John Brumby: Jewish lobby puppet
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Would Victorian Premier John Brumby refuse to meet a senior Chinese government official if the Tibet lobby asked him not to? Of course not. So how come when members of the Jewish lobby once again play bully boy and demand that Mr Brumby not meet with the only Iranian leader to defend Jews, Sayed Khatami, does Mr Brumby meekly accede to their request? Mr Brumby looks a fool — a puppet of a powerful lobby group and someone not capable of standing up to their incessant demands that only those people they approve of be allowed to meet with political leaders. Mind you, if Mr Brumby thinks he’s making some sort of international statement by his refusal to meet former President Khatami he’s deluded. “John who?” and “where’s Victoria?” would be the response in Tehran and Washington, one imagines. Mr Brumby is made to look even more foolish when one considers that Khatami will be the guest speaker at a lunch next Friday organized by the Australian Institute of International Affairs, an old venerable and mainstream organisation not given to hosting people whose views are beyond the bounds of civilised dialogue. Khatami will also be going to Canberra for a day to meet with political figures, although one can imagine that Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and his Shadow Julie Bishop will be subjected to relentless arm twisting by the Jewish lobby not to meet with Khatami. Perhaps Mr Brumby is not aware that the world changed after George W Bush left office. Talking to Iranian political figures, particularly figures like Khatami who battled against hardliners during his eight years as President from 1997 to 2005, is now okay. A quick scan through back copies of The Economist, one of the most reliable reporters on Iran over many years, gives one a sense of just how brave Khatami was in taking on the mullahs who blocked his every move. It should also be remembered that Khatami was instrumental in back channel discussions with Israel and in a celebrated remark, reported by the BBC on 14 June 1999, Khatami spoke of Jews being safe in Iran. The Jewish lobby in Australia has every right to campaign for its issues. But it is guilty of curtailing freedom of speech on this and many other occasions — behaving in exactly the same way that the apartheid era regimes of South Africa did when it came to demonising and blackening the name of persons with views that challenged their own narrow view of the world. Why does the organised Jewish lobby in Australia have such a disproportionate influence on politicians like John Brumby? The cause for which it fights — Israel — is a controversial one, given that nation’s serial abuse of the human rights of its Palestinian neighbours. Yet no other ethnic or nationalist based movement in Australia comes near the Jewish establishment when it comes to being able to seduce political leaders. It is time to question whether this is a healthy state of affairs in a democracy like ours. |
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26 Comments
I didnt subscribe to Crikey to read unsubstantiated, anti semitic slander.
Nor to read misinformed tripe about a man who has spewed hatefilled bile about Jews on a regular basis.
Go back to reading the protocols and get a new job.
The new foreign minister of Israel, Mr Liberman, is getting ready to do to Israel’s indigenous Christian, Muslim and Druze communities what Iran is doing to its minorities. No doubt those whose concern about human rights isn’t limited to people of their own ethnic or religious heritage will express concern about this. If they don’t, their own human rights credentials will be compromised.
I have a feeling that this Khatami thing is going to be just another repeat of the Hanan Ashrawi pseudo-controversy in 2003.
The level of knee-jerk hysteria and intellectual ‘book burning” - they must not read/hear/see/ talk about issues - is reaching parody when a well documented moderate Iranian leader is blacked out. Surely his views and those of his group must be heard, even encouraged. He’s probably pretty courageous as I imagine opposition there is no walk in the park. I’m keen to hear what he has to say. Does that make me a holocaust handmaiden ? Time to grow up.
Cal: it isn’t Greg Barne stating “Jews being safe in Iran”??? “-he is repeating a statement made by Khatami and as far as I read-Barnes hasn’t said if it’s true or not.
That ‘s probably even more reason that Khatami should be put in a position where his role in Iran can be questioned, rather than this tedious repression practised by the various Jewish lobby groups .
Besides-we recently had a government, along with ones in the UK & USA that falesly claimed there WMDs in Iraq and on that falsehood proceeded to invade and kill Iraqi citizens. Those who stated these lies not only have never apologised, they are lauded as ex-leaders, given great benefits and allowed to reitire peacefully or step into the lucrative lecture circuit.
That alone should point out the rediculious antics of Jewish groups in stiffling dissent. They need to seriously re-think their tactics
But why Aussie politicians are beholden to them is the real mystery.
It’s not just politicians who are pressured into not speaking out. GetUp halted plans to run a campaign against Isreal’s threats to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities because they were threatened with the withdrawal of a major private donor if they went ahead.
Greg, I reckon you should check for reptillians and masons too.
Poor old Eric Lundberg - he who practices sophistry in a mirror, is bound to convince no-one.
Eric: you’re what my liberal Jewish friends call a Dover Heights (aka Balaclava) Zionist.
