The Australian Jewish Democratic Society.

A long exchange of correspondence with people who should know better last week in advocating the Palestinian cause concerning their 'crude views about Jews' led to me wasting too many hours looking at a variety of webites that deal with 'the Palestine Israel' problem from the perspective of left organizations and Palestinians organizations. I've also seen more comments of a nutty nature than I'd wish too.

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a disturbing visit by Australian kids on the Birthright program to Hebron, where they were fed extremist propaganda,in contravention of Birthright's own rules about visiting the occupied territories (and what gives a 'birthright' to Australian citizens over that of local Palestinians?)

I left phone and email messages for the Australian Union of Jewish Students who run the program to get some clarifications. True to form, no one got back to me.

On what's happening in Israel and the influence of Gliad Atzmon some Palestinian advocates.

Some days, you see the influence of nuttiness on both sides of the separation fence.

Antony Loewenstein recently posted an image of Julie Gillard as the leader of Judeo-Nazi Stormtroopers on his website. The poster had the words: "Australians stand firm against Islam and terrorism!...With our Israeli Allies". He accompanied it with the words "a regular reader of this site sent this on, exact source unknown, but certainly speaks for itself". Too ambiguous for words.

This letter was sent by AJDS to the mainstream print media on 7 July 2010.

In a world without recognition of human rights, or humanitarian concerns, or human dignity, or sense of justice, it would be logical, acceptable and valid to treat asylum seekers as badly as possible as a way of discouraging others.

Some in our community think that these sorts of attitudes should underpin the way our federal government deals with the issue of asylum seekers. Some in our parliament think that good public policy necessitates relegating humanitarian considerations to the fringe. After all, how can you discourage asylum seekers if you start by treating them as people in need?

Coteret, an Israeli news site, reports that Australian kids have been taken on a tour of Hebron and shown around by Jewish extremists. Coteret has a full report as well as a video (which has now been taken down from the source website).

This is in contradiction with 'Birthright' policy which forbids visits to the occupied territories other than Jerusalem.

Gilad Shalit's treatment by Hamas since his capture on June 25 2006 as a non-declared prisoner of war without rights of visitation--a hostage--is appalling, and should be condemned and the man set free. It's a bit like Hamas' version of Gitmo without any visits and assurances of his well-being. Thus his treatment has been condemned internationally and even the Goldstone Report (yes, the Goldstone report which is otherwise anthematized) said so as well. His cause has become a rallying cry among Jewish communities around the world.

The Renate Kamener Oration: Peter Singer (Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University)

“Living Ethically in a Divided World”

7.15 for 7.30pm, Sunday 11th July 2010 Leo Baeck Centre, 33 Harp Rd East Kew. $15 admission.

Proceeds will go to the establishment of a scholarship for Indigenous students at the University of Melbourne. Additional donations welcomed.

If you knew Norman Rothfield or knew of him, his family would like to invite you 3.00pm, Sunday 4 July, St Kilda Town Hall, Brighton Rd St Kilda

An early RSVP to the family would be appreciated, either by email tonormanrothfield@bigpond.com or by phone to messagebank at 9482 5574.

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The AJDS deeply mourns the passing of Norman Rothfield, who died on 4 June aged 98. Among his many activities, he was a founding member and supporter of the Australian Jewish Democratic Society and an inspiration to all who knew him.

Norman's 76 years of activism went back to the 1930s in the UK, where he was elected to local government at the Age of 22, and he was a member of many progressive organizations in Australia, including the Council Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism (President 1947), Paths to Peace, and Australian Friends of Peace Now. He was active in the anti-nuclear and the Vietnam peace movements and the Fabian Society.

A detailed obituary can be found in The Age.
Norman was interviewed at length by Phillip Adams of ABC Radio several years ago, and the interview can be played or downloaded via this link.

You can also see a brief video clip of him speaking on December 13 2009 at the AJDS Annual Dinner in response to Denis Altman on Youtube at about 6"25' onwards.

Norman's publications included:

The Trial of God-a Challenge to Conventional Thinking (1998)
Many Paths to Peace: The Political Memoirs of Norman Rothfield (1997)

1 June 2010

The terrible and deplorable deaths and injuries that occurred on board the Turkish flagged ship, the Mavi Marmara, one of a convoy of ships attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, are not only heartbreaking for the immediate families of the nine people killed and the many injured, but a tragedy for all people who yearn for a resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict.