Carr’s ‘despicable’ slur
NSW Jewish Board president David Ossip says Bob Carr “has completely crossed the line” on Israel, Jewish community.
Former NSW Premier and Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr “has completely crossed the line” with his latest comments on Israel and Jews, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said this week.
Carr, who is about to be honoured by NSW Labor at a dinner celebrating 30 years since his election as NSW Premier on September 16, told Muslim YouTube channel OnePath Network on Sunday that “the Israel Jewish lobby in Australia is a foreign influence operation”.
“It’s designed to put the interests of Israel above the interests of Australia and foreign policy. No one else has an operation as well funded,” Carr said.
“We’re not going to be intimidated by the pressure of the Jewish Lobby in Australia.”
He also accused Israel of “knowingly implementing a genocide, uprooting civilians, sending them on death marches … and allowing the IDF to shoot at children”. The Hamas-led October 7, 2023 atrocities did not get a mention.
On Monday, a day after making the remarks, Carr posted an image of a Gazan toddler to X with the caption, “This is from the UK’s most conservative paper The Daily Mail – it shows 2 year old Sham Kadih. Israel’s deputy PM insists pics are of pre-existing medical conditions. If so I guess the denial of food, medicine, drinkable water is a sure-fire cure. At least a medical experiment.
“Who else in history has conducted medical experiments on kids?”
Three weeks ago, Carr participated in the so-called “March for Humanity” in Sydney, where he was pictured alongside an image of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Carr later claimed “I didn’t notice his picture or recognise him”.
Ossip told The AJN, “In addition to questioning the humanity of Jewish Australians, Carr has insinuated that there is something malevolent or sinister about Jewish Australians exercising their basic democratic right to engage in the political process.
“He has also outrageously suggested that Australia’s foreign policy and democracy has been subverted or distorted to accord with the desires of the Jewish community.
“This is despicable … Carr has discredited himself and given legitimacy to some very dark theories which will sadly fuel hatred against the Jewish community. All decent people need to call out and condemn Carr’s offensive slurs against the Jewish community.”