New Group Holds First Meeting
Australia for a Secure Israel has held its inaugural meeting in Sydney.
Danny Ginges, Robert Sonnenschein, David Singer, Shirlee Finn, Peter Hersh, Jeremy Jones, Ron and Sally Weiser
In spite of foul weather, the NRL Grand Final and a holiday weekend, more than 100 interested community members turned up at Bondi’s Central Synagogue to listen to Dr Ron Weiser, an honorary Life President of the Zionist Council of NSW and AIJAC’s Jeremy Jones. Both speakers agreed that Israel has never been in a stronger position than it is today and said that the “moral majority” of the word’s nations are strong supporters.
In his opening speech, AFASI’s president Danny Ginges said: “Our group was formed out of concern about the growing attempts to delegitimise the State of Israel. Not just by the extremist fringes, but by elements of the political party that currently holds the balance of power in this country. Not just by radical followers of Islam and the church, but by members of our own faith.
My late father in law, David Hakim, was born in Egypt. He once told me about an incident that happened to him on the streets of Cairo not long after Israel proclaimed its statehood. He was recognized as a Jew and was set upon by a large angry mob. Luckily he had the good sense to put his back against a wall, so that only one or two people could attack him at a time. That wall saved his life.
Ron Weiser
We too are under attack from all sides. So what is the wall that will protect our backs? …
We are that wall. Our history. Our sense of identity. Our values. Our common cause: the right to exist as a free people in our own land.
We are a capable and resourceful people.
We have shown time and again that when we stand together, we can face any adversity.
But not when our backs are exposed. Not when there are holes in our wall. And there are holes. Gaping holes.
The Jews who support the Global BDS.
Who stand outside Max Brenner and accuse Israel of apartheid and genocide. Who call for a renewed intifada.
Jeremy Jones
The Israeli NGO’s who provided 92% of the material used in the damaging and grossly untrue Goldstone Report. Who organize litigation in Holland, England, The US, Spain and New Zealand against IDF officers for war crimes, and are funded by the same Arab organizations that support Hamas, and the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
Our enemies are using disinformation to divide us and destroy us. We need to fight back with knowledge an understanding.
If we don’t know the truth, we can’t fight the lies.
On November 29, 1947, the newly formed United Nations was instrumental in the creation of the State of Israel.
It’s been a downhill ride ever since.
To quote from Netanyahu’s UN speech just over a week ago, Israel has been ‘singled out for condemnation by the UN General assembly more often than all of the nations of the world combined’. The attacks continue as we speak.”
thank you Otto Waldmann for the compliment; my appreciation of it is in direct inverse proportion to my deserving it 😉
Here is a new video by Pat Condell about “the great Palestinian lie”. Condell might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but here he really hits the nail on the head of the naked emperor (if I may mix my metaphors). It’s 5 minutes long, but truly worth watching. He points out that it’s “not about Israel but about Jews”.
Danny, just in case some may think that I would enjoy a “fresh” argument with every bite of my toast at breakfast,NOT TRUE !!! It has been said that I enjoy arguments even in my sleep, again, NOT TRUE !! Reality is that I enjoy arguments 24/7 !
I have, however, NO argument at all with what you are proposing and hope that AFASI will accomplish a lot more than what it modestly intends !
meanwhile HATIMA TOVA to all !!!! and specially Rita whose brains must be made of the finest crystals.
Otto, thanks for your interest in the group. I can assure you that nobody in the group has any desire to take anything away from any other Zionist organisation. We all support their work, and have no wish to replicate it. So why form a new group? Well, like it or not, we’re at war. An information war. And in some battles, a rubber dinghy can be more useful than a battleship.
To David Singer
in any complex venture “complete” agreement among participants can only stifle progress. A priori it can be agreed on fundamentals, but it is essential that dynamics of creative exchanges are encouraged. From pedestrian dogma to what I really want to express is but an invisible line.
The invisible line is the one you can “see” just above.
What I would like to say is that we have arrived at a juncture whre,indeed, intense attenton must be paid to the disturbing phenomenon of a VARIETY of centrifugal directions taken by certain Jews away from the most dependable Zionism . Not less relevant is the actual clear articulation of the “kind”of Zionism that must be relied on. Within the vast spectrum of Zionist concerns, almost everything you outlined should be the object of strong attention. I said “almost” precosely because I need to leave a certain space for debate, a constructive one, attracting passion, enthusiasm and, why not, wisdom.
