Jungle Bells
Anti-Israel demonstrators adorned in Christmas attire and parodying Christmas carols with anti-Israel lyrics took to the streets of Melbourne on Friday night.
Support for Israel
Goodwill to all men
The meeting, which took place well before Shabbat, was attended by only a handful of pro-Israel supporters.
Michael Burd sent this report:
” I went along as an independent Israel supporter when I heard a Christian Group AIFA along with other Christian supporters of Israel from Q Society were organizing a counter protest at Melbourne’s City Square.
I was one of only about half a dozen Jews who attended together with 15-20 Christian group members. [Interestingly I may have been the youngest protestor on the Pro-Israeli side just turned 60].
There were about 150 protesters from ‘ Students for Palestine’’ the Occupy Movement and Socialist Alternative anarchists including some one I recognized from so many other anti-Israel protests Jewish Born James Crafti of the 19 Max Brenner protesters arrested last year and possibly one of the most committed Jewish anti- Israel activists in Australia.
There were speeches with the usual accusations of Apartheid, Occupation , Murder , War Crimes and every other crime known to mankind. Because this demonstration had a Xmas theme there were anti- Israel words sung to Xmas tunes. After about one hour of speeches and chanting at the City SQ and they then all marched down Swanson street to the Library. There was a considerable Police presence.
I was asked by some of our Christian friends why there were no Jewish students or Zionist organizations present to get their message across. I had no answer for them.”
Counter protesters
We must never give up, never, never give up as Winston once quoted and won a war. The only way to combat lies is to keep speaking the truth and yes I too as a non Jew am appalled that the Jewish Community leaders choose to remain mute and think this issue will go away. Have they not learnt from the Holocaust that it will not??????
I heard about the counter-demo and did my best to publicise it beforehand at web forums I frequent – I would have loved to be there (and I am 49, so still well under 60!), but alas, am not anywhere within practical travelling distance of either Sydney or Melbourne.
I second Sergio, and Rita, and others.
The way to push the Muslim Jew-haters and the other varieties of Jew-hater back under their rocks, is to come out in force and be visibly much more numerous and louder. Because a massive show of force – as one poster above said, ‘a 4 X 2 between the eyes’ – is what they (being cowards, and bullies, and worshippers of amoral Power) understand.
I would suggest pre-planning. Figure out what sort of things we Friends of Zion – both Jewish and Gentile – want to do and say at such counter demos, and have it all planned out, pre-recorded (backing tracks for songs and dances, on ghetto blasters), printed off, banners and placards made, painted up and ready to go as and when required: posters, songs, dances, skits. Because I *bet* we can a/ sing better b/ dance! (anybody for practising the hora?) and c/ produce prettier, more eye-catching and colourful posters with *intelligent* and memorable slogans (that happen to be TRUTHFUL) and create bitingly-funny satirical skits (let’s think about how to take the mickey out of ‘Pallywood’…) when we put our minds to it. We have far more real talent and intelligence in our combined forces than the brain-numbed brainwashed zombies-of-allah and their dhimmi fellow travellers.
Let’s aim not just to outnumber them, but to out-sing them, out-dance them, out-draw and out-THINK them.
Brainstorming sessions should take place at Max Brenner’s in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne at regular intervals…
Let’s get cracking: there *will* be other ‘Let’s Hate Israel’ threat displays on our streets, the trick is to Be Prepared.
Indeed great and wise words, Anne.
Should you try, however, to organise anything outside the event calendar of the “given” communal leadreship, it, the leadership itself, will be the first to object and impede you in doing what is , indeed great and wise ! Trust me, I’ve been there – plus five more “suckers -, signs, clever ideas, enthusiasm etc. only to be told by a “leader” that, if I mentioned the community being behind the necessary initiative I would be…sued !!! That was some 20 years ago and that idiot is still somewhere up there !!
Raoul you may be right I think was trying to emphasis the point that our young kids are not contributing or making any effort to stand by Israel and this is evidence.
