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Responsibility

While Israeli flags flew – amongst many others, it must be pointed out – it was not about defending Israel, but our local Jewish community from hate.

By AJN STAFF May 23, 2024, 11:21 am Edit
Let my people go. With around 5000 people attending the “Stop The Hate Mate” rally on the steps of Parliament House, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Moses appeared, draped in his robes, carrying his staff and a message for us all. Photo: Peter Haskin
Let my people go. With around 5000 people attending the “Stop The Hate Mate” rally on the steps of Parliament House, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Moses appeared, draped in his robes, carrying his staff and a message for us all. Photo: Peter Haskin

Sunday’s rally against antisemitism in Melbourne was a wonderful embrace of solidarity with our community who have faced more than seven months of hell in Victoria.

While Israeli flags flew – amongst many others, it must be pointed out – it was not about defending Israel, but our local Jewish community from hate. And it was a wonderful success.

Not that you would have known it from watching mainstream news channels on Sunday night, who almost all misportrayed the event as solely a pro-Israel demonstration and irresponsibly conflated it with the ostensibly pro-Palestinian protest nearby for maximum sensationalism.

Thus, members of the general public watching the nightly news would have been left with the impression – hammered home by carefully curated footage of a few bad eggs – that pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators “clashed” in the streets. It might help commercial news organisations with ratings so they can sell advertising, but as a false representation of what actually happened, it is frankly journalistic malpractice and abrogation of their responsibilities.

And speaking of responsibilities, delegates at Victorian Labor’s state conference a day earlier evidently could not see the direct result of the way they carry out theirs.

After being harassed, blockaded and physically attacked on their way in, these delegates then went on to pass five one-sided resolutions against Israel that will only embolden and reward the very mob that had just assaulted them. It beggars belief.

On a positive note, at least some of our universities are finally realising that the “pro-Palestinian” encampments on their campuses are not there to spread a message of peace, but one of hate, and are asking them to move on.

Sadly however, vice-chancellor Mark Scott at the University of Sydney seems unable or unwilling to acknowledge that his campus has become arguably the worst in Australia for antisemitic incidents and harassment, to the point that Jewish students and staff are riddled with fear and anxiety, with many avoiding campus.

He also doggedly refuses to admit that “from the river to the sea” is a violent call for Israel’s elimination, despite the Prime Minister and the Parliament saying it is.

If Scott cannot show the leadership needed to address the crisis on his campus, he should step down.

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