As Antony Loewenstein said in closing his recent Crikey piece:
” Hitler died in 1945 “
Bohemian
“internal clique” - what exactly does that mean? Do you have any basis for claims about who influenced the Premier? No - no more than the writer of this article.
It is pure, unsubstantiated, rubbish.
Nobody but the Premier “decided” whether to meet with him.
Perhaps, unlike some on this list, he was persuaded by the facts.
To say that Jews are “safe” in Iran is an obscene lie. They are sometimes safe if they live within the limits the regime place on them. On the other hand, at a moments notice, they can be arrested and put up for a show trial.
A great article.
Cal: Iran’s nuclear reactor is as peaceful as Israel’s at Dimona. Have not heard that Jews in Iran are persecuted, but we do know that the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are persecuted, and they don’t even have to be homosexuals.
Eric lunberg: Ex-president of Iran may spew hatred about Jews, but Israel is daily illegally occupying territories belonging to the Palestinians, oppressing and killing them when they resist. Actions speak louder than words.
“Arab citizens of Israel (I am not talking about those in the occupied territories) enjoy more civil rights than any Arabs in the middle east”.
Eric, tell that to the two Arab MK’s who were tossed out after being accused of having “links to terrorists”. Seriously, you should read more Israeli newspapers. And maybe you could consult an Israeli like Jeff Halper.
I don’t think anyone can claim Iran is a haven for minorities. I know that the Baluchi (largely Sunni) population aren’t having a good time. And most of us are aware of the persecution of Bahais.
Last week we had Iraqi leader Nouri El-Maliki visiting Australia. His ruling coalition is very close to Iran, and many of them lived in Iran in exile during the rule of Saddam Hussein. Iraq, as far as I know, doesn’t recognise Israel. Its system of government is similar to that of Iran. Iraqi Christians are being persecuted. Should our leaders not meet with Maliki? Or are you suggesting the human rights of Iraqi Chaldean Christians are worth less than those of Iranian Sephardi Jews?
Google the name “Nasser David Khalili”.
Stephen, your ignorance says it all. You haven’t heard of this persecution? Really? Wasn’t it on SBS or in the SMH? Let me guess, you’ve never been to Iran? Well I have and it’s an evil dictatorship - it was under the Shah and worse under the fundamentalists. Don’t you dare compare ‘persecutions’ - it’s not some frigging league table. Can I recommend a one way ticket to Tehran and go see for yourself what ‘freedoms’ Iranians live under and then come back to sunny Victoria and lecture us about persecution and occupation. Oppos, sorry, I mean the occupation of land not once owned by Aboriginal Australians -I’m certain YOU don’t live on land of dispossed people.
And I presume by supporting the former Iranian dictator’s right to visit here and meet Brumby et al, you would also support the right of Mugabe (also ‘elected’) to come here and meet the Premier? Why not invite Charles Taylor too?
Dear Cal,
Appreciate where you are coming from, but really you are talking bollix. And I won’t bother countering your arguments as I’m sure you’ll have some prolix to go with your bollix to obfuscate anything I write. Just as you have done, not only to the article, but to the comments as well.
Zimbabwe and Iran, Chalk and Cheese.
Sincerely
Whilst I recognise that Wikipedia is not an entirely authoritative source, a brief perusal of Khatami’s reference would indicate a degree of moderation and liberalism worthy of encouragement.
The sensitivity of the Zionist lobby seems to be confined to the excesses of others and the genocidal policies of the Zionists in the pursuit of their own lebensraum seems to escape criticism.
In a liberal democracy, which I believe we still are, we should be politely tolerant of the views of others and agree to listen, and criticise where necessary. Agitation by political lobbies to suppress views with which they disagree is fascist type behaviour which needs to be resisted. Perhaps in listening and questioning the position of Jews in Iran could be explored in dialogue. The position of Arabs in the occupied territories as well as Israel as second-class citizens citizens is well documented.
We get plenty of Zionist propaganda, so a little balance might be considered appropriate.
If Jews, especially Ashkenazi Jews, weren’t smart there wouldn’t be a state of Israel, let alone one with the clout to survive in a hostile neighbourhood (it doesn’t take nuclear weapons to breach the Aswan Dam and flood lower Egypty but it does take technical prowess and a reputation for ruthless effectiveness to initmidate all the neighbouring states - if not all their citizens). If Jews weren’t smart they wouldn’t be so good at making and using money to support political causes, but they are and they do, very effectively. So why do they, or rather those who get to claim that they are speaking for their community, so often behave counter-productively in a world which no longer sees Jews automatically as victims. Mark Leibler is a very smart man indeed in a community of exceptional average intelligence. It is disappointing that he can’t see this and prevent it. (It’s not just a tin ear when it comes to common perceptions of Israel - wrong as those perceptions often are amongst Australians even though predisposed to admire tough, courageous, bold, smart, Israel. Remember him having a gratuitous go at the Melbourne Club as anti-semitic only a few months before that club elected a rabbi to membership?). Israel doesn’t need the perception that Diaspora Jews are dragooned into a phalanx of speak-no-evil-of Israel solidarity and co-opted into silenciing critics with whatever it takes. The more Israel’s Australian Jewish supporters sound like a group who see themselves as or identify as outsiders, even if it is only by seeming to put a foreign country’s interests as their highest priority outside the family, the less useful they are to Israel and the less likely the few quietly dormant embers of anti-semitism in countries of European origin will be finally extinguished.
