Paul Ramadge, the editor of The Age, has some explaining to do. He isn’t doing it. What does it take these days to get a Fairfax editor — or anybody from Fairfax — to come forward and tell us what they are doing, and why?
This morning in The Australian former Age editor Michael Gawenda criticises his old paper for a failure of journalism, both because it published an anti-Semitic column by writer Michael Backman last Saturday, but also because it has failed to explain itself subsequently.
Instead, on page two yesterday, the paper carried a strange apology saying the column was published “in error”, almost as though it was a matter of a production stuff up.
Meanwhile the newsroom is tense and upset over the affair –and fearful that blame will be laid where it doesn’t belong.
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For the full background on this story, including what the Jewish lobby did, how the column was published and what I think about it, read my blog.
But surely what is needed now is some frankness. The Age needs to explain what went wrong, and articulate where it sees the boundary between publishing legitimate, if controversial views, and unacceptable racism.
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Personally, I was very offended by the dreadful piece that The Age ran today from the pen of Mark Liebler.
Very clearly, it was a further sop to the Jewish community. In his attack on Malcolm Fraser, Liebler managed to let the cat out of the bag in regard to the Israeli government’s real agenda…the removal of the Hamas government.
That he should talk not about the democratic election victory as a clear win for Hamas but chose to describe it as a plurality of votes is just astounding…a fantasy straight out of the handbook of the Israeli Foreign Minister’s most unbelievable mentor,Mark Regev. Even now, Israel is now bellowing that Hamas should even be denied a say in the re-construction of Gaza. If only the wider world could have a say in the reconstruction of the Tel Aviv government! Hopefully, President Obama will shake off their shackles as well as their shekels.
I can only assume that also letters addressed to the editor of The Age that are in any way critical of Israel or its representatives in Melbourne are now directed to Regev for his opinion before publication.
It is about time that the Israelies did a reality check and it is about time the Jews stopped being so precious. My respect and enthusiasm I had on the establishment of Israel has been destroyed by the brutal behaviour to the Arabs. When “antisemitic” is screamed from the roof tops remember that Palestinians are also Semites and they have had more than their share antisemitism, first from the Europeans and now from the Israelies. Having read Michael Backman’s blog I can only agree with the general substance,
I would think it is now time for the US to stop financially supporting the Israel war machine and it would be reasonable that savings be spent on repair some of the damage in Gaza.
Who can blame Israelies or Palestinians for misrepresenting facts and using every means they have to spin global perception in their favour. They have been at war for more than 50 years now!
Don’t let yourselves get caught up in their war or polemics. Political discourse from our distance should grant us the luxury of being able to discuss solutions from a position of objectivity.
Thanks LittleJimmyKoward for republishing all of my posts…….as I’ve said many a time, through your racist, bigoted tosh on Crikey, you really ARE a top flight contributor to HAMAS’ image in Australia.
Australia’s Palestinians & decent Jews salute you.
Ans no Kevin, I’m not in fact a member of the hook nosed “Nazi SS” but if you are the enemy I stand side by side with them….