Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today not only took a swipe at Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi but thought he’d be fashionable and set-the-trend with the appointment of Jillian Segal as Australia's inaugural special envoy on anti-Semitism.George’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication.
The matter of anti-Semitism or antisemitism is convoluted. Prior to the word Semitic referring to Jews it was coined to a group of languages including Aramaic and Arabic. Somewhere along the way in the 19 th century some German decided it only applied to Jews. I see no reason that the taint it carries should not be applied to Palestinians so as to emphasize the racist bigotry exemplified by the odious creep Douglas Murray.
The word terrorist has lost any valid purpose. It is a label used by bigots to justify their bigotry. Terrorism is the use of violence or the threat of it to achieve political ends. Hamas may well fall into that class but they are not alone. The US government is also terrorist as is Israeli military. France, Britain, Russia, Iran, the UAE do so as well.
Without first defining what anti-semitism means within the commissioner's brief it is impossible to see this other than political posturing. The commissioner cannot be left to define this herself.
Albanese, while certainly an improvement over the last government, shows very poor judgment. Why the attack on Faruqi?
I must refer readers to an article in THE LANCET, published 5 July 2024, which notes: << ... it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza. Using the 2022 Gaza Strip population estimate of 2 375 259, this would translate to 7·9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip. >> [Source url: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext].
Since the Palestinian people are arguably MORE Semitic than the Israeli, I respectfully submit that the IDF are guilty of "anti-Semitism"! Nevertheless, I doubt Ms. Segal will go after them...
More seriously: we do not know how many bodies are lying under the rubble; how many civilians will succumb to wounds (due to lack of medical facilities and treatment); how many will die from malnutrition and disease. THE LANCET is a peer-reviewed source of medical/scientific information, and while the conclusion is tempered (i.e., the total "could" be attributable to the conflict), it was doubtless reached quite soberly.
I hope that Mr. Albanese will read and reflect upon the article cited and news reported by MANY other reliable sources. Alas, I fear that he may instead succumb to the conclusion that anyone who reports facts is "anti-Semitic."
Because I rally, march, and support Palestine, I have been labeled by my government (US) as an anti-Semitic, Hamas-supporting terrorist. Lenny, I can't believe we're nearing one year of having to defend Palestine against genocide. Insanity. And we're still having the effing discussion surrounding the term Semite. The only reason I'm not giving up in disgust is because occupation forces are still luring children out in the open to be shot. I don't understand what the rest of the world could possibly be thinking.
<< I don't understand what the rest of the world could possibly be thinking. >>
Neither do I!
<< I have been labeled by my government (US) as an anti-Semitic, Hamas-supporting terrorist >>
I am impressed! The US government hasn't noticed me (yet?). However, I've certainly been called "anti-Semitic," even though I support a Semitic people (the Palestinians) and should thus be considered "pro-Semitic." More to the point, though, I am an ethnic Jew and author of a novella steeped in the cultural traditions of the *shtetlach* of Eastern European Jewry. Thus, I find that label ironic and to some extent amusing -- although I feel it speak volumes about those who hurl it at us. [I also support Jewish Voices for Peace, a group that vehemently opposes the genocide, so I'm sure they, too, are "anti-Semitic"!]
My Jewish friends feel the same way. We recently held a march in my predominantly gay and Jewish neighborhood. A gentleman was yelling at a police officer demanding he send us to "demonstrate in our own neighborhood" and I was compelled to remind him we were his neighbors and we were in our own neighborhood. He was silenced.
The matter of anti-Semitism or antisemitism is convoluted. Prior to the word Semitic referring to Jews it was coined to a group of languages including Aramaic and Arabic. Somewhere along the way in the 19 th century some German decided it only applied to Jews. I see no reason that the taint it carries should not be applied to Palestinians so as to emphasize the racist bigotry exemplified by the odious creep Douglas Murray.
The word terrorist has lost any valid purpose. It is a label used by bigots to justify their bigotry. Terrorism is the use of violence or the threat of it to achieve political ends. Hamas may well fall into that class but they are not alone. The US government is also terrorist as is Israeli military. France, Britain, Russia, Iran, the UAE do so as well.
Without first defining what anti-semitism means within the commissioner's brief it is impossible to see this other than political posturing. The commissioner cannot be left to define this herself.
Albo is pathetic... what do you expect from groomed puppets
Perfectly said!
All nations have a duty to advocate for the oppressed.
Albanese, while certainly an improvement over the last government, shows very poor judgment. Why the attack on Faruqi?
I must refer readers to an article in THE LANCET, published 5 July 2024, which notes: << ... it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza. Using the 2022 Gaza Strip population estimate of 2 375 259, this would translate to 7·9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip. >> [Source url: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01169-3/fulltext].
Since the Palestinian people are arguably MORE Semitic than the Israeli, I respectfully submit that the IDF are guilty of "anti-Semitism"! Nevertheless, I doubt Ms. Segal will go after them...
More seriously: we do not know how many bodies are lying under the rubble; how many civilians will succumb to wounds (due to lack of medical facilities and treatment); how many will die from malnutrition and disease. THE LANCET is a peer-reviewed source of medical/scientific information, and while the conclusion is tempered (i.e., the total "could" be attributable to the conflict), it was doubtless reached quite soberly.
I hope that Mr. Albanese will read and reflect upon the article cited and news reported by MANY other reliable sources. Alas, I fear that he may instead succumb to the conclusion that anyone who reports facts is "anti-Semitic."
Because I rally, march, and support Palestine, I have been labeled by my government (US) as an anti-Semitic, Hamas-supporting terrorist. Lenny, I can't believe we're nearing one year of having to defend Palestine against genocide. Insanity. And we're still having the effing discussion surrounding the term Semite. The only reason I'm not giving up in disgust is because occupation forces are still luring children out in the open to be shot. I don't understand what the rest of the world could possibly be thinking.
<< I don't understand what the rest of the world could possibly be thinking. >>
Neither do I!
<< I have been labeled by my government (US) as an anti-Semitic, Hamas-supporting terrorist >>
I am impressed! The US government hasn't noticed me (yet?). However, I've certainly been called "anti-Semitic," even though I support a Semitic people (the Palestinians) and should thus be considered "pro-Semitic." More to the point, though, I am an ethnic Jew and author of a novella steeped in the cultural traditions of the *shtetlach* of Eastern European Jewry. Thus, I find that label ironic and to some extent amusing -- although I feel it speak volumes about those who hurl it at us. [I also support Jewish Voices for Peace, a group that vehemently opposes the genocide, so I'm sure they, too, are "anti-Semitic"!]
My Jewish friends feel the same way. We recently held a march in my predominantly gay and Jewish neighborhood. A gentleman was yelling at a police officer demanding he send us to "demonstrate in our own neighborhood" and I was compelled to remind him we were his neighbors and we were in our own neighborhood. He was silenced.