coalition government.
So, leaving aside other policy issues, it seems clear that the ALP is at least marginally worse across the board.

Meanwhile, from the BDSers in Adelaide, who are a persistent bunch indeed, a singularly amateurish piece of work kicks of a new campaign of theirs:


You'd never know the Arabs, through their own bloody-minded rejectionism and aggression, brought defeat and "occupation"on themselves, would you?

3 comments:

  1. Please read my most recent guest post on the Shiloh Musings blog:

    http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/06/why-all-jews-must-die.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eskal make my family's favourite pickles and have for many years. I have a pantry full of them.

    Many many years ago a little man in Carlton used to make them for us. You had to provide the container and he would fill it up and give you a price. Always very reasonable.

    Sometimes my grandfather would make yoghurt and they would do a swap.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting, Geoff, thanks. If you ever want to write any reminiscences, you know to approach the A J Historical Society.

      Delete

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