The ECAJ and Bob Carr
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has congratulated Bob Carr on the announcement of his appointment by the Australian government to the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Bob Carr
“Our community knows from its many years of association with Mr Carr what a wealth of talent and knowledge he will bring to his new role” said ECAJ President, Dr Danny Lamm.
“The announcement of Mr Carr’s appointment comes at a critical time in world affairs and there will be no shortage of challenges to keep him occupied. He has an abiding commitment to Australia’s alliance with the US which remains of fundamental importance to Australia’s security. The task of balancing that commitment with our developing engagement with Asia, and with the emerging super-power of China in particular, will require tact and diplomacy of the highest order,” Dr Lamm added.
Concerning Israel and recent events in the Middle East, Dr Lamm said “Bob Carr has a long record of support for Israel and the cause of democracy and human rights. He was a founder of Labor Friends of Israel in the 1970s, campaigned actively for the freedom of Soviet Jews and has been an outspoken champion of Israel’s right to exist in peace and security.
“As an avid follower of world affairs he would be well aware of the fragility of democratic forces in the Arab world and the strength of anti-democratic forces as they vie with one another to replace failed regimes. He would also understand the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program.
“We do not anticipate any shift in the current Australian position regarding Israel and the long-standing bipartisan support for its right to exist in peace and security.”
”We have sought an early meeting with the new Foreign Minister to brief him about our community’s concerns and hear his views about his new role.”
Senator Kate Lundy
The ECAJ also welcomed the appointment of Senator the Hon Kate Lundy to the position of Minister for Sport and Multicultural Affairs.
Dr Danny Lamm said: “Our community knows from its association with Senator Lundy during her time as Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs, and from our Executive Director’s work with her on the Australian Multicultural Council, and its predecessor body, that she is passionately committed to policies designed to further social justice and harmony in a multicultural Australia
“We were equally delighted that Multicultural Affairs has now been given express recognition in Senator Lundy’s portfolio. This is the first time in approximately 15 years that the word “Multicultural” has been included in the portfolio title of a Federal Minister, a long overdue restoration of the Federal government’s recognition of the living reality of Australia’s multicultural society”, Dr Lamm added.
Paul is spot on, as usual !
Carr must be seen as a revived former failure. Carr is essentially responsible for the destruction of Labor in NSW, not that I care.
Carr is also seen as an accomplished intellectual, which he is not.
Carr’s rhetorical technique is a combination of select words devoid of any substance when combined in intentionally confusing syntax.
As a Foreign Affairs Minister anything could be expected of Carr, but he will be always subservient to the policies dictated by the government which appointed him and whcih controlls, in actual fact ALL policies, as it should be !!
That we have a friend in Government is not something anyone can anticipate. Let’s see what emmerges in cold, real facts !
Realtionship with the US is vital to Australian security! With Australia’s history of following the US into wars fron Korea to Iraq! What “security” does this provide apart from Australians dying in imperial wars ?
Are you, at all, refering to the communist imperial march engulfing Asia/Korea in the early 50s and the aggressive/ expansive Iraqui policies of the 80’s, because those of us who DO remember those realities also reckon that responsibility for protecting political decency rests with all democracies, Australia and US included !!
Paul, as usual, spot on !!
Carr is considered a bright intellectual light on the hill, an insipired political theorist etc.
We must keep our comments civilised and positive, yet realistic, as honest assessments will aid our position in life far more beneficiary than misplaced praise.
1st – Carr as politician – and we only care to commebt about him as such – was a DISASTER !!!- President Lamm not being one of us, NSW, may not know what catastrophies were hoisted on us by Carr’s reign for some ten years.Carr is fundamentally responsible for the near destruction of NSW Labor and that should worry all local Jewish leaders who, in their majority, are Labor devotees !! So, what’s the hochma of elevating Carr to political worth !!??
2nd – As political ideologist and visionary – did anyone care to analyse Carr’s enormously disturbing incongruitiees contained in ANY of his essays on any ideological/political matter going longer than three lines ??!!! I,for one, am taken aback in laughter at the improvised richly verbose nonsense Carr indulges in each time he feels like improvising “intelligent” musings. A torrent of select words put together in the haste of wanting to make an impression on journalists who either don’t care or have no idea what the subject should be !!!
3rd – the Hanan Ashrawi undressed a duplicitous mind which, in the end,came with my point 2, where Carr served us the ultimate bulshit call. Remember when ,to cap it all, he said something like “I have a solution for the Middle East conflict !” and at once he improvised anothe pearl of stupendous nonsense by saying the majic words ” Let’s have a durable peace in the Middle East !” and with increased tension in his voice, encouraged by his relentless farcical , contriving mind ,he continued ” Let’s have something or another decisive peace something or another !!!”
Paul Winter is right, Carr IS a friend of the Jewish community on any Monday of the week. But then comes Tuesday and, since I mention only Monday, Tuesday is NOT ours, hence it belongs to the Budhists. Then comes Wednesday, that is for the Chinese community, nothing wrong with tha. Thursday is for the Amerindians, but Friday is something entirely diferent: Friday is that special day when Messrs. Hillaly and Trad go straight through that opened door right into Bob’s office ! I am saying that because I shall never forget how Bob, on a Tuesday evening at the Board of Dputiesplenum kept on repeating ” My office door is always open,my office door is always open…”about ten times. A few days later he handed Hanan Ashrawi the Peace Prize in spite of the Jewish community banging on that shut door begging him to reconsider. Duplicitous Bob, I don’t think so, Multiplicious Bob, MOST DEFINITELY.
Now all we have to do wait for his incredible lectures on foreign affairs as replies to simple questions. READ the words, don’t just listen to them. BOB CARR, INVARIABLY, DOES NOT KNOW WHAT ON EARTH HE IS TALKING ABOUT OR WHAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT !!!!
Bob Carr has indeed a solid history of support for Israel, so the ECAJ may well regard him as a friend. It must however be kept in mind that politicians are friends of everyone, including our local enemies, and court their electoral support. The best way to guage Carr is to balance his support for Israel with his awarding of the Sydney Peace Prize to Hanan Ashrawi and the savaging he gave to his Jewish friends who dared to point out how undeserving Ashrawi was of any prize. Of course, that taught our courageous leaders to never ever so much as whimper at the hand that beats them (and us), Carr may indeed put his personal beliefs aside and pursue the government’s line on foreign policy, but, considering the attitude of his cabinet colleagues, that policy may not be to the benefit of Jews or the Jewish state. Prasing Carr is prudent, assessing his perfomance as FM is imperative.