Yet they love to go to Israel and have a great time which they should do however they take for granted that their fellow young Israeli Jews are putting their lives on the line to enable for these Aussie Kids to be there and enjoy themselves but in return they are offering nothing not willing to sacrifice even their time for support of Israel. Pretty disappointing don’t you think ?
{perhaps it could be once the kids come out of University they have been so indoctrinated by the scourge of the leftists Jewish academics at our Jewish Study Dept. that they have no interest in Israel ]
That’s a sad and sorry report you’ve had to make, Michael. I think your observation on the age factor is an important one. Many people in the Melbourne Jewish community gather together in force to celebrate Israel, singing, dancing and eating for Yom Haaztmaut et al – this certainly attracts the young, as does ‘fun in the park’ for Israel. However, where darker stuff is concerned … nothing. This is one of the reasons I don’t involve myself anymore with these party type events. Well, also I live 160 kms. from Melbourne now, however even if this was not the case my position would be the same.
I’m concerned about Jewish youth on the whole. Many of them are cosseted by their parents and attending expensive, excellent Jewish schools, their futures as such pretty much assured. Nowhere along the way it seems is it thought to give appropriate time to the adversity and problems that can come from being Jewish, or in fact to the other side of life that has nothing to do with comfortable living. Everybody is simply way too comfortable. Put this together with the rather passive and ineffectual responses of many of our Jewish leaders to situations that demand sharp acuity, assertiveness and clear speaking, and it’s a formula for trouble.
We will continue with artificial jollity, a comfort zone that ignores bigger realities and passive, polite responses, if any at all, at our peril.
I support the Jewish community Leadership they can only work with what they have got even they they are a bit misguided on a few issues [ Multiculturalism and this issue] The Palestinians are winning the PR war because they have no competition. When lies and propaganda are repeated so many times and on a regular basis and the side that is being vilified does not appear on the scene and put up an opposing argument can never win.
Unfortunately there are many reasons for Israel being slaughtered in the PR war here.
Some but not all of the reasons are many of the volunteer leadership / representative positions are being taking up by leftists [ ADL for instance] who promote their own worldly views which includes at one extreme siding with the enemies, supporting them , arguing the case of do nothing strategy because it gives our enemies oxygen, this is quire a popular excuse
Other reasons include apathy this is popular particularly . amongst our young.
However the do nothing strategy is probably the biggest reason why Israel is not getting its message across to the man in the street.
The Palestinians are lucky to have as their stormtroopers and lackeys to do a lot of their activism the Socialist Alternative thugs and losers who have nothing else to do anyway, the Trade Unions, Occupy Movement besides 100% of the Arab/ Muslim community who even though have differences amongst them selves all support the Palestinians.
What we need is a Students for Israel groups of activists . that can organize rally’s and speakers on a regular ongoing basis , a proper web site for propaganda However we all know that is never going to happen with our lot.
Just for the fun of it, can we see some of the lyrics to the carols?
Hi Michael
Congrats on attending. I usually attend these rallys as a vocal dissenter, but had a priuor engagement that was unavoidable.. A fortnight ago I was put in a divvy van twice by the police for engaging in discussions with members of the rabble who became heated when talking to me and yet I was the one carted away. I understand the police wanting to avoid confrontation, but as I have to put up with the objectionable distortions that this mob speak, then I ought to have the right or reply on a public street. Its a shame that the Jewish community do not attend in numbers regardless of what the ‘ perception’ amongst the largely uninterested public would be. If it means that these vile people do not get the opportunity to slander Israel and attract more uneducated supporters then it is worth it.
Mark, if you are arrested for voicing your opposition to offensive demonstrators, then, to my non-legal mind, you are being denied your freedom of speech. The task of the police is to maintain the peace and if there is a segment of society that is violent, it is not their role to remove anyone or anything that they may cause them to break the law. Their task is to stop behaviour that contravenes our laws. To my mind, it is not the civil duty of anyone to make the task of policing easy by refraining form the exercise of one’s rights and thus eliminating the need for the police to enforce our laws.