A careful study of the core issues may elicit the neeed to approach also the Jews not engaged in ostensive detractory anti Israel activities, but also those lured into zones of para-intellectual comfort, attracted by notions of “superior” ethics and thus inclined to accept degrees of criticism of a severily negative targeted Israel by an increasing number of international entities.
I just typed a lengthy text only to realise that I could have comprised the lot in the sentence: “David, I agree with you !!”. By now, though, you’d have read the lot. Not my fault !!
To Otto Waldmann
The problem is not taking issue with Jews who support Israel in the myriad organiztions that undertake such work – but with Jews who don’t support Israel- because they have been misled by propaganda and misinformation.
For example do those Jews who join BDS outside Max Brenner in Newtown agree that Israel’s newest winner for the Nobel Prize for Chemistry should be banned from lecturing at any University or otherwise disseminating his wisdom anywhere in the world? Should it make any difference if he lives in say Ariel rather than Tel Aviv?
Hopefully Jews supporting BDS in any dimension (and yes – that does include NIF when it comes to funding organizations that call for a boycott of goods and services emanating from the West Bank) will come to understand how damaging their actions can be in undermining Jewish solidarity in the face of incredible pressure from our detractors and denigrators.
This is the important role AFASI must play – not sniping at those whose hearts are in the right place but helping to receive back into the fold those who have displaced Israel from their hearts by being duped into doing so.
To David Singer
at the risk of being seen as a ” one issue obsessive”, while I agree that communal cohesion is essential, what else would ANY organisation of the AFASI type do but addressing issues related to PEOPLE and their policies, including “sniping” at matters which can only pertain to people’s ideas, ideologies, political beliefs and practices !!!! My email address is on its way to you, anyway, but flagging ideological interventions on behalf of real Zionism without identifying the actual obstructive targets courts futility…
At this stage, based on the principles you have outlined,it is,indeed, worth engaging with AFASI.
To Otto Waldmann
AFASI aims to unite the community and end the divisions that see Jews denigrating Jews. You agree AFASI is absolutely necessary. So let’s get on with our objective and not get mired in communal politics sniping at each other for no possible benefit.
Would you like to go on our mailing list?
Send me your email address (and any others who read this are welcome to do so) at [email protected]
Visit our web site – http://www.afasi.org – and look at the videos posted there and let us have your comments,questions or criticisms.
Shirlee
Remember the other day a small plane run into a ferris wheel ?! Your reply to my posting is worse . There is no denigrating of any kind or anyone in my text ! I concluded my opinion piece in saying that an AFASI type action is absolutely necessary in our communal structure.
David Singer
I would be a hopeles bipolar case if I would not agree with most of your points.
What I cannot agree with is that from the myriad of Jewish organisations, which I mentioned, one would expect a more impressive evidence of the type of policies and strategies AFASI is espousing. To say that ALL of them posess full plates of activities ….OTHER than the ones you listed ,is tantamount to saying that the State Zionist Council is not expected to deal with any and ALL of the issues you so meritoriously embrace. Similarly, I insist, the Board of Deps., with its large membership, office staff, BUDGET and Constitutional profile, MUST obeserve all points you elicit !!! ECAJ has a pivotal function in leading the Zionist ideology etc. etc.
The function separation that seems to be the aim of AFASI could only be detrimental to the concerted efforts of all above orgs. and many more in addition .
Out of frustration with the current debilitated state of affairs in the NSW Jewish community, I see the aims of AFASI as EXTREMELY necessary, but,I must insist,it is expected of Jeremy, Ron, Peter, Yair and all other heads of orgs. to redress the dangereously poor performance of their communal charges. One cup of hot chocolate leaves me cold, when time and again cornerstone events in the life of Zionut are treated by the mentioned groups with the supercilious “elegance” of indiference.
The advent of NIF, for instance, elicited one of the most alarming phenomenon. This year at Limud Oz one of the most popular events was Naomi Chazan’s presentation. Not only was there a full house,but the amorphous state of the audience at Chazan’s abuses of Israel and Zionsim in particular demonstrated that Jews intersted enough in matters…Jewish, are, in the painful majority blisfully unaware of the tactical intricacies of the masterful diabolic methods employed by the said denigrators of Israel. This is,partly, the result of a failure by those Jewish entities to have in place methods of counteracting the various relatively new types of assaults on Israel, Zionism and Judaism.