More “crying and Shooting” from the merchants of guilt.
Surely its time we dealt with the issues of today.
As Avraham Burg’s latest book title states’ The Holocaust isOver’
Cal, I agree with you that Iran is a country that does not practice democracy, but if you criticize this country you should also point out Israel’s disgraceful treatment of non Jews. Only Jews can take shelter in bomb shelters for example, and are deprived of many facilities etc enjoyed by Jews.
Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and as such is allowed by law to enrich uranium to the optimum required for a nucear reactor. By sharp contrast, Israel DOES have nuclear weapons and is not a member of the NPT. There is no body on the planet with the authority to monitor Israel’s nuclear facilities, weapons etc. Neither India or Pakistan are members either, and both countries have nuclear weapons too. I’m sure you’d agree, that neither of these countries are fine upstanding global citizens. In fact, the person in charge of Pakistan’s nuclear program under Musharref, gave/sold nuclear materials and information to Iran and who knows what other countries, North Korea?George W and Musharref gave him a ‘slap’ on the hand! Big deal!
The US offered nuclear weapons to the most hated and cruel dictator of Iran, the Shah. If he’d accepted, Iran would already have nuclear weapons? The Shah was well recognised as committing some of the worst acts of torture and killings than any other regime - at the time. He was an evil monster, loved by the US, while he was useful. Sound familiar!
I watched a documentary on SBS last year? that told the story of a very young woman in Iran, who was executed for her so called ‘immoral acts’? She was only 16/17 (the law in Iran forbids execution for minors under 21?) was raped, but due to there being no witnesses, she was sent to jail where she was raped again, among other acts of cruelty. She was released and arrested again on trumped up charges - she was hanged - the gallows was on a truck and carried out publicly! It was horrific! I abhor this violence, plus that committed by Israel, the US, Britain & Australia!
Yes, it is of immediate concern that there are lobby groups in Australia whose loyalties are obviously and brazenly to other countries.
Naomi:
“Cal, I agree with you that Iran is a country that does not practice democracy, but if you criticize this country you should also point out Israel’s disgraceful treatment of non Jews. Only Jews can take shelter in bomb shelters for example, and are deprived of many facilities etc enjoyed by Jews”
What outlandish nonsense! It seems people expect to write anything about Israel and have it believed.
What is your source for such an absurd claim?
Anyone who says
“given that nation’s serial abuse of the human rights of its Palestinian neighbours. Yet no other ethnic or nationalist based movement in Australia comes near the Jewish establishment when it comes to being able to seduce political leaders. It is time to question whether this is a healthy state of affairs in a democracy like ours.”
out loud and in public deserves a medal for courage (I don’t know if such a medal will save you..
Racism abounds in this world (in spite of the fictitious official Crap to the contrary) so the really honest and smart people (who haven’t had extensive successful practice at playing its victim) have learnt to bandage the wounds (just word wounds) and let them heal.
Not one of your critics mentioned the word Palestine. Many Jews are as worried about Palestinians as you and I (the ones to whom my father alluded).
My Father taught me when I was a youth (then anti-Semitism was rife on a par to other racism) to love the Jewish people and ignore the particular ethnic obnoxious personality that some of them have inherited because he had suffered just like them but had escaped the worst end result. He died in 1992 @ 94.
Bob Dean - let me put it this way. A former member of the Zimbabwe government wants to come here to speak to the Premier. He claims no one is persecuted in Zimbabwe and that all people there are safe, especially members of the opposition. The Zimbabwean ex-pat community is offended by this, given the starvation, disease, state sponsored violence etc and lobbies for this defender of human rights abuses to be denied a platform in which to cause further offense. I take your comments to mean we should allow this person to speak in the interests of free speech and debate. I disagree. We don’t have rapists and murders on Q & A so we can ask them to defend their positions; we don’t have terrorists lecture our students and call it ‘informed debate’ . this isn’t about WMD or Bush or Gaza - it’s about Iran being a dictatorship which oppresses its people and not giving a stooge like Khatami the right to the freedoms he’s taken away from those he’s helped subjugate, repress, torture and kill.