The constabulary may in fact not only be violating your rights – and in doing so undermining the rights of all law abiding people – they may also be guilty of unlawful arrest.
I really would like to see some civil right lawyer or the civil rights watch-dogs take up your case. It would be nice to test if all people have civil right but some people have more civil rights than others (pace, Orwell).
Again, we see this totally unfair criticism of most of the Jewish communal leaders and ordinary members not participating in these public demos/debates. For your info:
– comunal leaders are terribly busy being leaders
– most communal members are terribly busy at working out how to become communal leaders
– these dmonstration are deemed to be COUNTER-productive. See for yourself, did any demo create any communal leader ??!!
Conclusion: WE NEED COMMUNAL LEADERS !!!
Go to the top of the class there Otto.
I and most of the Community are in agreement.
The next counter rally will be be the biggest loudest and most spectacular this country has ever seen. We will have beautiful banners, slick flyers and and sound systems to blow your ear drums away.
🙂 @ Oddo Waldmann
The Leader
I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee I’m the leader
I’m the leader
OK what shall we do?
(Roger McGough)
The Leader
I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee I’m the leader
I’m the leader
OK what shall we do?
(Roger McGough)
Dear Otto Waldmann,
I had actually responded to your witty post, but somehow that was one of the many who dont seem to get through the moderator these days…so I try once more, although by now it probably has grown a beard:
The Leader
I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee I’m the leader
I’m the leader
OK what shall we do?
(Roger McGough)
Nothing to do with the moderator Rita. Sometimes Henry is too busy to put posts up
You did the right thing Michael. Instead of heeding the advice of wise “professionals” or communal leaders impose on us viz. Australians don’t like foreign issues paraded on Australian steers and the police require Jewish cooperation to maintain the peace, you have actually stood up for what is right.
You are right too Sergio. Islam is an aggressive political movement which even kills its moderates and must be resisted at every level. Our leadership thinks that its diplomacy and sophistication will provide safety against fanatics who understand nothing other than a 4×2 squarely between the eyes. Our leaders show great courage only in putting down any one who points out what failures they are. But more importantly Sergio, as you imply, our leadership (for want of a better word) has no faith in the sense of fair go and tolerance that is the hallmark of our society. Instead, those (mis)leaders advance the highest ideals of tolerance, acceptance and social integration even to that segment which is utterly intolerant, which does not accept the values of the society to which they have come and who refuse to integrated.
Sadly, the demonstration shows two things. Our leadership’s stupidity is as dangerous to our society as is our enemy. Our politicians and law enforcement authorities will do anything to maintain peace and the charade of multiculturalism which is a crushing failure with respect to the mohammedan cohort.
Thank you Paul.
I hope you are at the next B of Deps meeting, as I have an issue that needs to be dealt with and I WANT ANSWERS
I wish I’d had the courage to second your motion for the removal of Robin Margo from the Board too, when you proposed it. That’s part of my issue.
The question all the time is “Why don’t more people join?”
Why don’t they look in the mirror?
Nothing has changed over the years and are the very same reasons I dropped out of the Community, after being very active, years back.
In the case of many of our so-called Community Leaders it’s a case of “SELF PROMOTION” I am sick of them telling everyone how wonderful they are and what they’ve done ad nauseam.
I can name two of the worse. Both of whom I am waiting for an apology from for their rudeness. I won’t go further at this point in time..
I will be at the next plenum and if you can recognise me, come over and have a chat so that we can discuss how I can assist in having the plenum address your concerns. I will have a copy of my upgraded motion at hand.
My greatest concern is that so many Jews think that in supporting the NIF, which supports partial BDS, they legitimise full BDS by non-Jews (and their supporters), such as those who pervert Christmas to score political points.
It is indeed alarming that such offensiveness passes without comment by politicians and religious leaders, Christian, Jewish and indeed Muslim, the last calling on us to show understanding if some of their followers riot if their prophet is not shown proper respect.
