More Lizards In Oz

Destination Down Under.  That seems to be the motto of international anti-Israel activists this season.  The Sydney Opera House and Wollongong University await Ilan Pappé this month, and a pair of Israeli dissidents worked their mischief last month.  One of them, Micha Kurz, was instrumental in founding the NGO Breaking The Silence, and appears on this video giving aid and comfort to Israel's enemies by waxing enthusiastic about the BDS movement.

I almost posted that video yesterday, but was so disgusted that I decided not to give it oxygen.

The antipodean J-Wire service carries an article by Dr Ron Weiser, immediate past president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, and a vehement critic of the New Israel Fund and of David Landau's visit to Australia under its auspices last year, who writes in part:

'Australians for Palestine promoted a function in Melbourne on the 28th of August.

They produced a very nice flyer for the event.

NIF Australia has been desperately trying to separate themselves from the people presenting at forums under the Australians for Palestine banner.

They say that although the co founder of BtS is no longer a spokesperson for BtS, we should ignore the publicity of those who host him. They say that he has made that clear.

Well, except to his hosts apparently, or to anyone interested in attending the actual event.

So now the issue deepens, because another NIF-funded organisation is also being used in the Australians for Palestine promotion of a second function – Sheik Jarrah Solidarity.

For the Melbourne function, the cofounder of BtS is described precisely as that, without qualification.

The Australians for Palestine promotion was headed "Israeli peace activists speak out" and featured the two Israelis which also included the following descriptions on the promotional leaflet

"Sahar Vardi – is involved in the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity Movement

 Micha Kurz – a co-founder of Breaking the Silence"

Both of these organisations received significant funds from the New Israel Fund.

Both of these organisations are political organisations who have an agenda of opposing the policies of the democratically elected government of Israel.

That is their right of course, but just because they cannot attract the support of the Israeli electorate, it does not mean that their activists or cofounders will "sensitise Israelis to the ways in which the occupation is having an effect on Israel’s values" as claimed last week by NIF Australia, by being promoted by Australians for Palestine.

..... The basic problem with NIF’s reasoning is its failure to recognise, or perhaps it is purposeful, the main complaint against them.

They like to smugly say that we should not shoot the messenger.

That they are the moral voice.

The problem is not in who is the messenger at all – the problem is the message.

The message is twisted.

The message is unproven....

This is not a debate about whether one should be washing "dirty linen" in public or not, it is about whether the "dirty linen" actually exists....'

Read and see more here