Violence begets violence. Israel’s Prime Minister should butt out of Australian politics. The tragedy at Bondi Beach, writes Michael West, must not be exploited for political points.
While the victims of the horrific massacre at Bondi Beach were still bleeding, Benjamin Netanyahu – wanted war criminal and architect of the genocide in Palestine – squarely blamed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“I sent PM Albanese of Australia a letter in which I gave him warning that the Australian government’s policy was promoting and encouraging antisemitism in Australia. I wrote, your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists.”
The man responsible for the killing of 20,000 children went on.
“Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You did nothing to curb the cancer cells that were growing inside your country. You took no action. You let the disease spread. And the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today.”
At least 15 people have been murdered, including a 10 year old girl. We don’t have all the facts yet but can assume that this is terrorism, that the Jewish community was targeted and that it relates to the genocide.
Sadly, the usual ideologues and political opportunists seized their moment as the horrific news was unfolding last night to score points, to blame Muslims, Arabs, and even peace protestors.
Jillian Segal condemns Bridge peace protestors
Jillian Segal, Israel lobbyist and Albanese’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, was quick to issue a statement:
“This did not come without warning. In Australia, it began on 9 October 2023 at the Sydney Opera House. We then watched a march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge waving terrorist flags and glorifying extremist leaders”.
This was a peaceful protest by hundreds of thousands of Australian people against the atrocities being perpetrated against hundreds of thousands of other people, the people of Gaza. With Australia and its ally the US contributing weapons and weapons parts.
Violence begets violence, and hate, more hate.
Against the backdrop of the turmoil in the Middle East, Australians murdered Australians and Australians came to the rescue. This is what happened. Peace protestors are not to blame.
Demonising Muslims and Arabs will only cause further grief. It is racial supremacy, bigotry and hatred.
Nobody has done more to fuel hatred than Israel’ s Prime Minister. This is the man whose false intel and lobbying gave rise to the US invasion of Iraq where more than one million died. He has been destabilising the Middle East and the world for decades and is wanted by the ICJ for plausible genocide against the Palestinians.
In the past year, he has bombed Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Qatar and Yemen.
Yet the usual suspects on social media were busy fomenting unrest last night while the bodies of the dead at Bondi Beach were still warm, their loved ones in dreadful shock.
Gun laws
While Segal, as an unapologetic champion of the government of Israel, is part of the problem, not the solution, she is right when she says that “This moment requires action”.
“Australia responded decisively after Port Arthur in 1996. This moment requires the same action. Words are no longer enough.” Agree. How did these men get all the firearms? Tighten the gun laws.
Segal: “An attack on a peaceful Jewish celebration is an attack on our national character and our way of life. Australia must defend both.” Correct, all acts of violent must be condemned, including those espoused by the Israel propagandists.
As for Netanyahu’s attack on Albanese, it is patently untrue as well as designed for political mischief and division. “You did nothing … you took no action,” is merely another lie. He changed the laws of the country in the wake of the false flag ‘terror plots’ whose masterminds were never found or prosecuted.
He condemned every alleged act of ‘antisemitist terror’ including the many which turned out to be false flags. He continued to furnish Israel with weapons parts despite the probable breaches of international law.
Iran … again?
Under pressure from the Israel lobby, he expelled the Iranian Ambassador, and is yet to furnish any evidence that Iran was behind the purported terrorist attack in Bondi which led to the expulsion.
And now, Iran is yet again in the picture.
“Israeli authorities are investigating whether state actors, chiefly Iran, were involved in the mass shooting attack against Sydney’s Jewish community at Bondi Beach on Sunday,” according to the Jerusalem Post, which even pointed to Hamas.
“A senior US official told Fox News that if the Islamic Republic ordered the attack, then the US would fully recognize Israel’s right to strike Iran in response. Officials were also probing links to Hezbollah, Hamas, and Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is connected to al-Qaeda.”
The dutiful chipmunks on social media are also crying Iran.
This is a bleak time for Australia. In the following days the tragedy at Bondi Beach on Sunday will continue to be exploited for political gain. Calls are already rising for attacks on peaceful protest, free speech and freedom of assembly.
Jillian Segal’s recommendation that the IHRA definition of antisemitism be introduced – banning criticism of the state of Israel – will only fuel the crisis.