I am not surprised that many Jews were not there.
It’s sad but I think, apart from the left wing camp, Jews have plenty of reasons to avoid any kind of confrontation or event like this.
Just look at the last 2000 years of history. They have been sitting ducks all along.
Also if I am not mistaken it is Hanukkah – that may also be a reason.
Susan it is NOTHING to do with Chanukah
Dear Editor,
Students for Palestine advertised a planned demonstration in central Melbourne this weekend by announcing that they intended to sing Christmas Carols to draw attention to Israel’s ‘apartheid’ system.
As self-proclaimed students I would suggest that they tackle the following academic assignment: ‘Compare and contrast the South African apartheid system (1948-1994) with the Israeli ‘apartheid system’ (1948-2012)’. By undertaking the research necessary to complete this assignment they will discover that the vile South African apartheid system was racist, segregationist and undemocratic and that, conversely, Israel is a democratic country where all citizens of whatever religion, ethnicity or race enjoy, as of right, full citizenship rights including the right to vote and to stand for election, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom from discrimination.
I would also suggest that when they sing their carols they reflect on the fact that Christ was a Jew, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, both Jewish towns. As students one hopes that singing popular carols such as ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ might lead them to reflect on Christ’s ancient Davidian ancestry and the fact that Jews lived in what is now the land of Israel for some 1700 years before Christ’s birth.
So, my ‘Christmas message’ for Students for Palestine is – Back to your books!
Dr Bill Anderson,
Surrey Hills,
Vic. 3127,
Well said, Dr. Bill Anderson, but where those (as you say “self-proclaimed”) stuuuuudents are concerned, I dont think that they have the intellectual basis to ever have opened a book, their indoctrination seems to come from facile one-liners and 1 minute TV slogans and “student” in their cases seems to be a euphemism for “moronic member of a dangerous herd”.
While it is clear that those demonstrating under the banner of Israeli Apartheid
are pathetic and hate-filled individuals, their constant peddling of propaganda
about the evils of Israel and Jews may well result in some people who are ignorant of the facts
believing them.
For this reason, we cannot simply ignore them, as the public will just hear their
Big Lies. We know from history that if you tell a lie big enough and often enough,
people will start to believe it.
Therefore, I believe it is incumbent on all decent and honest people to come out and
counter their lies with the simple truth – that Israel, like Australia, is a free democratic
country, not perfect, but much better than the totalitarian Islamic and Marxist hellholes
that these Islamists and Far Left protesters support, and seem to want to impose on us.
their constant peddling of propaganda
about the evils of Israel and Jews may well result in some people who are ignorant of the facts
believing them.
===============================================
This is happening on an ever increasing scale already, Pam!
”INACTION IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION”
taken from Passion for Freedom exhibition London.2012.
Christians, Jews,Buddhists and Hindus displayed the true essence of Interfaith among the pro Israel group.
In sydney at Pitt st mall, today , there were only around 20 palestine supporters ( 3-4 arabs and 2 jews and the rest aussie socialist alliance and greens)
they sang a few songs , and chanted “free free palestine” before heading off towards circular quay.
One of the jewish anti-zionist (heskel) admitted to me that he has never been to Israel!!!!!
I recommended that he go to gaza and proudly share his feelings as a gay jew!!!
see how long he would stay alive?
During the recent Gaza flare-up, I saw a video of people demonstrating WITHIN ISRAEL for the “palesteeeeeeenians”. As they were shouting their sickening slogans, the sirens started warning of yet another HAMAS missile…. these “demonstrators”, without any sense of irony, run towards the Israeli bomb shelters.
The video stopped there, but I would not be surprised that, once the alarm over, they continued their “demonstration against big bad Israel”.
Like many of us fighting for our rights and ligitimacy, in the Catholic church we are just political tools, the difference being you have the numbers, we don’t!
Thanks Michael for your report and there were a few pro Israel supporters under the age of 60 present!
Same problem in Sydney, everyone except the local Australian Jews came and stand up for themselves or Israel.
