Slipper calls for the dismissal of anti-Israel campaigner
Independent Queensland MP Peter Slipper has called on Sydney University to sack Professor Stuart Rees of the Sydney Peace Foundation.
Slipper made his statement in the Federation Chamber speaking on the London Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism.
Slipper’s statement:
Peter Slipper
“There are many evils in our society, but there is no evil greater than antisemitism. I was interested to read in the Australian today that Professor Rees of the Sydney Peace Foundation, who is on the staff of the University of Sydney’s Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, which supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement that explicitly equates Israel with apartheid-era South Africa, attacked the Prime Minister and others for their opposition to the position that he takes. I call on the university to sack Professor Rees because in our society what we need is tolerance, understanding of diversity and respect for individual religious convictions. It is incredibly wonderful that the Prime Minister of this nation, the honourable member for Kooyong and so many other members of parliament have chosen to sign a document supporting the London Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism.
Regrettably, in three minutes one does not have time to read all of the London Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism, but it is a wonderful initiative. Around the world at the moment we are finding increasing antisemitic attacks. We are finding, increasingly, that people are opposing those of the Jewish faith. We only have to cast our minds backwards more than half a century ago to the Holocaust, when millions of Jewish people were murdered because of their religion and ethnicity. The fact that the London Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism is receiving such strong support from both sides of parliament indicates that there are values that unite members of this parliament, and values that unite our society. Professor Rees, from the Sydney Peace Foundation, is out of step with values that this parliament represents.
Professor Rees is un-Australian. His views are absolutely despicable and, in fact, the university ought not to be wasting public money paying a person who has such odious views and who supports antisemitism. He is, in my view, someone who has no place on the public payroll. All Australians should abhor what he has said, and I believe that members should sign this declaration. I have visited Israel five times—most recently as Speaker of the House of Representatives. It is a wonderful country, a tolerant country, and I think all of us should stand up against the evils of antisemitism.”
Slipper is right !
John,
You sound like one mixed-up person! And I know before even starting that I won’t be the one to make any difference to that. “Stuart Rees is seeking to save the Jews in Israel from themselves”!!!!!!!!! Well, he has gone up a notch in importance. I wonder if he himself is aware of the Messiah type role you attribute to him? I think not. For heaven’s sake, do your homework.
The clowing duo, John and Charles, would have us believe that our palestinian “cousins” , in fact ,love Jews and, therefore ,could not possibly be anti Semitic, just anti the Jewish State.
Isn’t them more brighter than the sword of Mohhamed !!!
Slipper should go …. Stuart Rees is very Australian … is very concerned for justice. He is not anti-semitic. He is like me anti Israeli action towards Palestinians. This is NOT anti-semitic. Stuart Rees is seeking to save the Jews in Israel from themselves… to save them from another catastrophe because of Israel’s anti-Palestinian actions. Note Palestinians and Arabs are semites also. Perhaps the Jews of Israel should get to know their cousins. For too long Israel has not only had its own agenda in former Palestine but has become embedded in US and European Middle East politics. Israel is part of the Middle East it is NOT an extension of Europe. Far too many Jews out of Europe have come to Israel to be safe and find themselves as a Semitic people but have remained European with European intentions which are clearly not of or for the Middle East.
Being anti Israel government policy is not anti semitism. Get it right Slipper.
Hey talking about bad allies Mona lets talk about the Hezbollah flag waving Palestinian , Arab, Muslim community ally notorious Nazi Ross ‘ The Skull’ May chanting along on Thursday night in the heart of Sydney at their anti Jewish Israeli rally . My friends who were at the rally as observers told me he looked at home with the Multicultural religion of peace people…
Whilst we are on the subject MOna, Mona how about some other allies big supporters and promotors of the Poor, Poor Palestinian cause the notorious Holocaust Denying Organisation The Adelaide Institute with their leader former German Jailbird holocaust denier Her Fredrick Tobin at the helm.
Lets see Mona what other allies can I think of that partner the Palestinian propaganda machine oy yeh their Socialist Alternative stormtroopers who regularly back them up outside Max Brenner and other demonstrations against Israeli Jews.
I’l take Slippers support against all your Palestinian allies any day Mona.
Michael, it’s always a good idea to check your facts before writing. Last Thursday’s rally in Sydney was remembering the Nakba ( Catastrophe). You may not be aware that in 1948 at least 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their homes and became refugees. The rally had absolutely nothing to do with any form of anti-Semitism. Organizers of public events cannot control who turns up. After all your friends were there.
Great smear charecterised more by ignorance than truth. And with Slipper’s reputation it is not surprising either.
Can’t believe what I’m reading here! Peter Slipper’s reputation is one thing, and what he has to say on this issue another. Question: Does one’s bad reputation necessarily make invalid any opinion held or comment made, and conversely, does one’s good reputation necessarily enhance or make valid opinion held or comment made?
As to measurement of evil in the world – where does that concept take us? Evil is evil. Anti-Semitism has certainly been responsible for a great deal of it over hundreds of years, and needs to be nipped in the bud right now.
It’s a farce that Rees has anything to do with the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University – his attitudes narrow the whole concept of what this should be about. He’s an embarrassment to the University and a provocateur with extreme, biassed views.
Dear Liat
You are right in all you say. At first I felt like replying thos one name brainless trolls, but then thought ” why dignify idiotic ramblings of the anti Semitic kind !!??”.
Fact is that Mr. Rees is of incredible insignificance and more so are the “select” pseudo-academic packs of Uni. campus stray ferrals who, incidentally, only “students” are NOT, therefore of no consequence to a decent society, they will never amount to anything of substance, just like the single name intruders right here. It just amuses me, what is it they reckon can be achieved by posting their idiotic vomit on a Jewish site !! Do they expect us to say ” Yeah, yourse guys is right and showed me da light !!??”. Bcause I can only confrm that ,with the quality of their musings, our passion for Israel is gaining greater confidence. Faced with moronic “arguments” like theirs we can be confident that Eretz Zion Israel can only prosper.
Why am not suprised at these very shameful comments by Mr Slipper?
Actually, I think you are somewhat misinformed. Professor Rees is more properly Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees A.M. and his work at Sydney University has been entirely voluntary since he retired following an illustrious career. The accusations of anti-semitism are fabricated, based solely on his legitimate criticisms of the actions and policies of the state of Israel. It is ridiculous to equate criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish racism since Israel is a multi-faith and multi-cultural society with Palestinians making up approximately 20% of the population inside the 1948 borders and close to 50% of the population if we take all the areas controlled by the current apartheid regime.
One might also like to consider whether Peter Slipper makes a good ally; I seem to recall he has a few reputational problems himself.
I’m not a supporter of Slipper, or Rees. But if Slipper thinks anti-Semitism is the greatest evil in our society, he needs to get out more. It doesn’t even rank in the top 10.