2 days ago
In relation to the war in Gaza, inaction is consent
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Inaction is consent
On reading the article on East Jerusalem ' There's nothing the world can do about it ' (12/7) I couldn't stop thinking about the words of the man who watched his home be flattened: 'They are trying to break people, they want us to be nothing.'
It stayed with me, not just because of its heartbreak, but of how those words contrasted with the voices of those working to make that outcome a reality.
Australian-Israeli settler Daniel Luria, who proudly leads Ateret Cohanim's efforts to evict Palestinians and 'reclaim' homes, denies that Palestinians even exist as a people. They are 'illegal squatters'; he praises the use of courts to transfer land, and describes his mission as one of national rebirth.
This is a slow-motion war, and it is being waged with bulldozers and land deeds instead of bombs.
Australia recognises these settlements as illegal. So why is our outrage so well-mannered?
I don't know what the world will do. But I know inaction is a form of consent.
Fernanda Trecenti, Fitzroy
Treading carefully
Our leaders will have to tread carefully in considering any implementation of the points raised in Jillian Segal's antisemitism plan (Editorial, 12/7).
The risk here is that a misjudged implementation of such strong measures carries a strong risk of hindering rather than enhancing our quest for continued cultural unity and understanding, which is one of the successful hallmarks of Australian society.
Perhaps most difficult of all will be our achieving a better national understanding of the appallingly tragic Gazan situation beginning with an acceptance of the fact that it is this which in large measure lies at the heart of our destabilising antisemitism and Islamophobia.
What is needed now is a better understanding of extremism and moderation on all sides in the Middle East – and the problematic role of the West in the Middle East so ably written about by highly regarded British journalist, the late Robert Fisk.
So, we must tread carefully here, favouring educative understanding over punitive coercion lest the cure prove to be as bad – or worse – than the complaint.
Terry Hewton, Henley Beach South, SA
Violence no answer
The treatment of non-Jewish residents in East Jerusalem is one ongoing issue within an intractable problem of history, religion and politics. Leaders of Israel and many other countries, plus organisations like Hamas and the PLO, have not done all they could to reach a compromise solution.
Jerusalem, a Holy City for Jews, Muslims and Christians, should be under international governance, protecting access for all. A vote on this special status for Jerusalem, was passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947, within a two-state solution.
It might not be accepted by the extremists on either side, but there is no realistic alternative. Neither side can ″win″ this forever war with more violence.
John Hughes, Mentone
Gift status at risk
Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal has recommended to the government that deductible gift status should be removed from charitable organisations that promote antisemitism.
Amnesty International Medecins Sans Frontieres, and Human Rights Watch have all published lengthy reports finding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Given Segal's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism, the deductible gift status of these independent organisations would be at risk if the government adopted Segal's recommendation.
