Function Sizzles, Demo Fizzles
Around forty demonstrators were part of a group which burned an effigy of Victorian premier Ted Baillieu outside Melbourne’s Hotel Windsor in which Victorians were celebrating Israel’s 64th birthday.
Burning an effigy of Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu photo: Peter Haskin
The demonstration was staged in an attempt to disrupt the Yom Ha’azmaut party inside at which more than 400 members of the community heard speeches from from the Victorian premier and Daniel Andrews the Leader of the Opposition.
The function, organised by the Zionist Council of Victoria and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, was also addressed by Israel’s ambassador to Australia Yuval Rotem, the JCCV president Nina Bassat and the ZCV president Sam Tatarka.
A spokesperson told J-Wire: “The function was an enormous success with room bursting to capacity. On the other hand, the police did a fantastic job of making the presence of the demonstrators very minimal indeed.”
The Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) condemned yesterday’s burning of an effigy of the Premier of Victoria.
In a statement issued today AUJS said: The violent act by Students for Palestine (SFP) was motivated both by the Premier’s attendance at a community celebration for Israel’s independence and by the arrest of pro-Palestinian demonstrators in October last year.
“Protesting at a peaceful celebration in the heart of Melbourne runs counter-intuitive to the freedom of expression SFP claim to protect. In targeting Victoria’s celebration of 64 years of the world’s one Jewish and democratic state, they are again illustrating their ugly tendency to aggression and antisemitism,” AUJS National Political Affairs Director Alexander Polson said.
“SFP must cease terrorising the streets of Melbourne and stop denying Israel’s right to exist. The anti-Israel mob tactics denigrating the only democracy in the Middle East should be discarded in favour of real advocacy for peace in the Middle East.” AUJS National Chairperson Daniel Nash said.
Watch Premier Ted Baillieu toast the State of Israel…
Otto, for some strange reason lately I seem to be agreeing with you.?
If AUJS thinks that “MAINLY hugging of all welcome participants”. is the way to go, then I think they had better seriously think again.
AUJS members made complete and utter fools of themselves on campus. i suggest they take a look at the Facebook page of the Patrick Langosch, if they think otherwise. I felt like an inch big after reading the comments on his page.
Never mind the “not-so-cool street vagrants who can go ahead and make fools of themselves” I think AUJS did very well on that score
Patrick Langosch
7 May
“How traumatised would you be to get a free hug only to find out later it was part of some Israeli propaganda campaign! I like my hugs apartheid free.”
With a photo too!!
Some of the comments are very demeaning.
“dont tell me this was today at UNSW! what are their beliefs these students…they dont seem to know their politics if really are after peace? !?!”
“It’s AUJS, main zionist organisation on campus. This particular bunch are more softly spoken than the ‘kill the arabs’ variety, but their commitment to an ethnically exclusive apartheid state is the same.”
People on the side of Jewish people, including any good Australians who care about good people and hate pro-jihad, pro-terrorist maniacs, CANNOT keep ignoring this stuff. These anti-Jew, pro-terrorist groups are well-organized. People have to stand up and actively organize against them.
Hello Steve
Zionist should begin by challenging them to an open and honest debate about Israel and Palestine.
These anti-Israel hate groups are a mix of bigoted Jew-bashing lunatics, Arab/Muslim extremists, insane extreme-left “anarchists,” and maybe the occasional “Jewish” person who isn’t really Jewish and feels good to make friends with deranged jihadists and gain a sense of power from filling the pathetic void in their lives that comes from turning against their own people and being a “rebel.”
The Palestinians used free elections to elect Hamas, who are literally INSANE terrorists that — and you need to think about this to really comprehend it — GENUINELY BELIEVE that if you strap a bomb on yourself, run into a schoolbus and blow everyone up, you made God happy. That’s what Hamas TRULY BELIEVES. The Palestinians know this, and THAT is who they elected as their national leaders.
Israel isn’t fighting against normal, sane people. Israel doesn’t fight regular everyday Arabs or white people or normal human beings. They are fighting against INSANE JIHAD/INTIFADA PSYCHOPATHS. So they have to defend themselves in strong fashion.
