Laundy condemns hate and intolerance
Craig Laundy, Australia’s new Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs has clarified his position on Israel.
Craig Laundy
In December 2014, the Federal Liberal MP for the Sydney seat of Reid addressed federal parliament stating that “ If you look at the Middle East and the issues that we as a globe confront today, we can trace it pretty much back to this region some 60 or 70 years ago. Anyone who stands in this place and argues differently is not being fair dinkum.”
Laundry told J-Wire: “Both the Australian government’s and my long-standing position is that we remain committed to Israel and a Palestinian state existing side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognised borders.
As Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I very much look forward to working side by side with the Australian Jewish community and building on the wonderful relationships that I have established during my time in Parliament within the community.”
Laundy has remained a supporter of the fight to retain Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. He added: “Hate speech has no place in our society, and I utterly condemn in the strongest terms the views of anyone preaching hate and intolerance.”
I can’t argue with Craig Laundy about his stance on racial discrimination laws, but what does he think the effect of his statement about all global problems can be traced back to the creation of Israel? Love of Jews? Get real, this bloke is an utter hypocrite, concerned only for himself, and stop your delusions about giving him a chance. A chance at what?
Craig Laundy is making an effort, to say the right thing, now, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a chance to do good.
Now, here is the dilemma. Do you believe what he said in December 2014, when he may have imagined the only people listening were the few MPs who bothered to turn up for work that day, or what he says today in an attempt to extricate himself from his bias and ignorant partisanship.
Good point, Mr Revelman. However, as Henry Adams, historian and teacher (1838-1918) once said, ” Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds”.
Now that may seem a little harsh (especially in these so-called peace-loving times) but there is a palpable depth to what he says. By the very nature of politics, politicians need to be seen to be impartial and unbiased. However by the very nature of the beast himself (humanist politician) he will have his biases and preferences. One thing for the four walls (at home) and another for the House of Cards…(Parliamentary speeches and his constituents).
Either way, Mr Laundy had better get the story of Israel and her Arab neighbours right. When it comes to the geographical, lexicographical and historical facts on and about Israel, there are NO shades of the truth. There is enough reliable literature around to spell out very clearly to Mr Laundy facts that he needs to get up to date with. Mr Laundy, too, had better get his head around which group of peoples, across time, have been the aggressors, which the protagonists for peace and which the antagonists.There is a sequential time-line that has no shades either.
Mr Laundy needs to acknowledge and think about Israel as more like a large, thriving, democratic European city surrounded by mostly enemy nations.
He needs to get himself well acquainted with Bibi Netanyahu who has, of late, kept Israel alive and thriving – through the hardest of times and through times when he COULD HAVE attacked and finished off more than one of his aggressive neighbours. But he hasn’t. And he’s not likely to until absolutely pushed to his limit.
Laundy may well be “concerned about the Palestinians”. Most of the democratic world is. These people are a disparate group of nation-less outcasts – cast out, historically, not by Israel, but by their Arab brethren. Because of a total lack of Arab leadership and inability to accept Israel, these people have been dragged down a path to abject poverty and failure. Had it not been for Israel’s forthright compassion the Gazans and West Bankers (read: Judeans and Samarians) would have been removed from the map long ago. Literally.
If you are reading this, Mr Laundy, for the sake of world peace, you need to do plenty of reading. And plenty of consulting – Your new job demands it. You need to get acquainted with the facts. There are plenty of wise and informed people to guide you. Start with the work of Victorian Dr Colin Rubenstein. He’s no stranger to Middle Eastern politics. He’s been at it since the 1950’s.
Good luck, Mr Laundy. You need to be the “hero” you talk about when you talk about your children asking you to go into bat for the Gazans and West Bankers. Your children will be particularly proud when they read about how you did your homework on Israel and her neighbours. And again, reach out to Dr Colin Rubenstein and his cohorts. I’m sure they will save you from a lot of embarrassment.