Anti-Semitism and The Greens

[Bat Pad]

NSW Greens Senator- Elect Lee Rhiannon still supports a boycott of Israeli goods.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011 ... ?site=news

NSW Greens MP Elect Jamie Parker makes comments like this:

Mr Parker, who on Saturday claimed victory in the seat of Balmain in Sydney's inner west, was quoted by online magazine New Matilda that the boycott, divestment and sanctions policy supported by some Greens had made many Jewish people unreasonable, while even "progressive Jews" had failed to have a moderate response. "These Jews provide cover for extreme actions if they occur," Mr Parker said.

"If there's a sniff of you being critical of Israel, such Jews will attack you and cut you loose."

And Wilkie, now independent, who stood for election as a Green before, and the Nazis

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011 ... ?site=news

Is Anti-Semitism lying at the heart of the Greens?

And just a thought, imagine the reaction if you replaced Israel with Lebanon, Jews with Muslims and The Greens with the Coalition.

[Ronnie]

I don't think personally anti semitism is part of the Greens make up, at least not your average Greens' voter by any stretch.
What you have is a more hard line, radical group in NSW to the rest of country. To their eternal disgrace and shame this BDS policy belongs to them.

[mick]

When I was at uni in the 1970s the hard left was very anti-Israel, today's Greens are the inheritors of that tradition. However they do have a point the Israeli treatment of arabs in the occupied territories is appalling, not at all unlike that was inflicted upon Jews in 1930s Germany. I agree that Green voters are probably not antisemitic, I think some Green party members are anti-Israel which is not necessarily antisemitism, maybe just opposition to poor treatment of people in the occupied territories.

[Gozu]

Witness the lack of corporate media outrage when a senior Murdoch columnist suggests that the Greens are akin to Nazis. And then consider the manufactured debate over Parker’s claims that some Jews are happy to let Nazi-analogies go to the keeper because BDS and the Greens are the bigger enemy. Far too often Jews give supposed Israel-backers a pass despite their often dubious alliances with racist elements.

It is not anti-Semitic to talk about Jewish power, the Zionist lobby and overwhelming pressure from the political and media elites to not discuss Palestinian rights or Israeli racism. Do so, though, and you will be smeared and defamed.

The last few days has seen an avalanche of stories in Murdoch’s Australian attacking the Greens and Lee Rhiannon and the supposed "extremism" of the party. These have all been opinion pieces dressed up as news. They are an attempt to send a message to anybody thinking of speaking critically of Israel to expect intense bullying. I have experienced this for years myself but the attacks have only made me stronger. I don’t envy Jamie Parker’s new job as the state’s first and only Greens MP.

http://newmatilda.com/2011/04/04/loewen ... s-news-ltd

[Gozu]

The Greens are now examining possible legal action against writers who have potentially defamed members as anti-Semitic .(News Limited’s Andrew Bolt is one of the worst offenders.)

Jamie Parker revealed to New Matilda the extent of the hatred directed at him during the campaign due to the Greens BDS policy. He had countless letters sent to him calling him a Nazi and Jew hater. His car was vandalised and campaign signs spray-painted with swastikas. He received death threats and some abusers said they knew where he lived. "One letter said I wanted to turn Balmain power station into a gas chamber and the light rail would take people there", Parker tells me. "Lefty Jews told me that you can’t be surprised if extreme people do extreme things but they wouldn’t come out in public and condemn it." He was appalled.

http://newmatilda.com/2011/03/30/are-gr ... -hard-ball

[Sojourner]

Its a fair question to ask why you never hear any criticism from the Greens on the human rights abuses that occur in China from their left leaning communist party, yet plenty of criticism goes forward onto the government of Israel. It seems fairly obvious that this is because of Anti Semitism. If they criticised all nations equally in the Gulf I would agree that they are not Anti Semetic, yet their continuos criticism of the only true democracy in the middle east makes it pretty blatantly obvious. As is their silence on the rights of indigenous Palestinians to a state in Jordan and Lebanon where like the West Bank they have lived for the last thousand years, again only Israel ever seems to be singled out for criticism.

What is interesting is that a number of commentators believe that this issue cost the Greens their chance of winning a seat in their own right in NSW and possibly a second seat on preferences. Its likely that outcome has set the Greens back a long way in achieving that goal, all for something that their leadership claim is not actually their policy anyway, still as Bob Brown pointed out, the four others that voted for it were ALP members and they appear to have escaped any blame or scrutiny as opposed to the blowtorch that has been applied to the Greens over it.

The conflict in Israel has been going for a long time and there is not just one fight that is occurring, its various problems and various different groups and Ideologies fighting one another and it wont be solved any time soon. As much as people on both sides of the argument like to suggest that the other side is the problem, the fact is that there is so much hatred towards each other from individual and groups on each side of the argument that there is little hope of any type of peace until both sides equally are ready to sit down and work it out. Attempting to force one side to the table to concede whatever will never work and will likely only exacerbate the problem.

My feeling is the root of the problem is the sheer number of Christians who believe without any doubt that the prophecy of the book of Revelation of Israel being Re-Gathered and the Third Temple being rebuilt is driving the problem. If both sides got free of the people that want to influence them they probably would work it out, they used to defend each other when the Crusades were held as one people.