“Create an email alert for Bishop Pat Power and students for Palestine”.
I knew he would have to have his name connected somewhere..
To burn an effigy of Premier Ted Baillieu was definately out of hand and any incitment of this kind is disgraceful for our city and should be condemned.
Come to think of it, why wasn’t he standing with the victims of Catholic abuse and families who have lost their sons and daughters through suicide last year on the steps of Parliament House, 40 to date and no doubt climbing.
Michael makes a lot of sense. Vacating the TV screen,facebook and u tube to allow a one-sided protest without any immediate input from the other side seems really dumb.
Our communal leadership now needs to explain how remaining absent from these staged demonstrations is in the best interests of the community.
Michael
I am with you 100%, I think we are our own worst enemy.
Last night’s performance as featured on Youtube, has them chanting their usual war cry about Max Brenner. Obviously they aren’t too bright, last night had nothing to do with chocolate !!
Unfortunately whilst AUJS and many in the Jewish community leadership believe the best way to fight these anti- Semites and self hating Jews is to ignore them and turn the other cheek these imbeciles win out as we saw last night.
The Students for Palestine group along with their stormtroopers the Socialist Alternative and Green Left Weekly and some radical Jews do these stunts to get their message across on TV and the media and it works well.
They were featured on the 6 Pm News last night literary half an hour after their performance with the effigy burning and the pièce de résistance, the TV Newsreader read out the Palestinian propaganda word for word, so they achieved their goal.
If for instance Jewish zionists decided to fight back { g-d forbid] and had our own advocates / activists [ which we do not have]….[ Students for Israel ?} present they could have had their representative give an alternative view which at least the Newsreader would have been obliged to convey. Now all the public has seen and heard is the Palestinian narrative When al they keep hearing is the Palestinian propaganda all the time unopposed you can bet the average person on the street will believe them , and they do . The old tired argument about these people making fools of them selves is a cop out for those wishing to take the easier way out and do nothing.
If the do nothing strategy was so good we { Israel] we be doing much better in the PR war here . Obviously that old strategy is not working , so another strategy must be tried .
Disagree with you Michael. Ordinary Australians aren’t won over by burning foreign flags on public streets.
A couple of weeks ago, Students for Justice in Palestine organised a rally in the Sydney CBD during peak hour. This gave them extensive media coverage, but hearing the feedback from Australians on talkback radio and comments on the internet showed that people had much more animosity to the Palestinian cause. These guys are making idiots of themselves and appeal to a very niche crowd, most of whom are already sympathetic to their views. Sinking to their level will do our cause no wonders..
Simon
How do you sink to their level if you would be capable of organising publicly something really, really smart, intelligent and attract media attention and thuis convey the JUST Jewish message !!??
The lamentable cop out of “sinking to their level” is responsible for official measures, see $90 million forwarded to the cause prommoted by those “low sinking idiots” !!!
Typical AUJUS/ECAJ/NSWJBD impotence !!
Michael you are so incredibly WRONG and you know it !!!
What do you mean ” AUJS do not hve a response strategy” !!!!Where have you been lately !!??
For your information AUJS DO have a strategy and it has been well publicise. Do you want me to remind you what it is ?? Well, here it is -Mr Knowitall -:
MaterNash the Pres of AUJS and his Director have spelt out the following, for your info:
” AUJS will not offer oxygen to these losers. AUJS have a much better retort. AUJS will organise dance, music, sandwiches (kosher ) and MAINLY hugging of all welcome participants “.
AUJS will ignore these ridiculous , not-so-cool street vagrants who can go ahead and make fools of themselves by parading in front of TV cameras and soil the news hours with their so called “message”. AUJS are above all that stuff. AUJS and all other Jewsih organisations will NOT upset the orderly Australian way of life, block traffic, chant ridiculous mantras that can only upset shoppers, caffe coffee and brioche ( some prefer croisants ) consumers. WE are well ABOVE that stuff.
So there, Michael or, what are you diabetic, can’t you stomach the delights of French pattisseries !!!
What sort of dependable Jewish activist are you !!!!