There is a lot more to be said in relation to the means and substance of the current problems the Jewish world is facing from within. Sufice to say that the most troubling phenomenon is the contradiction between the old, outdated, approach to communal “homogenity” and the erosion of fundamental Judaic values through the acceptance of mutilated ethical cathegories. Think about the “universality”of God terms, of the new “necessity”of an echilibrium between Judaism and forces hitherto seen as anti – Judaic, the recoiling of guilt by the Jew of being…. inward looking !!!! and other such idiotic destructive factors of argument. NIF and their ilk are promoting a psychosis of shameful isolation and rejection of the “outer world”by the Jews who would be selfishly concerned only with their own existence at the expense of those “mercilessly opressed ” by the above metioned “inward looking” Zionists etc. etc. THIS is the effective cause of our communal pervasive paralisys, a new wave of assimilation with the “ethics” of the spiritual/ideological levelers.
Enough for now .
Otto,
Whilst we have agreed on occasion, this isn’t one of those times.
I don’t see what your issue is on the formation of a new organisation.
It was your choice not to attend the meeting, you wanted to stay warm and cosy. That’s your prerogative. The same as it was mine TO attend
This is a group of people, who outside of our Community organisations, decided to form a new group with the aim of teaching and informing people about Israel, without formality and officialdom….. and good on ‘em!!
Many people don’t like joining official groups. Until very recently, I too was one of those people and can see where the majority of people are coming from.
Sorry if I offend anyone here, [You know who you are] however – until recent times I took issue with our Community organisations, as they really helped only where necessary. I know that first hand, as I was unable to get help when I needed it.
We now have a whole new breed of energetic and devoted passionate people heading our organisations, who are doing excellent work .
Have you thought that maybe those you are denigrating have good reason for not being involved in the groups you name? Maybe, like me, they had good reason not to.? Maybe they, like me were working elsewhere outside of the Community.
Why do Jeremy Jones and Ron Weiser have to justify their reasons for choosing to speak, at a group meeting formed outside of the ‘communal umbrella’ to you or anyone and why do they need to justify its formation?? I fail to see, why you feel the need to know
To Otto Waldmann
AFASI has one main objective – trying to end the divisions between Jews that sees for example
1. Jews supporting boycotts against other Jews or
2. Jews writing letters that call Jewish settlement in the West Bank “illegal” or
3. Jews calling for a one-state solution in complete rejection of 90 years of accumulated international law that called for the reconstitution of the Jewish National Home in Palestine without prejudice to the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish communities or
4.Jews denigrating religious Jews in Israel or
5.Jews denigrating secular Jews.in Israel or
6. Jews denigrating Jews who live in the West Bank
We all sink or swim together in a time of extreme Jew hatred that manifests itself on the internet in an orgy of misinformation and outright lies under the cover of anonymity in many cases.
That Jews can be taken into believing this rubbish – indeed that some Jews write it or support it financially – indicates the severity of the problem.
When Jews spout this misinformation they cause incredible damage to Jews in Israel and to Israel itself – and also to the community in which they live.
Criticism is not intended to be stifled where it is justified and is based on fact – not fiction.
AFASI hopes to try and end this death wish. We have enough enemies attempting to achieve this without misguided Jews giving them support and encouragement
I don’t believe the organizations you name have directed their attention to this white anting of the Jewish community. They have enough on their plate dealing with the issues of hasbara and anti-semitism directed against the Jewish community on a daily basis. Yes – they could take it on but I believe an organization solely devoting its efforts to ending this division among Jews can be more effective.
AFASI certainly does not intend to duplicate the work of these other organizations.
The wonderful attendance on Sunday night by people who were prepared to give up their footy, family and friends indicate that AFASI has struck a chord to fill a void – as some of the responses below indicate.
Hopefully by concentrating on this agenda – those Jews who have been taken in by the lies and propaganda of the Jew haters will realise how they have been duped and understand the need to be united with their fellow Jews in withstanding this pernicious and insidious campaign .
If we convince one Jew then we have a chance of convincing many and making our community resolve that much stronger.
