Palestinian terror and Israeli nobility

We were heartened by the massive response. Hundreds of Jews signed the petition - and many told us they were too scared to reveal their position in public. The IAJV statement specifically condemned violence on all sides and demanded an injection of much-needed balance into the debate. They were little more than motherhood statements, a challenge for Jews specifically to recognise the suffering caused by their homeland. After all, who could object to a call for equal rights for all citizens in Israel and Palestine?

The Jewish establishment reacted with predictable apoplexy. Douglas Kirsner, chair of the Public Affairs Committee of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, disingenuously claimed that, “It’s pure invention to say that there isn’t vigorous debate about Israel in the Jewish community and the Jewish media. It’s a pluralistic community where disagreement is king - there are no fatwas.”

Nevertheless, while there may indeed be disagreement on appropriate behaviour on the Sabbath, when it comes to Israel, dissent from the official, Israeli Government line, is treated with contempt and intimidation.

The release of My Israel Question revealed a Jewish establishment keen to ignore the public outrage about Israeli behaviour. Perhaps more importantly, however, I discovered thousands of concerned Australians, from a variety of faiths and backgrounds, determined to discuss one of the key issues of our time, despite the attempt to silence criticism with the spurious charge of anti-Semitism.