After 2 years of the BDS there is now less support by the average Australian on the street for our local community because of such lack of action by the Sydney Australian Jews. The last two Parramatta Max Brenner protest, showed very clearly that they can have an economic effect on Max Brenner and the area surrounding. Because of the massive Police presence needed to prevent another potential Muslim riot hiding within the BDS cult, everyone gets affected.
Marrickville and Newtown has a higher than average left wing Jewish community, they have no idea of what they are doing from the safety of living in Australia from the stupidity of some lecturers at Sydney University (Jake Lynch) to Jew hating Jews (one even calling himself a writer), Socialist groups with many different names, as well as the local Greens (that should be re renamed Poison Ivy). These individuals and groups are all attacking Jews and Israel on a daily basis, slowly brainwashing the young people of Sydney with shocking untruths, this making the job of standing up for Israel and defending our right to stand up to these thugs and bullies even more dangerous to the few people that take these Islamist and Socialist on.
I say again; the problem in Sydney is that everyone except very few local Australian Jews came and stands up for themselves or Israel. Now there is even less support by the average Australian on the street for our local community because of such lack of action by the Australian Jews.
Islam as an Ideology that will never stop trying to remove all Jews from this planet, or at best enslave the people that are left, in truth it is all free thinking people of the world that have different faiths, the love of free will and true democracy that are in the same boat.
Stop thinking that other people will save you and your family, stop thinking that other people will represent you on the streets, ‘apathy’ has proven itself a dangerous friend to many peaceful people of the world.
Well said Sergio and so true
As I wrote in the AJN. It’s time to stop hiding and running way.
Enough it enough
Only two people, including myself had the guts to go into the City today for the BDS Christmas action, pitiful though it was, but who was to know that?
Sergio – a most passionate defender of Israel and the Jewish people said:
“Stop thinking that other people will save you and your family, stop thinking that other people will represent you on the streets, ‘apathy’ has proven itself a dangerous friend to many peaceful people of the world”
Too right!
Rita you are mistaken.
I would have guestimated the socialist/anarchist grinches to be closer to 100; but in any case the supporters of lies, terror and savagery outnumbered the friends of Israel considerably.
It amazes the non-Jewish observer of BDS campaigns, that comintern rent-a-thugs and brainwashed handmaidens of Hamas can spread their hatred and ignorance in our public spaces without interaction from Australia’s Jewish community. After centuries of pogroms, the European holocaust and all the wars and terror campaigns against Israel since 1947, the best we can do is mobilise two dozen of Friends of Israel? What ever happened to ‘Never again!’?
Why does the leadership of Jewish community think that the last anti-Israel UN vote went south? Why did Australia and other friends of Israel abstain? Even Germany could not be bothered to raise the hand against the enemies of Israel. Germany!
Was this another brilliant success of the “don’t go there, don’t show our flag, don’t engage” PR agenda of the Jewish community leadership?
More than all the “For” votes raising the profile of PLO/PA & Co, does it not concern us that friends no longer vote with Israel? Does it not concern equally when the Jewish community and friends don’t make a stand against vile public vilification and bashing of the Jewish state and Jewish businesses?
As former friends now abstain, the Jewish community abstains from showing these rent-a-thugs they don’t own the streets.
Can you image the impact if these thugs were met by 1,000 or 10,000 voices for Israel – each and every time they raise their ugly head in our streets? If they’re drowned out each and every time by 100 megaphones, how much longer would their 5th column bother to show up?
Give an honest answer: When has passive silence in the face of evil last worked in favour of the Jewish community? Would the history of Germany taken a different path, if only more people would have made a stand in public while there was still time?
PS: Michael you surely were not the youngest!
“…like lambs to the slaughter…”
I too, as a non-Jew start to despair as I am an increasingly lonly voice defending Israel against avalanches of ignorance. The systematic defaming of and inciting against Israel and the Jewish people is very much bearing fruit.
Before I get carried away, what I meant to say: Roul is right!