Editorial, July 30, 2010

Church vs State

THE West sought to make amends for what Jews had endured in the countries of Europe, but it made amends on our account and in our land. They tried to correct an injustice and the result was a new injustice.”

Words from the Kairos document issued by a group of Palestinian Christians in December 2009. A document welcomed this month by the National Council of Churches of Australia (NCCA), and the basis on which the organisation is now urging its members to consider a boycott of goods produced in the Israeli settlements.

The above quote is just one of a number of statements in the document presenting a distorted, and indeed offensive, view of both the history of Israel and the reality that exists today — its one-sided view sadly reflected in the resolution passed by the NCCA.

True the ecumenical council condemns “all acts of terrorism”, but the subsequent focus is on “the occupation”, “the injustice and suffering borne by the Palestinian people”, the “boycott of goods”, and “an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza”.

A simple nod to the rockets that rain down on Sderot, the virulent anti-Semitism of Hamas, its ideological refusal to recognise of the State of Israel and the continued captivity of Gilad Shalit would have at least suggested that the body was not naively buying into just one side of the narrative.

But its calls for the consideration of a boycott as well as the lifting of the blockade suggest that this is precisely what has happened. The economic impact on Palestinians is ignored as are the shipments of weapons to Gaza which the blockade seeks to prevent.

Of greater concern is the resolution’s significance in the current climate of delegitimisation. Yet another voice in the chorus clamouring against Israel, lending credence to the perception of an apartheid state and failing to recognise the democratic ideals the for which the country stands.

For our part, we are forced to wonder what has become of the much vaunted principle of interfaith dialogue? Where was the consultation and why was the NCCA so oblivious to the obvious concerns of the community and the negative impact it would have on relations with Australian Jewry?

Indeed, not so much as a clerical error as a clerical catastrophe.

Money matters

AS Michael Danby colloquially put it this week, his party, the Australian Labor Party, is not spending money “holus-bolus” during this election campaign.

A welcome announcement given that one of our own, Joseph Stiglitz — a Nobel laureate, economics expert and adviser to a number of former US presidents — warned Australia on the ABC’s 7.30 Report on Tuesday that the globe’s economic troubles were far from over.

So Danby’s party, and the Opposition for that matter, are on the right track in encouraging austerity.

However, Stiglitz also praised the Rudd-Gillard Government’s stimulus package. “If you hadn’t spent the money, there would have been waste,” he said. “The waste would have been the fact that the economy would have been weak, there would have been a gap between what the economy could have produced and what it actually produced — that’s waste.”

One of the areas in which stimulus has been used most visibly is education. While there are horror stories and bungles to be found in the

$16 billion program, the intentions have been clear: to support education.

Speaking at Beth Rivkah Ladies College on Tuesday, Minister for Home Affairs Brendan O’Connor had to compete to be heard over the sound of hammers banging and drills drilling — “It’s a very positive noise,” he said.

And Beth Rivkah is not alone. Over the next few months, Jewish schools across the country will be opening new classrooms, canteens, music rooms, arts centres and staff areas, all partially funded by the stimulus package.

The Government also announced $15 million more to pay for capital improvements that will secure schools at risk of attacks motivated by race or religion. The Coalition has also committed to the funding if elected, although an official announcement will be made in coming weeks.

That money is essentially $15 million that schools can now direct to education and support programs, rather than security costs. It is money that has been welcomed by every Jewish school in the country, all of which have already benefited from the original $20 million program — a program the Coalition did not support.

Terrorism is a real fear and the Jewish community is an easy target. That is why we have guards outside community institutions, including schools, synagogues and offices, large fences and CCTV. It is a harsh reality that both parties have recognised and they should be thanked for doing so.