In so doing I am sure we will gain strong support from the non-Jewish friends of Israel who view with alarm the constant and ongoing efforts by Jews to delegitimize and denigrate the State of Israel and its citizens.
As I live in the proximity of te Central it would have been easy for me to attend last night’s meeting of AFASI.But, with the grand final still on,the warm comforts of the family, enhanced by the rare and precious presence ofmy Son away from his studies overseas, plus the excitement of a discussion/argument with him on any subject, I said to myself : “Why would I front to rain and wind to hear once again Jememy and Ron telling us how important Israel is to them and…me !? ” Don’t get me wrong, both blokes have an impressive stature in Australia’s Jewish leadership. Yet, how can they justify the formation of a new organisation which is suposed to function on priciples their OWN other organisation ( part of over 80 – EIGHTY- reliable Jewsih organisations in NSW alone ) are sructured on !!
How logical is it that a “real” Zionist “new” entity is seen as necessary while the NSWJBD, WIZO, BB, AIJAC , NSWSJC are suposed to do PRECISELY what AFASI is promoting !! While I fully agree with what David Singer has been suppoting on this site alone, and fully agree with Danny Ginges ( not to mention that I posess the same stories from my own late ex- Cairo Father in Law, in fact good friend with the Hakims ), it would have been of great efficiency if both David and Danny would have been just as determined and active on the floor of the Board of Deps. in the past, say, 20 years. Point is that we have numerous organisations which need a propper “reinvigoration” and clear reassessemnt of their “grass root” agitations. Right now there are clear indications that New Israel Fund is enjoying solid support at NSWJBD !!! And here we find one of the more ardent issues in terms of genuine Zionist communal attitudes.As long as we remain “discreet” about the communal challenges we are facing and fail to name NAMES of organisations in our midst which work quite efficiently to undermine the said legitimacy of Israel, organisations and individuals of the NIF ilk shall prosper at our expense. AFASI is necessary, but to the extent of its spirit being seen and felt within the established, existing Zionist dedicated organisations !!!
To Ralf Schumann
As one of those involved in the formation of AFASI – it was extremely encouraging to see the turn out to hear Ron Weiser and Jeremy Jones at our inaugural function last night.
I hope you will join us in seeking to unite our community in ending the denigration and delegitimization of Jews by fellow Jews which only weakens us in our efforts to ensure a strong and secure Israel.
The sight of Jews actively participating in the BDS campaigns at Max Brenner is an example of how the community is being divided by what I believe is a campaign of misinformation – whose real object is to denigrate and delegitimize Jews and create the justification for any future attempt to eradicate the State of Israel.
Another is the claim often made by Jewish people that Jewish settlement in the West Bank and Gaza is illegal in international law – when Jews have been given the specific legal right to live there under article 6 of the Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the UN Charter.
Whether they should do so is an issue on which Jews can – and do – have differing opinions which they are entitled to – and do – express.
But we should all be united in understanding that the claim of illegality is not as cut and dried as those who make the claim and who then assert that those Jews who are doing so should be thrown out or are fair game to be attacked or otherwise be made to suffer for the consequences of acting illegally.
AFASI hopes to counter and address issues such as these by holding meetings such as last night and providing information on our website http://www.afasi.org.to counter the anti-Israel misinformation and hate programs that have flooded the internet. I urge you to visit the site and watch the videos that have been posted. Your comments, criticisms and suggestions would be appreciated.
We need to reach out to those in the community that are apparently being influenced and affected to act as they do because of such misinformation.
I urge all in the community to join AFASI in our efforts. If you send your email addresses to [email protected] I will have you placed on the AFASI mailing list.
“…Israel has been ‘singled out for condemnation by the UN General assembly more often than all of the nations of the world combined’. The attacks continue as we speak…”
This (banned) speech in which Hillel Neuer takes on the UN Human Rights Council is a few years old, but is as relevant today as it was then, if not more so.
http://www.youtube.com/unwatch
Congratulations and good luck to the new group. A good start to the new year!
Mazel tov and good luck to everyone involved. Fantastic to see such dedication and support for the most amazing place on this earth!
Great News and ‘mazel tov’ for this new group. The ‘wall behind us’ analogy is very fitting. Too many Quislings trying to put the knife in from behind.