Greg, it’s a shame you didn’t do a bit of research first … “Jews being safe in Iran”??? … it’s one thing to have an axe to grind against the so-called Jewish lobby, that’s your right, but the fact that a former fundamentalist dictator tells the world that ‘his’ Jews are safe, well the last time I heard that it was in Europe in the late 1930s. The remaining Jews of Iran are being persecuted in the same way homosexuals are (sound familiar Greg?). They are not free to leave, not free to practice their religion and certainly not safe. Your lack of knowedge here is bad enough … but when you start telling us to trust and believe Iranian dictators, you are entering into areas where you know nothing. Let me guess, you think their nuclear reactor is for peaceful purposes?
Quote the whole article Shane. The bit where it says it is illegal for Iranian Jews to visit Israel.
Iranian Jews have had to walk a tightrope to avoid getting into trouble with the regime. that is why you will often find quotes from Jewish community leaders condemning Israel, saying they are having a wonderful time in Iran, etc etc etc.
You are, of course, talking about one of the most obscene regimes in the world, which treats Jews, Bahai, Sufi muslims, women, gays, etc etc etc with contempt.
Jews are regularly accused of spying for Israel (as if they would be that crazy) and rounded up for show trials (no doubt to secure bribes for their release).
Get over it. Jews in Iran have few rights.
Arab citizens of Israel (I am not talking about those in the occupied territories) enjoy more civil rights than any Arabs in the middle east - which is not to say there are not many things which should be changed and improved.
For those who attack Israel all the time, just think: Israel undertook its military action in Gaza and approximately 1300 people were killed, of whom at least 500 were combatants. This you call a genocide!
Imagine what the result would be if Fatah and Hamas had the firepower Israel possesses. There would not be a Jew alive in Israel.
Shane:
Asks for evidence of oppression of Jews in Iran:
Jews travelling outside of Iran have to apply to a special bureau for passports. They are then put under surveillance. Members of the family must remain in Iran.
Jews live under the status of dhimmi, with the restrictions imposed by Islam on religious minorities. Jewish leaders fear government reprisals if they draw attention to official mistreatment of their community.
There is one Jewish member of parliament, who is bound by law to support the government’s anti zionist position.
The Islamization of the country has brought about strict control over Jewish educational institutions. Before the revolution, there were some 20 Jewish schools functioning throughout the country. In recent years, most of these have been closed down. In the remaining schools, Jewish principals have been replaced by Muslims. In Teheran there are still three schools in which Jewish pupils constitute a majority. The curriculum is Islamic, and Persian is forbidden as the language of instruction for Jewish studies. Saturday is no longer officially recognized as the Jewish sabbath, and Jewish pupils are compelled to attend school on that day.
There is much, much, more but of course none of you are actually interested in knowing anything.
When the Chinese attempted to tell us what our policy should be towards Tibet we got mad. When an internal clique wish to dictate our policy to Iran, we should be even madder! They get to vote if they are registrered and, if enough agree with them they can make it a national policy. But until the time, deciding whom the premier does and does not meet might reasonably be labelled undue influence.
Come on, folks! It was Haaretz which wrote that there are about 25 000 Jews in Tehran. They even have a Jewish MP there. Jews from Tehran travel backwards and forwards to Israel to visit their families and run their businesses across Iran. .
Try to read Israeli newspapers more often. Otherwise give some evidence of persecution of the Jews in Iran. There is plenty of evidence from Gaza and West Bank, though . Even in Israeli newspapers. Just read today’s Haaretz..
Australia has obligation to live peacefully with other countries. Australian politicians are obliged to represent the interests of Australia, in the first place. Far away lands have their own obligations and we do not particularly like to bring other countries’ conflicts to our soil. Remember Serbs and Croats?
Iran Jewish MP - Maurice (Morris) Mohtamed condemned Ahmaedinejad for his remarks about Israel. (BBC News 22/o9/06)
Is that a sort of persecution of the Jews in Iran who can publicly express their views?
‘Jewish community in Iran has ‘no major problems’ - a Jewish Iranian parliamentarian said in Brussels today.
Jews living in Iran are free to travel abroad, anytime they want: “We can go to the passport office, take our documents and leave the country - Iranian Jews go to Israel and other countries and when they come back they have no problems”
The Jewish community in Iran has probably the lowest rate of interrmariage and assimilation.
According to Morsadegh, “oil production might come to an end in 50 years and Iran has to secure its source of energy”.
Ciamak Morsadegh is a member of 5 MPs from Majlis, Iran’s Parlament.
In an interview with EJP, Morsadegh pointed out that with 25.000 people, the Jewish community is the largest in the Middle East, after Israel.
Morsadegh is a member of the parliament’s health committee.
(From: European Jewish Press, Thursday, March 19, 2009 )