Australian "Jews for genocide"

The UK has its group, which Melanie Phillips has labelled "Jews for genocide", now we have some of our own in Australia....

From The Australian, Cut & paste: Jews speak out against unconditional support for Israel, March 06, 2007 ....

Independent Australian Jewish Voices ... calls for a Middle East debate

WE are Jews with diverse opinions on the Middle East who share a deep concern about the current crisis in the region and have formed a group, Independent Australian Jewish Voices. We are committed to ensuring a just peace that recognises the legitimate national aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians with a solution that protects the human rights of all.
We condemn violence by all parties, whether state-sanctioned or not. We believe that Israel's right to exist must be recognised and that Palestinians' right to a homeland must also be acknowledged.

As Australians, we are privileged to live in a democratic state that embodies the principles of tolerance and free speech. We feel there is an urgent need to hear alternative voices that should not be silenced by being labelled disloyal or "self-hating".

Uncritical allegiance to Israeli government policy does not necessarily serve Israel's best interests. Our concern for justice and peace in the Middle East is a legitimate opinion and should be met by reasoned argument rather than vilification and intimidation. In particular, we are concerned that the Jewish establishment does not represent the full range of Jewish opinion. Contrary to widespread concerns, anti-Semitism is not fuelled by Jews who publicly disagree with actions of the Jewish state. Jews understand what it is to suffer racism and victimisation and therefore we are not only concerned about anti-Semitism but also the demonisation of all other minorities....

Peter Slezak, Jim Levy, Antony Loewenstein, Peter Singer, Robert Richter, Louise Adler, Eva Cox, Dennis Altman, Arie Freiberg, Ian Cohen, Ivor Indyk, Moss Cass, Geoffrey Brahm Levey, Andrew Benjamin, Henry Rosenbloom, Andrew Jakubowicz, Ephraim Nimni, David Goodman, Hashomer Hatzair and 100 other signatories.

From The Australian, Letters, Wednesday, March 07, 2007 ....

Vilification and intimidation
THE Australian Jewish community’s elected representative bodies are open and democratic, which is why the claims of the so-called “Independent Australian Jewish Voices” (Cut & Paste, 6/3) should not be treated at face value.
This group calls for “a just peace that recognises the legitimate national aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians with a solution that protects the human rights of all” as if that is not what the Jewish community’s representative bodies have been advocating for many years. The leadership of the Australian Jewish community is a respected and credible voice in public forums precisely because we use reasoned argument and sound research to pursue sensible policies that reflect majority views.
The IAJV also calls for “reasoned argument rather than vilification and intimidation”. This might be an attempt at self-criticism given the barrage of uninformed criticism directed at the Jewish community’s elected leadership by some of the IAJV’s signatories. Given the fact that the Executive Council of Australian Jewry has been at the forefront of fighting vilification and intimidation, not only of Jews but of all people who face unlawful vilification, it is difficult to understand why else they would have included this statement.
The IAJV then says that they seek “debate to further the prospects of peace, security and human rights in the Middle East”. Anyone who is engaged in any meaningful way with the Jewish community, or has witnessed the many open forums such as the monthly public meetings of the respective Jewish umbrella bodies, knows that discussion and airing of diverse views is the norm.
The IAJV could take advantage of the democratic processes which elect the leadership of Australia’s Jewish community and nominate for election to these bodies. That it chooses not to but, instead, implies that the Jewish community leadership acts in ways it does not, speaks volumes regarding its concern for democratic ideals.

Grahame Leonard President, Executive Council of Australian Jewry Inc Anton Block, JCCV President David Knoll, NSWJBD President Keith Shilkin, JCCWA President Norman Schueler, JCCSA President David Paratz, QJBD President Daniel Albert, HHC President Bill Arnold, ACTJC President

To hear Antony Loewenstein, IAJV ringleader, and Dr Colin Rubenstein, executive director of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council discuss the new group on ABC Radio National Breakfast, 6/3/07, follow this link, then click on 'Listen' and fast forward to the 19th minute of the 43 minute programme. The two interviews follow after the weather report.