Thanks in no small part to the efforts of the garrulous bevy of Israel (and US) protectionists at the Murdoch press, BDS has now hit the mainstream well and truly as an issue in Australia.
Murdoch’s motley grab of gutter rags have aimed their mendacious clumps of dirt serially at Greens and their candidates who back BDS, their supporters and journalists who fairly report the issue and are critical of Israel’s crimes.
Journalist Antony Loewenstein responds to the latest Murdoch smears.
I stand by my article and Parker’s quotes and I have the notes to back this up. …
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In the days after my New Matilda piece on the Greens ran, Parker called me a few times to discuss the Middle East and BDS and did not dispute the accuracy of my article. In fact, he said he liked it and wanted it to be widely read.In a statement to New Matilda today, Parker says:
“An article published in New Matilda last week by independent journalist Antony Loewenstein outlined my experience during the recent NSW election campaign. Certain quotes are attributed to me which do not reflect the language that I have always used in relation to the conflict in the Middle East.”
Parker does not deny the quotes. He is, however, clearly keen to distance himself from the issue.
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Again today the Australian mentions my article and the Parker quotes and tries to undermine the credibility of both the new Greens MP and me.Parker further explained his position that was articulated in my story:
“The [New Matilda] article does reflect my belief that there is no place for bullying or intimidation in Australia’s political process, encouraged by either interested players or certain sections of the Murdoch press. The level of rhetoric and vitriol directed against the Greens — such as swastikas on our posters, hate calls and death threats — needs to be addressed and I have raised my disappointment with a range of people including members of the local Jewish community.
“I have the utmost respect for all of the groups with which I have been working but I strongly believe that there should have been a very clear condemnation of the hate-filled language which included the Daily Telegraph comparing the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) motion by Sydney’s Marrickville Council with the murderous rampage of Kristallnacht across Austria and Germany in 1938. We have seen this inflammatory and extremist language continue yesterday with comments by Murdoch columnist Andrew Bolt on ABC’s Insiders which compared my election in Balmain to the rise of the Nazis in 1933. It is time to end the extremist language and focus on peaceful initiatives that will promote justice for all.”
Indeed. Condemnations of the outrageous illegal defacements of Greens’ electoral posters immediately prior to the NSW election have been conspicuously absent from the Murdoch media hasbara which instead has focussed on slandering the Greens, Greens candidates and BDS whilst protecting the prestige of the apartheid Israeli regime and its immoral Australian sycophants.
Australians should take note of the latest announced plans by the Israeli IDF to breach sovereignty across the globe in order to pursue those whom they feel are ‘delegitimisers’ of the apartheid Israeli regime, including human rights defenders who support BDS.
There are another two disgusting, fascistic laws before the Knesset too, which are aimed at those who dare to support BDS from countries outside Israel.
The Israeli Knesset has been reviewing the proposed “Prohibition on Instituting a Boycott Bill” aimed at fighting the growing momentum in support of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israeli oppression, occupation and apartheid.
If proven they participated in a boycott, individuals who are not citizens or residents of Israel can also be punished by having their right to enter the country denied for at least 10 years, according to the proposed legislation.
Knesset members are also working on an “anti-subversive” bill aimed at anarchists and supporters of the Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). If approved the law would allow Israel’s Interior Ministry to bar international activists from entering Israel.
The law would apply restrictions to anyone who acts against Israel, denies the Holocaust, works to boycott Israel and/or attempts to place Israeli leaders on international trial for what they did in the line of duty.
“Many people why call themselves call themselves ‘peace activists’, along with all other Israel-haters who often are called ‘human rights activists,’ often act against the rights of Israeli citizens and are free to travel in the country without any restrictions,” said Nochi Eyal, director of the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, a proponent of the bill.
What sort of nation considers these sort of putrid tactics? certainly one worth boycotting. As ever, Israel is its own worst enemy, and it delegitimises itself.
Related Links
Are The Greens Ready For Hard Ball?