As for Marrackville, I have been there and its not in good shape, their council has a lot of work to do in terms of improving there area, its disgusting that a Greens / Labor dominated council can find 4million plus dollars to play political correctness, yet cannot find funds to repair roads or provide decent services for people with disabilities in their area. I dont think its unreasonable that they be expected to do that job first prior to using their rate payers funds on something that they cannot have any influence over. I would be surprised if the Premier of NSW did sack the council, I think the Greens members will make up some reason to drop it quietly on the advice of Bob Brown and it will be quietly set aside.

[Leaping Lindner]

Its a fair question to ask why you never hear any criticism from the Greens on the human rights abuses that occur in China from their left leaning communist party, ......
.

The Greens have been very vocal critics of China, particularly when it comes to sweat shops and the Chinese treatment of Tibetans. Face it one political party in this country has to.
Probably doesn't suit the Murdoch agenda to point that out though.

[dedja]

... And just a thought, imagine the reaction if you replaced Israel with Lebanon, Jews with Muslims and The Greens with the Coalition.

Yes, imagine that indeed!

Whilst I'm dismayed by the usual unconditional support for all things Israel at the absolute expense of all things Palestinian, that's pretty dumb stuff by the Greens in NSW.

[Ronnie]

The Greens are now examining possible legal action against writers who have potentially defamed members as anti-Semitic .(News Limited’s Andrew Bolt is one of the worst offenders.)

Jamie Parker revealed to New Matilda the extent of the hatred directed at him during the campaign due to the Greens BDS policy. He had countless letters sent to him calling him a Nazi and Jew hater. His car was vandalised and campaign signs spray-painted with swastikas. He received death threats and some abusers said they knew where he lived. "One letter said I wanted to turn Balmain power station into a gas chamber and the light rail would take people there", Parker tells me. "Lefty Jews told me that you can’t be surprised if extreme people do extreme things but they wouldn’t come out in public and condemn it." He was appalled.

http://newmatilda.com/2011/03/30/are-gr ... -hard-ball

So it's ok to support a revolting anti semitic policy but don't dare write about it?
Give me a break

[Magpiespower]

What is interesting is that a number of commentators believe that this issue cost the Greens their chance of winning a seat in their own right in NSW and possibly a second seat on preferences. Its likely that outcome has set the Greens back a long way in achieving that goal, all for something that their leadership claim is not actually their policy anyway, still as Bob Brown pointed out, the four others that voted for it were ALP members and they appear to have escaped any blame or scrutiny as opposed to the blowtorch that has been applied to the Greens over it.

I live in the Marrickville elecorate

BDS hasn't gone down well.

Not just because it's anti-Israel but also because many think the Council should focus on local issues.

Whole thing has become an embarrassing circus.

Labor ran hard to keep Tebbutt in Marrickville, even getting Kevin Rudd to swing by and meet with local Chinese leaders to win the crucial vote of the Chinese community.

Bob Brown has made it crystal clear that he doesn't support the BDS and advised the NSW Greens not to support it.

Four Labor councillors have been tapped on the shoulder by Sussex Street.

Vote is tomorrow night...

[fish]

There is a big difference between being anti-Israel and being anti-semitic.

[Psyber]

There is a big difference between being anti-Israel and being anti-semitic.

True, but the difference does tend to blur as people get emotional about issues and both sides have been irrational and violent rather than just defensive.

I do think encouraging European Jews to return to Israel post WWII was a mistake. The support for it seemed to have arisen out of western guilt about resisting taking them in the 1930s when Hitler offered the west the chance to do so.
The Arab and Islamic peoples now occupying the region may be relatively new to the area compared to the original Jews, but having held the land a long time they see it as theirs.
That could have been predicted, as could the problem of "Christian" western forces occupying Afghanistan or Iraq, regardless of the debate about whether their actions we well intended or not.

[Leaping Lindner]

There is a big difference between being anti-Israel and being anti-semitic.

True, but the difference does tend to blur as people get emotional about issues and both sides have been irrational and violent rather than just defensive.

I do think encouraging European Jews to return to Israel post WWII was a mistake. The support for it seemed to have arisen out of western guilt about resisting taking them in the 1930s when Hitler offered the west the chance to do so.The Arab and Islamic peoples now occupying the region may be relatively new to the area compared to the original Jews, but having held the land a long time they see it as theirs.
That could have been predicted, as could the problem of "Christian" western forces occupying Afghanistan or Iraq, regardless of the debate about whether their actions we well intended or not.

That didn't happen....

[Magpiespower]

Fiery meeting.

Voted down 8-4.

Two Greens councillors voted against it...

[Sojourner]

Two Greens councillors voted against it...

Likely they are keen to be pre-selected for State / Federal seats and are happy to tow the party line accordingly. Everyone has their price for a yes or no vote, even members of the Greens.

[Magpiespower]

Likely they are keen to be pre-selected for State / Federal seats and are happy to tow the party line accordingly. Everyone has their price for a yes or no vote, even members of the Greens.

Obviously not siding with Lee Rhiannon...