Daphne Anson: John Michael Howson An Antisemite? I Don't Bloody Well Think So!

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, 23 August 2012

John Michael Howson An Antisemite? I Don't Bloody Well Think So!

Excuse the "great Australian adjective" folks, but my hackles are up.

I've just read this on J-Wire:

'Melbourne radio host John Michael Howson, who was suspended for one month for shouting “Sieg Heil” at the mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, says he’s no anti-Semite.

Howson, a talk-back host of 3AW, taunted Christine Assange with the Nazi salute three times after she declined to be interviewed on Sunday morning because of the way Howson had treated a previous caller.

Howson rejected accusations he was anti-Semitic, telling the Herald Sun newspaper his great-grandmother was Jewish and that he had participated at fundraisers for Temple Beth Israel.

“Somebody said that saying ‘Sieg Heil’ meant I was anti-Semitic,” Australian Associated Press reported him as saying. “I have a Jewish great-grandmother, I have a mezuzah hanging on the wall at my front door, I have a yarmulke in the wardrobe … and if you go into my pantry you will see matzo.”

3AW aired an apology by Howson yesterday as the station announced his suspension.'

The lovable John Michael Howson an antisemite? What tosh! Has everybody forgotten this splendid letter he sent to Aussie Jewish politician Michael Danby in May 2010 at the time of the "Forged Passports Affair"?:

'...I am appalled at the cynical action of the government in expelling an Israeli diplomat,

I know the prime minister has an agenda to get Australia a temporary seat on the Security Council (or maybe get himself elected Secretary-General) and to do so is prepared to jettison our support for Israel to curry favor with its enemies who, in the scheme of things, would also do us harm. However, while a reprimand may have been in order (together with an admission that Australia has agents who also use forged passports) the expelling was an extraordinary action.

...if I knew Israel needed a passport to rid the world of these people I would gladly give them mine. [My emphasis here and below]

In recent years I have been stunned and appalled at the vilification of Israel by people who propagandize for Israel's enemies. When I have defended Israel on radio I get calls usually from people, I'm sorry to say, who come from the Left, who take a virulent anti-Israel line and who often tinge their comments with anti-Semitic remarks.

The number of anti-Israel stories broadcast by the ABC which, sometimes, come from the rigorous critics of Israel at the BBC is shocking because, as with so much with our national broadcaster, they have a line and they will bend the rules of debate and discussion to broadcast their agenda.

It saddens me when prominent Jews with a radical agenda also attack Israel. Perhaps, they think that appeasing the enemy will get them a special status. ...It's ironic to be a Christian arguing support for Israel against a radical person with a Jewish background supporting Hezbollah! What strange times we live in...'

Strange times indeed.

Hold your head high, Mr Howson.

6 comments:

jean23 August 2012 at 22:41
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy at the hands of "Jewish" journalists.

JMH said "Jews with a radical agenda also attack Israel. Perhaps, they think that appeasing the enemy will get them a special status".

if we were in the 40's they's called Kapos

John-Michael Howson is a man of courage and morality

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jean23 August 2012 at 23:25
thank you Daphne for posting this article

that is the best from Australia not the worst with the so called Australiansforpalestine

great your day will be :)

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geoffff24 August 2012 at 08:32
Excuse me, but has anyone made the allegation of antisemitism?

Is Assange Jewish all of a sudden?

Saying "Sieg Heil" at the mother of a sex pest holed up in London might not qualify as good manners but it is hardly antisemitic.

I can think of a number of other Australian media types who should be suspended for antisemitism before this man.
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Rita24 August 2012 at 11:24
Here is a letter published at J-Wire. For some technical glitch on my side I cannot post over there at the moment, otherwise I would have commented. This letter corroborates what Daphne says:

"Michael says:
August 23, 2012 5:12 pm at 5:12 pm
I would guess most of your readers would not of heard of or listened to JOhn Michael Howson [ JMH] who
hosts [ not for the next 4 weeks] a program left Vs right on 3Aw on Sundays. The other host is Nic McCallum who I often have on -air clashes with when the topic of Israel / Middle east comes up which is quite often . Mc Callum makes dumb statements such as , Israel is the cause of all the Middle east problems ,when that conflict is solved all the Arabs/ Muslims will be happy little vegemites. Well after the so called Arab spring when we have seen what is going on in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria for example or the infighting of Palestinians all hardly Israels fault we can see what an idiot Mc Callum is. Any way I go down the coast most weekends and listen to JMH’s on Radio and nearly a week doesn’t go by when the topic of Israel, Middle east and Or Jews doesn’t come up. JMH is like a attack dog in defence when ever Israel or Jews are denigrated , vilified or put down which is quite often. Possibly because JMH has spent so many years in Hollywood as a reporter he mixed with many Jewish Americans and got to like them. I would be the first to condemn and expose any anti -Semite without hesitation and JMH is definitely not one of them , he ain’t no Mel Gibson , he is the opposite. If only many of our high profile Jewish Australians would stand up for Israel and Jewish human rights but thats another argument for another day.
Having said all that I wrote a letter a few days ago published in the Herald Sun which ran the front page story on his rant stating in my view I wrote JMH was no anti- Semite , acts like a Israel advocate and on radio a defender of Jewish human rights however what he said to Assanges mother { which was meant to be a insult to her , but backfired] was unacceptable and would have offended most Jews and that he should apologize and has done so.

I think this matter deserves attention, since public defenders of Israel and the Jewish people become rarer and rarer, probably due to that oldest emotion of the human condition: fear/cowardice.

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