Sonja Karkar’s story on the smears: The Greens and BDS caught up in Israel’s theatre of the absurd
News Ltd War on the Greens tactic #1: shamelessly make stuff up
Tale of a smear foretold: The Nazi Greens
Michael Brull: ‘I think this brings us to the question: does a boycott of Israel establish someone’s evil malice to Jews? No. The reason is obvious: many people of good faith believe Israel has established an apartheid regime in the occupied territories. Anyone who thinks it was right to boycott South Africa because of apartheid there presumably is about as reasonable in boycotting apartheid in Palestine.’
Israel apologists defend the indefensible :
‘Israel deserves harsh criticism, not because it makes “mistakes”, but because it is a state built on the suppression of an entire people.
The Israeli system is deliberately designed to obliterate a nation (Palestine), destroy a people’s culture, history and way of life and crush their legitimate resistance.
Israel practises routine methods of cruel subjugation that deny Palestinians their political, religious and national and human rights.’
Brown moves to quell Israeli boycott brawl
Malevolent Marrickville Machinations
Father Dave speaks in support of BDS at Marrickville Council
Whodunnit? Fake Phone Poll Pushing Voters in Marrickville
Boycotting Israeli Apartheid in Australia
Palestine / Israel Links
Find out more about the upcoming US tour organised by Jewish Voice for Peace who are bringing Mira, Amer, and Hanna, three young Palestinians to share the challenges facing Palestinian students under Israeli military occupation, and their hopes and aspirations for a better future, where everyone’s human rights are respected.
How zionists appropriate Palestinian land. ‘Nasser outlined the details of plan based on documents he obtained. He said the project would cover 661,000 sq meters of land in historic Issawiyya and Tur, known as Karm al-Rumi, Ras al-Salm, Zaafarana, Maraj, Rabie, Dya and Khulla al-Jawz.’
Shabak Strikes Again, Israeli Palestinian Boy Arrested Under Gag for Alleged Security Offenses
People of Gaza have celebrated Orphans Day to alleviate the sufferings of those Gazan children that lost their parents during the 22-day Israeli-imposed war in late 2008.
Israel to promote itself on Facebook : Deputy foreign minister meets networking site’s managers to discuss plans for online PR
Avraham Burg in Haaretz foresees the end of zionism: “There is no other country in the Western world from which the international community has been willing to put up with acts of state violence for five decades, other than Israel. There is no other country that is permitted by the international community to maintain a vast, unsupervised nuclear arsenal, other than Israel. And there is no other colonialist left in the world, other than “the only democracy in the Middle East.” The world is still putting up with all this, but not for much longer – it will soon be over.
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We have done very little in Israel to develop an internal national-identity model that is not dependent on the definitions of the external persecutor. It is convenient, albeit not pleasant, to place responsibility for our identity in the hands of the enemy. Let Hitler decide who’s a Jew. And if Hitler is gone, then some poor man’s Hitler, like Yasser Arafat or Ahmadinejad. Every generation and its Pharaoh, every era and its wicked Haman.
Is there another possible way to understand and live the reality? Plainly. Hatred exists in the world, but we do not have a monopoly on it. In the past, anti-Semitism was the primary focus of Western hatred. Because in the heart of the First World, the Christian world, we were the ultimate strangers, set apart by the two basic activities that define a society and a community: eating and procreation. The strangers are those people who live in our midst but with whom we do not eat and do not marry. And for thousands of years “we” and “they” refrained from sharing the same bed and the same table. ”
MI5 files: Lehi planned to assassinate Churchill : Britain’s Security Service uncovers files suggesting Eliyahu Bet-Zuri, who was hanged for murdering Lord Moyne, plotted to kill British prime minister, Foreign Secretary Bevin in 1944
Jerusalem committee to discuss approval of 942 apartments beyond the Green Line
Australia Links
Margaret Simon writes about free speech for Bolt, no mention of Racial Discrimination Act – WTF?
Zionist lobby in Australia denies there is Zionist lobby
Aussie Zionist lobbyist doesn’t like answering questions about his lobbying